1955 U.S. Women's Open

1955 U.S. Women's Open

Tournament information
Dates	June 30 – July 2, 1955
Location	Wichita, Kansas
Course(s)	Wichita Country Club
Organized by	USGA
Tour(s)	LPGA Tour
Format	Stroke play – 72 holes
Statistics
Par	72
Length	6,330 yards (5,788 m)[1]
Prize fund	$7,500
Winner's share	$2,000
Champion
Fay Crocker
299 (+11)

Wichita CC

class=notpageimage|

Location in the United States

Wichita CC

class=notpageimage|

Location in Kansas

The 1955 U.S. Women's Open was the tenth U.S. Women's Open, held from June 30 to July 2 at Wichita Country Club in Wichita, Kansas. It was the third conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Fay Crocker led wire-to-wire^[2] and won the first of her two major championships, four strokes ahead of runners-up Mary Lena Faulk and Louise Suggs.^[1] From Uruguay, Crocker was the first international winner of the U.S. Women's Open. She posted a 72 in the second round on Friday in difficult blustery conditions, with winds of 40 mph (64 km/h), and had an eight shot lead after 36 holes.^[3] A 79 (+7) in the wind in the third round on Saturday morning reduced it to a single stroke over Faulk, with Suggs another two strokes back.

Defending champion Babe Zaharias did not compete due to back surgery;^[4] she also missed the 1953 edition due to colon cancer surgery and died in 1956.^[5][6]

This was the second U.S. Women's Open played in Wichita; the first in 1950 was at Rolling Hills Country Club.

Final leaderboard

Saturday, July 2, 1955

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Fay Crocker	74-72-79-74=299	+11	2,000
T2	Mary Lena Faulk	77-77-72-77=303	+15	1,125
	Louise Suggs	79-77-72-75=303
4	Jackie Pung	79-76-76-75=306	+18	750
5	Patty Berg	78-80-78-71=307	+19	600
T6	Polly Riley (a)	80-78-74-77=309	+21	0
	Jackie Yates (a)	76-79-76-78=309
8	Pat Lesser (a)	81-76-79-75=311	+23	0
T9	Beverly Hanson	87-76-77-72=312	+24	450
	Betty Jameson	83-77-76-76=312

Source:^[1]

References

1. "Fay Crocker captures Women's National Open". Palm Beach Post-Times. Associated Press. July 3, 1955. p. 23.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
2. "Crocker leading National Open". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. July 1, 1955. p. 15.
3. "Crocker expands lead in Wichita". Wilmington Morning Star. Associated Press. July 2, 1955. p. 8.
4. "Crocker new queen of women's circuit". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. July 4, 1955. p. 7.
5. Considine, Bob (August 6, 1956). "Babe Zaharias, greatest girl athlete of all time, fights gamely in big battle". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 1.
6. "Babe Zaharias loses match with cancer, dies in sleep". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. Associated Press. September 27, 1956. p. 8.

External links

• USGA final leaderboard
• U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship
• U.S. Women's Open – past champions – 1955
• Wichita Country Club

37.705°N 97.236°W / 37.705; -97.236