The Titleholders Championship was a women's golf tournament played from in 1937 to 1966 and again in 1972. It was later designated a major championship by the LPGA Tour.
History The Titleholders Championship was founded in 1937. Like the Masters Tournament for men, which began a few years earlier, it was played in Augusta, Georgia, but at Augusta Country Club, not at the adjacent Augusta National Golf Club. The winners of various amateur and professional events were invited to take part, although most of the competitors were amateurs. There were very few women professionals at the time and most earned their living as club or teaching professionals.
The Titleholders itself did not offer prize money until 1948, when a prize fund of $600 was introduced, with half of the money going to the professional placing highest in the event. The tournament was discontinued after November 1966, but was revived for one year in 1972, when it was played in May at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. All of these stagings are now recognized as major championships by the LPGA, even though the organization was not founded until 1950.
Winners
YearWinnerCountryScoreRunner(s)-upWinners'share ($)Purse ($)Ref1972 Sandra Palmer 283 Judy Rankin, Mickey Wright 3,000 20,000 1967–1971: No tournament1966 Kathy Whitworth 291 Judy Kimball-Simon, Mary Mills 1,500 10,000 1965 Kathy Whitworth 287 Peggy Wilson 1,500 10,000 1964 Marilynn Smith 289 Mickey Wright 1,300 7,500 1963 Marilynn Smith 292PO Mickey Wright 1,235 7,500 1962 Mickey Wright 295PO Ruth Jessen 1,330 7,500 1961 Mickey Wright 299 Patty Berg, Louise Suggs 1,200 7,000 1960 Fay Crocker 303 Kathy Cornelius 1,140 6,000 1959 Louise Suggs 297 Betsy Rawls 1,000 5,000 1958 Beverly Hanson 299 Betty Dodd 1,000 5,275 1957 Patty Berg 296 Anne Quast (a) 1,000 5,000 1956 Louise Suggs 302 Patty Berg 1,000 5,000 1955 Patty Berg 291 Mary Lena Faulk 1,000 5,000 1954 Louise Suggs 293 Patty Berg 1,000 3,000 1953 Patty Berg 294 Betsy Rawls 1,000 2,200 1952 Babe Zaharias 299 Betsy Rawls 1,000 2,100 1951 Pat O'Sullivan (a) 301 Beverly Hanson 1,500 1950 Babe Zaharias 298 Claire Doran (a) 700 1,500 1949 Peggy Kirk (a) 299 Patty Berg, Dorothy Kirby (a) 1948 Patty Berg 308 Peggy Kirk (a), Babe Zaharias 1947 Babe Zaharias (a) 304 Dorothy Kirby (a) 300 1946 Louise Suggs (a) 314 Eileen Stulb (a) 1943–1945: No tournament1942 Dorothy Kirby (a) 239^ Eileen Stulb (a) 1941 Dorothy Kirby (a) 224^ Helen Sigel 1940 Helen Hicks (a) 336 Helen Dettweiler 1939 Patty Berg (a) 319 Dorothy Kirby (a) 1938 Patty Berg (a) 311 Jane Cothran (a) 1937 Patty Berg (a) 240^ Dorothy Kirby (a) (a) - denotes amateur PO - won in playoff ^ - 54 holes
Multiple winners This table lists the golfers who have won more than one Titleholders Championship. Deceased golfer †Grand Slam winners ‡Deceased Grand Slam winners ∞ CountryGolferTotalYears Patty Berg †71937, 1938, 1939, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1957 Louise Suggs ∞41946, 1954, 1956, 1959 Babe Zaharias †31947, 1950, 1952 Dorothy Kirby †21941, 1942 Mickey Wright ‡21961, 1962 Marilynn Smith †21963, 1964 Kathy Whitworth †21965, 1966
Winners by nationality This table lists the total number of titles won by golfers of each nationality as a major. Nationality Numberof wins 27 1
References