1964 U.S. Women's Open Winner and Scores
Winner: Mickey Wright, 290
Where it was played: San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, California
Tournament dates: July 9-12, 1964
Leaders after first round: Mickey Wright, Shirley Englehorn, Marlene Hagge, 71
Leader after second round: Mickey Wright, 142
Leaders after third round: Mickey Wright, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Englehorn, 227
What Happened in the 1964 U.S. Women's Open
Playing in her hometown of San Diego, Calif., Mickey Wright won the 1964 U.S. Women's Open in an 18-hole playoff against Ruth Jessen. It was the fourth USWO victory by Wright, tying Betsy Rawls for the tournament record (a record they still share today). Wright previously won the U.S. Women's Opens of 1958, 1959 and 1961. (Rawls tied for 26th this year, the last year in her streak of 15 consecutive USWOs finishing in the Top 25.)It was the 59th of Wright's 82 career wins on the LPGA, and the 12th of her 13 career victories in major championships.
Wright led by two over Jessen and Marilynn Smith at the halfway mark after opening with back-to-back 71s.
Following the third round, Wright was tied for the lead with Smith and Shirley Englehorn, who scored 68 in the third round. (Amateur Judy Bell had a 67 in Round 3, breaking the tournament's 18-hole scoring record at the time.)
It was Jessen, who started the final round two off the lead, who kept pace with and then caught Wright in the final round. Wright scored 73, Jessen 71, tying at 290. Jessen birdied the 72nd hole to tie Wright by knocking a fairway wood approach three feet from the cup. Moments later Wright hit her approach to the 72nd green into a bunker, but got up-and-down and into the playoff.
Wright took a 1-stroke lead in the 18-hole playoff at the turn, and beat Jessen by one stroke again on the back nine to win by two, 70 to 72. Jessen won 11 times on the LPGA Tour, but no majors. This was the second major she lost to Wright in an 18-hole playoff after the 1962 Titleholders Championship.
Patty Berg, the LPGA's all-time leader in majors won with 15, tied for 10th place. It was the last Top 10 finish for Berg in the U.S. Women's Open, a tournament she won in 1946 in its first year of existence.
1964 U.S. Women's Open Final Scores
| Mickey Wright | 71-71-75-73—290 (70) |
| Ruth Jessen | 72-73-74-71—290 (72) |
| Marilynn Smith | 75-70-72-74—291 |
| Shirley Englehorn | 71-78-68-74—291 |
| Sandra Haynie | 78-73-70-74—295 |
| Peggy Wilson | 73-77-72-74—296 |
| JoAnn Prentice | 78-73-76-71—298 |
| Marlene Hagge | 71-76-74-77—298 |
| Kathy Whitworth | 76-76-75-73—300 |
| Patty Berg | 76-74-77-75—302 |
| Mary Mills | 79-75-75-75—304 |
| a-Barbara McIntire | 76-76-77-75—304 |
| Jacqueline Pung | 73-79-76-78—306 |
| a-Judy Bell | 79-78-67-83—307 |
| a-Nancy Roth | 74-78-75-81—308 |
| Sandra McClinton | 72-78-75-83—308 |
| Beverly Hanson | 78-80-76-74—308 |
| a-Barbara White | 80-75-72-82—309 |
| a-Susan Lance | 74-79-79-77—309 |
| Kathy Cornelius | 80-75-76-78—309 |
| a-Susan O'Connor | 75-77-80-78—310 |
| Betsy Rawls | 81-77-76-77—311 |
| Gloria Armstrong | 74-77-80-80—311 |
| Wanda Sanches | 78-83-77-78—316 |
| Barbara Romack | 79-76-81-80—316 |
| Betty Hicks | 82-79-79-76—316 |
| Alice Hovey | 76-79-80-82—317 |
| a-Linda Maurer | 80-79-80-82—321 |
| a-Jan Ferraris | 77-77-82-85—321 |
| a-Jean Ashley | 78-81-80-82—321 |
| a-Mary Lowell | 79-81-80-83—323 |
| a-Carla Glasgow | 82-79-76-86—323 |
| Susie Maxwell | 76-88-76-84—324 |
| a-Jan Tarble | 79-86-82-79—326 |
| a-Donna Gilliam | 83-78-82-83—326 |
| a-Dora Donaldson | 79-83-80-84—326 |
| Connie Robinson | 82-77-84-85—328 |
| Jeanette Rector | 85-79-83-82—329 |
| a-Carol Semple | 80-85-80-85—330 |
| JoAnne Winter | 84-81-82-84—331 |
| a-Janet Moseley | 79-86-78-88—331 |
| a-Mrs. Theodore Enger | 80-82-82-87—331 |
| a-Maxine Van Evera | 86-79-83-93—341 |
Sources:
LPGA Tour. 2004 LPGA Tour Media Guide, Player Biographies, Patty Berg.
Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review. "Mickey Has Fine 71, Adds to Open Lead," Associated Press, July 11, 1964.
Toledo (Ohio) Blade. "Wright, Jessen, Tie In U.S. Open," Associated Press, July 12, 1964.
United States Golf Association. U.S. Women's Open Past Champions, 1964, via Internet Archive, https://web.archive.org/web/20100314144601/https://www.uswomensopen.com/history/pastchamps/1964.html.
United States Golf Association. U.S. Women's Open Records, https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/media/online-media-center/usga-records/u-s--women-s-open-records.html.
United States Golf Association. U.S. Women's Open, Records & Results, 1964, https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/history-timeline/scoring-and-stats/scoring.html#!&y=1964.
