The Women's Amateur Championship, previously known as the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship, was founded in 1893 by the

Ladies' Golf Union The Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) was the governing body for women's and girls' amateur golf in Great Britain and Ireland. It was founded in 1893 and was based in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland until merging with The R&A at the start of 2017. Is ...

. It is organised by The R&A, which merged with the Ladies' Golf Union in 2017. Until the dawn of the professional era in 1976, it was the most important golf tournament for women in Great Britain, and attracted players from continental

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, North America, and the rest of the world. Along with the U.S. Women's Amateur, it is considered the highest honour in women's amateur golf. The first tournament was played at the

Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being designated a major ch ...

Lytham St Annes Lytham St Annes () is a seaside town in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is on the Fylde coast, directly south of Blackpool on the Ribble Estuary. The population at the 2011 census was 42,954. The town is almost contiguous wi ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...

, England and was won by Lady Margaret Scott, who also won the following two years; her feat of three straight titles remains the record, matched by

Cecil Leitch Charlotte Cecilia Pitcairn Leitch (13 April 1891 – 16 September 1977) was a British amateur golfer. She was born in Silloth, Cumberland, England, the daughter of a local physician and one of three sisters who excelled at the game of golf. ...

and

Enid Wilson Enid Wilson (15 March 1910 – 14 January 1996) was an English amateur golfer. She was a semi-finalist at her first British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship in 1927 and won the Championship three years in a row between 1931 and 1933. Compe ...

. In 1927,

Simone de la Chaume Simone Thion de la Chaume (24 November 1908 – 4 September 2001) was a French amateur golfer. In 1924, she became the first foreign player to win the Girls Amateur Championship and in 1927 the first to win the British Ladies Amateur, then the ...

of France, who had won the 1924 British Girls Amateur Golf Championship, became the first golfer from outside the British Isles to win the Ladies Championship. The first competitor from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

to win the title was

Babe Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (; Didrikson; June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball and track and field. She won two gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Summer Ol ...

in 1947.

Format

The championship is contested in two phases. It begins with a 36-hole

stroke play Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. In stroke play, the winner is the player who has taken the fewest strokes over the ...

competition, played over two days. The leading 64 competitors progress to the knock-out

match play Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 h ...

competition, ties for 64th place being decided by countback. From 1966 up to 2020, all matches in the knock-out phase were played over 18 holes, but from 2021 the final has been played over 36 holes.

Prizes

The "Pam Barton Memorial Salver" is awarded to the winner to be held for one year, as the actual Championship Cup is held by the Ladies' Golf Union. The runner-up receives The Diana Fishwick Cup. The leading qualifier receives the Doris Chambers Trophy. If two or more players are tied, the result is decided on countback, the player with the lowest second round score being the winner.

History

In late 1892 several members of Wimbledon Ladies Golf Club contacted other ladies' clubs, in hopes of forming a ladies' golf union and holding a ladies' championship. The men's

Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship (sometimes referred to as the British Amateur or British Amateur Championship outside the UK) is a golf tournament which has been held annually in the United Kingdom since 1885 except during the two World Wars, and in 1 ...

had been held since 1885. Independently the

, who had not been sent the circular, also decided to organise a ladies' championship. The two clubs combined their efforts in the

, holding their first championship from Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 June 1893 on the ladies' links of the

, a 9-hole course, then at Mayfield Road. There were 38 entries, requiring 6 knock-out rounds. Two rounds were played per day with the semi-finals and final played on the Thursday. All matches were over 18 holes, with extra holes played to ensure a result. The winner received a championship cup valued at 50 guineas, and a gold medal. The runner-up received a silver medal, and the other semi-finalists received bronze medals. Lady Margaret Scott beat

Issette Pearson Frances Issette Jessie Pearson, known as Issette, (2 November 1861 – 25 April 1941) was an English golfer and the first honorary secretary of the Ladies Golf Union which was founded in 1893. Personal life Pearson was born at Gatcombe House, L ...

