1946 U.S. Women's Open Winner and Scores
Winner: Patty Berg
Where it was played: Spokane Country Club in Spokane, Washington
Tournament dates: Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 1946
What Happened in the 1946 U.S. Women's Open
The United States Golf Association (USGA) created the men's U.S. Open tournament in 1895. But through 1945, there was no equivalent tournament for women, no U.S. Women's Open. To be fair, though, there were almost no professional women golfers before 1946 — just a handful.The Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) was founded in 1946 and decided to launch a U.S. Women's Open on its own, and the tournament debuted that year. The WPGA had a short history, and when the LPGA came alone a few years later, it took over the tournament. The USGA didn't become the steward of the tournament, as it is for other American national golf championships, until the 1953 U.S. Women's Open.
For the only time in the tournament's history, the USWO in 1946 used a match-play format (after two rounds of stroke-play qualifying). Matches were 18 holes until the semifinals, then 36 holes for the semis and championship match.
The shock of the tournament happened in the first round of match play when 18-year-old amateur Grace Lenczyk knocked out Babe Didrikson Zaharias, 3 and 2. Zaharias, also playing as an amateur, had won the last 13 tournaments she entered. Lenczyk was KO'd herself in the second round. She had a brief but stellar career, finishing fourth in the 1948 U.S. Women's Open and winning the U.S. Women's Amateur that year before, in the early 1950s, deciding to leave the national golf scene.
Patty Berg was the dominant player in the tournament, leading qualifying scorers by 13 strokes. Her road to the championship match included a quarterfinal victory over Jackie Pung. The other finalist was Betty Jameson, whose earlier match wins included against Ann Casey and Dot Kielty, notable amateurs of the day.
In that championship match, Berg and Jameson finished the first 18 all square. But Berg went on a tear after lunch, winning five holes on the front nine before closing out the 5-and-4 victory on the 14th hole.
Thirty-two out of the 39 golfers who entered advanced into the match-play bracket, and only six of those 32 golfers (including the two finalists) were professionals.
1946 U.S. Women's Open Match Scores
First Round (18 holes)
Patty Berg def. a-Margaret Spear, 7 and 6Mary Mozel def. a-Jewel Ann Gronley, 6 and 5
a-Jackie Pung def. a-Jo Pedicord, 5 and 4
a-Edean Anderson def. a-Mrs. William May, 2-up
a-Betty Jean Rucker def. a-Mrs. Frank Kapps, 6 and 5
Helen Dettweiler def. a-Betty Frank, 6 and 4
Betty Hicks def. a-Mary Sargent, 1-up
a-Yola Apostoli def. a-Mrs. Walter McCarty, 3 and 1
a-Grace Lenczyk def. a-Babe Didrikson Zaharias, 3 and 2
a-Ellen Kieser def. Hope Seignious, 3 and 2
Betty Jameson def. a-Barbara Smith, 9 and 8
a-Ann Casey def. a-Grace DeMoss, 3 and 2
a-Beverly Hanson def. a-Mrs. J.R. West, 6 and 4
a-Dot Kielty def. a-Pedee Hosler, 5 and 4
a-Clara Sherman def. a-Carol Gleason, 7 and 5
a-Mrs. Walter Nagel def. a-Bennye Sellers, 8 and 7
Second Round (18 holes)
Patty Berg def. Mary Mozel, 5 and 3a-Jackie Pung def. a-Edean Anderson, 4 and 2
a-Betty Jean Rucker def. Helen Dettweiler, 2 and 1
Betty Hicks def. a-Yola Apostoli, 4 and 2
a-Ellen Kieser def. a-Grace Lenczyk, 5 and 4
Betty Jameson def. a-Ann Casey, 5 and 4
a-Dot Kielty def. a-Beverly Hanson, 5 and 4
a-Clara Sherman def. a-Mrs. Walter Nagel, 5 and 4
Quarterfinals (18 holes)
Patty Berg def. a-Jackie Pung, 6 and 5a-Betty Jean Rucker def. Betty Hicks, 5 and 4
Betty Jameson def. a-Ellen Kieser, 8 and 6
a-Dot Kielty def. a-Clara Sherman, 2 and 1
Semifinals (36 holes)
Patty Berg def. a-Betty Jean Rucker, 3 and 2Betty Jameson def. a-Dot Kielty, 1-up
Championship (36 holes)
Patty Berg def. Betty Jameson, 5 and 4Next: 1947 U.S. Women's Open