in the final by a score of 7&5. The 1894 championship was held in May at

Littlestone-on-Sea Littlestone-on-Sea is a small coastal village close to New Romney in Kent, England. It was established in the 1880s by Sir Robert Perks as a resort for the gentry, at the point of the local lifeboat station. At low tide, a World War II Mulberr ...

in Kent. May became the regular month for the championship to be held, although sometimes it was held in early June. The event was extended to the Friday, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals played on the Thursday. The finalists were the same as in 1893, with Lady Margaret Scott winning again, but by a closer margin of 3&2. In 1895 the event was played at

Royal Portrush Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The 36-hole club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links (the championship course) and the Valley Links. The former is one of the courses on the rota of the Ope ...

. The semi-finals and final were played on the Friday, a format that was retained until the introduction of a 36-hole final in 1913. Margaret Scott won for the third time, beating

Emma Lythgoe Emma may refer to: * Emma (given name) Film * ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown * ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Emma'' (1996 TV film), a British television film starring Kate Be ...

5&4 in the final. The 1896 event at

Hoylake Hoylake is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historically part of Cheshire, the Domes ...

produced a new winner,

Amy Pascoe Amy Bennet Pascoe (19 March 1866 – 18 February 1917) was an English amateur golfer. She won the Womens Amateur Championship at Hoylake in 1896. Golf career Pascoe played in the 1895 Womens Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush, losing 4& ...

. In 1897 the championship was held in Scotland for the first time, at Gullane. It produced the first Scottish winner, with the final between two sisters,

Edith Orr Edith Constance Orr (19 September 1870 – 19 February 1955) was a Scottish amateur golfer. She won the Womens Amateur Championship at Gullane in 1897, beating her sister Theodora in the final. Golf career In 1897, the Womens Amateur Champio ...

beating

Theodora Theodora is a given name of Greek origin, meaning "God's gift". Theodora may also refer to: Historical figures known as Theodora Byzantine empresses * Theodora (wife of Justinian I) ( 500 – 548), saint by the Orthodox Church * Theodora o ...

4&3. The 1898 event at Great Yarmouth & Caister was won by

Lena Thomson Helena Agnes Thomson (married name Towne or Lyndhurst Towne, 27 December 1868 – 3 April 1938) was an amateur golfer. She won the Womens Amateur Championship at Great Yarmouth & Caister in 1898. She was born in England to Scottish parents. Gol ...

, the losing finalist in 1896. She beat

Elinor Nevile Eleanor is a female given name. Eleanor, Elenore, Elinor, Elinore, Ellinore, Elynor or variations thereof may also refer to: Places * Lake Eleanor, a reservoir in Yosemite National Park, California * Eleanor, Iowa, an unincorporated community * E ...

6&5 in the final. From 1899 to 1907 the championship was dominated by Irish women.

May Hezlet Mary Elizabeth Linzee "May" Hezlet (29 April 1882 – 27 December 1978) was a British amateur golfer and sports writer. She has been called "probably Ireland's greatest woman golfer". Early life Hezlet was born in Gibraltar, the daughter of Lie ...

won in 1899, 1902 and 1907 with Rhona Adair winning in 1900 and 1903. Four other Irish golfers were losing finalists,

Jessie Magill Jessie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jessie (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Jessie (surname), a list of people Arts and entertainment * ''Jessie'' (2011 TV series), a 2011–15 Disney Chann ...

in 1899, Florence Walker-Leigh in 1903, Maud Stuart in 1905 and

Florence Hezlet Florence Eugenia Hezlet ( – 2 November 1945) was an Irish amateur golfer who played in the early 20th century. Early life Hezlet and her sisters, May Hezlet and Violet Hezlet, grew up in Ireland and became top golfers in their era. Golf care ...

, May's sister, in 1907. The 1899 event was held at

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to th ...

. May Hezlet met Magill in the final. Magill had previously defeated Hezlet during the 1898 final of the

Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship The Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship is the women's national amateur match play golf championship of Ireland. It was first played in 1894 and is currently organised by Golf Ireland. The Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship is contest ...

, but on this occasion May Hezlet had won the close championship the previous week and she repeated her success, winning 2&1. She was less than two weeks past her 17th birthday. Rhona Adair won the following year at

Westward Ho! Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford, and Bude. It lies at the south end of Northam Burrows and faces westward into Bideford Bay, opposite Sau ...

, beating Isabel Nevile 6&5 in the final. The 1901 championship was held in

Aberdovey Aberdyfi (), also known as Aberdovey ( ), is a village and community in Gwynedd, Wales, located on the northern side of the estuary of the River Dyfi. The population of the community was 878 at the 2011 census. The electoral ward had a larger ...

in Wales, and was won by

Molly Graham Mary Allan Graham (9 February 1880 – 13 July 1950) was an amateur golfer. She won the Womens Amateur Championship at Aberdovey in 1901 and the Scottish Women's Amateur Championship in 1904. Born in England to Scottish parents, she represented ...

who beat Adair in the final. May Hezlet won for the second time in 1902, beating

at the 20th hole. Nevile was the sister of the 1900 runner-up Isabel Nevile. Grace Park, the wife of

Mungo Park Jr. Mungo Park Jr. (9 January 1877 – 12 February 1960) was a pioneer in South American golf and golf clubmaking. Park was also a successful golfer and golf course architect. He won the Argentine Open three times, including the inaugural championshi ...

was one of the semi-finalists. There were three Irish semi-finalists for the 1903 championship at

. Adair won for the second time.

reached the final again in 1904 at

Troon Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with freight services and a yacht marina. Up until January 2016, P&O ope ...

and met

Lottie Dod Charlotte Dod (24 September 1871 – 27 June 1960) was an English multi-sport athlete, best known as a tennis player. She won the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Championship five times, the first one when she was only 15 in the summer of 1887. She ...

. Dod was better known as a tennis player, having won the Wimbledon ladies' singles championship five times between 1887 and 1893. She had reached the semi-finals in 1898 and 1899 but this was her first final. In a close match Dod won by one hole. In 1905, at Royal Cromer, another Irish golfer, Maud Stuart, reached the final but lost 3&2 to

Bertha Thompson Bertha Mildred Thompson (married name Walker, 25 October 1876 – 8 December 1953) was an English amateur golfer. She won the 1905 Womens Amateur Championship at Royal Cromer and reached the final the following year. She reached the quarter-final ...

. 1906 was the first final since 1898 without an Irish lady. Thompson reached the final again but lost 4&3 to Alice Kennion, the first married woman to win the championship. The 1907 championship was played at

and three Irish women reached the semi-finals.

won for the third time, beating her sister

2&1 in the final. The 1908 championship was played on the

Old Course at St Andrews The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course. It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under ...

Maud Titterton Emily Maud Titterton (married name Gibb, 1867 – 2 May 1932) was an amateur golfer. She won the Womens Amateur Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews in 1908. Golf career Titterton played in the 1897 Womens Amateur Championship at Gulla ...

met

Dorothy Campbell Dorothy Lee Campbell (24 March 1883 – 20 March 1945) was a Scottish amateur golfer. Campbell was the first woman to win the American, British and Canadian Women's Amateurs. Early life She was born into a golfing family in North Berwick, Midl ...

in the final. It was the first final for both players, although both players had previously reached the semi-finals, Titterton in 1897 and Campbell in 1904, 1905 and 1906. Titterton won a close match at the 19th hole. The start of the final was delayed because Campbell had not won her semi-final until the 22nd hole. Campbell won her first championship in 1909, beating

4&3 in the final at

Birkdale Birkdale is an area of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, though historically in Lancashire, in the north-west of England. The area is located on the Irish Sea coast, approximately a mile away from the centre of ...

. None of the four semi-finalists at

in 1910 had reached that stage before. Elsie Grant Suttie won the title. Campbell reached the final again in 1911 at

, meeting

Violet Hezlet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Vio ...

, the third of the Hezlet sisters to reach the final. Campbell won the match 3&2, winning her second championship. The 1912 championship at Turnberry was won by

Gladys Ravenscroft Gladys Ravenscroft (3 May 1888 – 6 February 1960) was a British amateur golfer. She was born in Cheshire, England in 1888. Ravenscroft won the 1912 British Ladies Amateur at Turnberry in Scotland. In 1913 she traveled to Wilmington, Delawa ...

who beat Stella Temple 3&2 in the final. In 1913 the final at Lytham & St Annes was extended to 36-holes. It was played on a Friday, with the quarter and semi-finals played on the previous day. Canadian Violet Pooley was one of the semi-finalists.

Muriel Dodd Muriel Dodd (31 May 1891 – 21 December 1976) was an English amateur golfer. She held the British and Canadian titles in 1913. Dodd was the winner of the 1913 British Ladies Amateur held at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, taking the tit ...

beat Evelyn Chubb in the final. Dodd won five holes in a row from the 4th to the 8th holes of the morning round and eventually won 8&6. Dodd was beaten in the semi-finals of the 1914 championship at

Hunstanton Hunstanton () is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, which had a population of 4,229 at the 2011 Census. It faces west across The Wash, making it one of the few places on the east coast of Great Britain where the sun sets over the sea. Hunst ...

. The final was between

and

. Ravenscroft had beaten Leitch in the semi-finals in 1912, but on this occasion Leitch won a close match 2&1, the morning round having finished all-square. A championship was planned for October 1919 at Burnham & Berrow but was cancelled because of a railway strike. The first post

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

championship was played at

Royal County Down Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, County Down. It opened on 23 March 1889 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Ann ...

in May 1920.

, the defending champion from 1914, met

Molly Griffiths Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to: Animals * ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes ** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species * A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid) People * Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...

in the final. Leitch was 6 holes up after the morning round and won 7&6.

Joyce Wethered Joyce Wethered, Lady Heathcoat-Amory (17 November 1901 – 18 November 1997) was a golfer regarded as the leading British woman player of the inter-war period. Joyce learned the game as a child, as did her brother Roger, who lost a playoff for the ...

made her first appearance at Turnberry in 1921. She and Leitch would dominate the event in the 1920s, meeting in the final in 1921, 1922 and 1925. They had also met in the final of the 1920

English Women's Amateur Championship The English Women's Amateur Championship is the women's national amateur match play golf championship of England. It was first played in 1912 and is currently organised by England Golf. The English Women's Amateur Championship is contested throu ...

, with Wethered winning. In the 1921 Women's Amateur Championship, the result was reversed. Leitch was 8 up with 9 holes to play and, although Wethered then won four holes in a row, Leitch won the match 4&3. When the pair met again in 1922 at Prince's, the morning round was close, with Wethered a hole ahead. However she dominated in the afternoon, eventually winning 9&7. In 1923 Leitch was injured and Wethered was beaten in the semi-finals, leaving a final between

Doris Chambers Doris Elaine Chambers (20 November 1884 – 24 December 1983) was an English amateur golfer. She won the Womens Amateur Championship in 1923, having been a semi-finalist in 1909. She also reached the semi-finals of the English Women's Amateur Ch ...

and

Muriel Macbeth Muriel Dodd (31 May 1891 – 21 December 1976) was an English amateur golfer. She held the British and Canadian titles in 1913. Dodd was the winner of the 1913 British Ladies Amateur held at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, taking the tit ...

. In the final, Macbeth was 3 up after the morning round but Chambers won the match at the 36th hole. In 1924, at

, Wethered and Leitch met in quarter-finals. Wethered won 6&4 and went on to win her second title. At

in 1925, Wethered and Leitch met in the final for the third time. The match was level after 18 holes and still level after 27. Wethered then took a two-hole lead before Leitch won the last holes to level the match. The match ended at the 37th hole with Wethered winning her third championship. The 1926 championship was due to be played in

Harlech Harlech () is a seaside resort and community in Gwynedd, north Wales and formerly in the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies on Tremadog Bay in the Snowdonia National Park. Before 1966, it belonged to the Meirionydd District of the 19 ...

in May, but was postponed because of the

general strike A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coa ...

. The event was rearranged to June, although the

Women's Home Internationals The Women's Home Internationals were an amateur team golf championship for women contested between the four Home Nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, where Ireland was represented by the whole island of Ireland on an All-Ireland basi ...

, which generally preceded the championship, were cancelled.

did not enter and

won, the first woman to win the event four times. A large number of the original entrants scratched, and the final was played a day earlier than usual, on a Thursday.

won the championship in 1927, the first French woman to do so. She had been a semi-finalist in 1926 and was also the first French winner of the

Girls Amateur Championship The Girls Amateur Championship is a golf tournament held annually in the United Kingdom. Girls need to be under 18 on 1 January in the year of the championship. Until World War II the championship was organised by a series of magazines and alway ...

, in 1924. There was another French winner in 1928 when

Manette le Blan Manette may refer to: People: * A. Manette Ansay (born 1964), American author, born in Lapeer, Michigan *Alexandre Manette, character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities * Lucie Manette, character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of T ...

won the title. The 1929 championship was played on the

. Wethered came out of retirement to play and met the American,

Glenna Collett Glenna Collett Vare (June 20, 1903 – February 3, 1989) was an American Hall of Fame golfing champion whom the Hall calls the greatest female golfer of her day, and who dominated American women's golf in the 1920s. Biography Born in New Haven, ...

, in the final. Collett had already won the U.S. Women's Amateur three times. The final created great public interest. After 9 holes Collett led by 5 but her lead was reduced to 2 after the morning round. Wethered then won 7 of the first 9 holes in the afternoon to be 4 up and eventually won 3&1, her fourth win in the championship. Collett reached the final again at

Formby Formby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 22,419 at the 2011 Census. Historically in Lancashire, three manors are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under "Fo ...

in 1930 and met

Diana Fishwick Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) ...

in the final. Fishwick was competing in the event for the first time, although she had won the

in 1927 and 1928. Fishwick led by 5 after the first round and eventually won 4&3. The format was changed at

Portmarnock Portmarnock () is a coastal suburban settlement in Fingal, Ireland, with significant beaches, a modest commercial core and inland residential estates, and two golf courses, including one of Ireland's best-known golf clubs. , the population was ...

in 1931, with the introduction of stroke-play qualifying. Two rounds were played, on Saturday and Monday, with the leading 64 advancing to the match-play stage, which took place from Tuesday to Friday.

led the qualifying by 8 strokes, after rounds of 75 and 83, with

Wanda Morgan Wanda Morgan (22 March 1910 – 8 June 1995) was a leading English golfer of the 1930s. She won the Womens Amateur Championship in 1935, having been a runner-up in 1931. She also won the English Women's Amateur Championship three times, in 1931 ...

in second place. The two met in the final with Wilson winning 7&6. Wilson had been a semi-finalist three times previously and had won the English title in 1928 and 1930. In 1932 at

Saunton Saunton is a village located approximately two miles from Braunton on the North Devon coast in the South West of England. Several kilometres long, the village borders Braunton Burrows, the heart of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve, the first ...

the qualifying days were changed to Friday and Saturday with the match-play played from Monday to Thursday. An American Maureen Orcutt led the qualifying with Wilson three strokes behind. Orcutt was beaten in the first round: Wilson defeated another American Leona Cheney in the semi-finals and retained the championship, winning by a score of 7&6. In 1933 at Gleneagles, Wilson won the title for the third year in succession, having beaten

Doris Park Doris may refer to: People Given name *Doris (mythology) of Greek mythology, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys * Doris, fictional character in the Canadian television series ''Caillou'' and the mother of the titular character *Doris (singer) (born ...

, in the semi-finals. The 1934 championship at

Royal Porthcawl Royal Porthcawl Golf Club is a golf club in Wales in the United Kingdom, located north of Porthcawl and bordering the Bristol Channel. The club has hosted many prestigious tournaments including The Amateur Championship on six occasions, th ...

produced two new finalists with

Helen Holm Helen Warren Holm (née Gray) (14 March 1907 – 14 December 1971) was a Scottish amateur golfer. She was Scottish champion five times and she won the British Ladies Amateur twice. The Helen Holm Trophy is named in her memory. Life Holm was born ...

beating

Pam Barton Pamela Espeut Barton (4 March 1917 – 13 November 1943) was an English amateur golfer. She was born in the London suburb of Barnes, the daughter of Henry Charles Johnston Barton and Ethel Maude Barton. 1931 saw Barton's first public appearanc ...

in the final.

had been excluded from the event as she was deemed to have lost her amateur status. In 1935, Pam Barton reached the final again, beating her sister

Mervyn Mervyn is a masculine given name and occasionally a surname which is of Old Welsh origin, with elements ''mer'', probably meaning "marrow", and ''myn'', meaning "eminent". Despite the misconception of the letter 'V' being an English spelling, thr ...

in the semi-finals, but lost, this time to

. In 1936

Bridget Newell Ursula Bridget Constance Newell, JP (1911 – 4 June 1937) was a British barrister, magistrate and amateur golfer. She was runner-up in the 1936 British Ladies Amateur, and one of the favourites for 1937. However, she died suddenly, aged 25, short ...

led the qualifying and reached the final where she met Pam Barton. Barton won the final 7&5 to win her first championship. The 1937 championship was played at Turnberry. Bridget Newell had died just before the event, causing the Home Internationals to be cancelled. However, the championship continued as normal. There had been a reduction in the number of entries and qualifying was dropped, the event returning to the earlier Monday to Friday dates. There was all-Scottish final, Jessie Anderson beating

6&4. Another Scot,

, won for the second time in 1938. Pam Barton won her second title in 1939 beating

Jean Marks Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

in the final at

. The championship resumed at

in 1946 but was not played until late in the year, finishing in early October. It was won by

Jean Hetherington Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

who beat Philomena Garvey in a close final. The 1947 event was held in June and was won by

, the first American winner. There was an all-American semi-final in 1948 with

Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs (September 7, 1923 – August 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf. Amateur career Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginni ...

beating Dorothy Kielty and winning the title the following day. Frances Stephens won in 1949, beating Garvey in the semi-finals and another Irish woman,

Clarrie Reddan Clarrie is a masculine given name, a diminutive form of Clarence. It may refer to: Sports * Clarrie Answerth (1901–1981), Australian rules footballer * Clarrie Bacon (1889–1954), English footballer * Clarrie Calwell (1896–1975), Australia ...

, in the final. Stephens reached four finals in six years from 1949 to 1954, winning again in 1954 but losing in 1951 and 1952. The

Vicomtesse de St Sauveur Dorothée Sonia "Lally" Segard (née Vagliano) (4 April 1921 – 3 March 2018), also known as Vicomtesse de Saint Sauveur, was a French amateur golfer. Early life Segard was born in Paris and the oldest of three siblings of a Greek (born in Mars ...

, Lally Segard, won in 1950 beating

Jessie Valentine Jessie Valentine (née Anderson) (18 March 1915 – 6 April 2006) was a Scottish amateur golfer who won the British Ladies Amateur in 1937, 1955 and 1958. In 1937, after winning the British Ladies title at Turnberry she was the world number ...

, the 1937 champion, in the final. 1950 also saw the first Australian semi-finalist, Judith Percy. The 1951 championship was won by

Kitty MacCann Catherine MacCann ( Smye, 20 February 1922 – 29 April 2010) was an Irish amateur golfer. She won the British Ladies Amateur in 1951, the Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship in 1949 and 1961 and was a member of the 1952 Curtis Cup team. G ...

, the first Irish winner since 1907, while

Moira Paterson Moira Christine Milton (née Paterson) (18 December 1923 – 24 January 2012) was a Scottish amateur golfer. She won the British Ladies Amateur in 1952, and was a member of the winning Great Britain and Ireland 1952 Curtis Cup team. Early life ...

won in 1952. Garvey reached the final again in 1953 but lost to the Canadian Marlene Stewart. Stewart reached the semi-finals the following year, 1954, but lost to Stephens at the 22nd hole. Stephens went on to win the title.

won for the second time in 1955, 18 years after her first success, beating

Barbara Romack Barbara Gaile Romack (November 16, 1932 – October 15, 2016) was an American professional golfer. Romack was born in Sacramento, California. There were three American semi-finalists in 1956, and all-American final, with

Wiffi Smith Margaret "Wiffi" Smith (born September 28, 1936) is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. Smith was born in Redlands, California. She moved to Mexico when she was 11 years old and learned to play golf there. She won several ...

beating Mary Patton Janssen. Philomena Garvey beat Valentine in the 1957 final, having twice lost in the final previously. Valentine reached the final again in 1958, her third appearance in four years, and won the title for the third time. Elizabeth Price won in 1959, having previously lost two finals. As in 1956, there were three American semi-finalists in 1960.

Barbara McIntire Barbara Joy McIntire (born January 12, 1935) is an American amateur golfer. McIntire was born in Toledo, Ohio. Living in Florida, she began playing golf as a young girl and at age 15 made a splash at the 1950 U.S. Women's Amateur by eliminatin ...

beat Garvey in the final.

Marley Spearman Marley Joan Spearman ( Baker, later Harris, 11 January 1928 – 19 August 2011) She won the British Ladies Amateur in 1961 and 1962 and the English Women's Amateur Championship in 1964. She was in four Curtis Cup teams, in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 19 ...

won in 1961 and repeated her success in 1962, becoming the first woman to successfully defend the title since

in 1933. From 1962 to 1966 the championship was played in late September or early October, returning to June from 1967. French women had considerable success in the 1960s.

Brigitte Varangot Brigitte Varangot (1 May 1940 – 12 October 2007) was a French amateur golfer. Early life Varangot was born in Biarritz in the French Basque Country and was a self-taught golfer, who did not take many lessons and did not practice a lot. Lally ...

won in 1963, 1965 and 1968 while

Catherine Lacoste Catherine Lacoste (born 27 June 1945) is a French amateur golfer and the only player who has won the U.S. Women's Open as an amateur. Early life She was born and grew up in Paris, France, with her parents, René Lacoste and Simone de la Chaume a ...

won in 1969. In addition Claudine Cros-Rubin reached the final in 1968 and was a losing semi-finalist three times, in 1961, 1963 and 1965. The American

Carol Sorenson Carol may refer to: People with the name *Carol (given name) *Henri Carol (1910–1984), French composer and organist *Martine Carol (1920–1967), French film actress *Sue Carol (1906–1982), American actress and talent agent, wife of actor Ala ...

won in 1964, beating

Bridget Jackson Barbara Amy Bridget Jackson (born 10 July 1936) is an English amateur golfer. She won the 1954 Girls Amateur Championship, the 1956 English Women's Amateur Championship and the 1967 Canadian Women's Amateur. She played in three Curtis Cup matc ...

at the 37th hole.

Liz Chadwick Elizabeth M. Chadwick (later Pook, 4 April 1943 – 6 December 2012) was an English amateur golfer. She won the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship in 1966 and 1967. She played in the Curtis Cup in 1966. Golf career In 1961 Chadwick was s ...

won successive titles in 1966 and 1967, matching

's achievement in 1961 and 1962. In 1965 the championship finished in early October. The final was reduced from 36 to 18 holes. It was the first 18-hole final since 1912. Qualifying was reintroduced in 1966, for the first time since the 1930s. 36 holes were played on the Tuesday and Wednesday with the match-play on Thursday to Saturday. Originally it was intended that 64 players would qualify, but with the prospect of early morning fog, this was reduced to 32. The match-play draw was seeded. There were also 32 qualifiers in 1967, the final remaining at 18 holes even though it was the only match on the final day. In 1968, bad weather reduced the qualifying to one round and, as a result, the number of qualifiers was increased to 64. Lacoste led the qualifying in three of the first four years, 1966, 1967 and 1969, and went on to win the championship in 1969. In 1970,

Dinah Oxley Dinah Lillianne Henson ( Oxley, 17 October 1948 – 30 April 2020) was an English amateur golfer. She won the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship in 1970. She played in the Curtis Cup four times, in 1968, 1970, 1972 and 1976. Golf career A ...

repeated

's achievement in 1969, leading the qualifying and then winning the championship, beating

Belle Robertson Isabella Robertson (née McCorkindale) (born 11 April 1936) is a Scottish golfer who won the British Ladies Amateur in 1981. Robertson represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup as a player on seven occasions and twice as non-playi ...

in the final, Robertson's third loss in a final.

Beverly Huke Beverly Joan Mary Huke (born 19 May 1951) is an English professional golfer. She was a founding member of the Women's Professional Golfers' Association (WPGA) and won 7 tournaments on the Ladies European Tour (LET) between 1979 and 1986. Career ...

nearly repeated the feat in 1971 but lost in the final to Mickey Walker. At Hunstanton in 1972 the number of qualifiers was increased to 64, with the semi-final and final played on the same day. Walker retained her title beating Claudine Cros-Rubin in the final. The number of qualifiers returned to 32 in 1973. Walker reached the final for the third successive year but lost to

Ann Irvin Ann Leslie Irvin (born 11 April 1943) is an English amateur golfer. She won the British Ladies Amateur in 1973 and the English Women's Amateur Championship in 1967 and 1974. She was in four Curtis Cup teams, in 1962, 1968, 1970 and 1976. Amat ...

. The 1974 and 1975 championships were won by Americans,

Carol Semple Carol Semple (born October 27, 1948), also known by her married name Carol Semple Thompson, is an American golfer who participated only on the amateur circuit, and never turned pro. Semple was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. She is from a pro ...

and Nancy Roth Syms. There were 64 qualifiers in 1975 but the number again returned to 32, from 1976. In 1976,

Alison Sheard Alison Sheard (born 21 September 1951) is a South African professional golfer who played on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and LPGA Tour. During her career, Sheard became the first-non British champion of the Women's British Open in 1979 and won ...

was the first South African to reached the final, but she lost to

Cathy Panton Catherine Rita Panton-Lewis (born 14 June 1955) is a Scottish professional golfer who was a founding member of the Ladies European Tour and won its first Order of Merit. Her father was John Panton, MBE, a professional golfer who played on thr ...

, the first Scottish winner for 18 years.

Angela Uzielli Angela Mary Uzielli ( Carrick, 1 February 1940 – 4 November 1999) was an English amateur golfer. She won the 1977 British Ladies Amateur, the 1990 English Women's Amateur Championship and won the Women's Senior Amateur six times in the 1990s. ...

won in 1977 while

Edwina Kennedy Edwina Jane Kirkby (née Kennedy), born 10 June 1959, is a former Australian amateur golfer. In 1978, she was the first Australian to win the British Ladies Amateur and was a member of the winning 1978 Australian Espirito Santo Trophy team. Earl ...

was the first Australian winner in 1978. Kennedy led the qualifying in 1979 but lost to another Australian, Jane Lock in the semi-finals. Lock was beaten by

Maureen Madill Maureen Elizabeth Jane Madill (born 1 February 1958) is a professional golfer, coach and broadcaster. Her married name is Garner. Madill was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Golf career Madill won the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championsh ...

in the final.

Anne Quast Sander Anne Quast (born August 31, 1937) is an American amateur golfer. She won the U.S. Women's Amateur three times (1958, 1961, 1963) and was runner-up three times (1965, 1968, 1973). She was married several times and played as Anne Decker, Anne Welt ...

won in 1980 beating

Liv Wollin Liv Wollin (née Forsell) (born 17 April 1945) is a Swedish professional golfer, who is regarded as having been one of the best Swedish female amateur players ever. Early life Wollin grew up in Lidingö outside Stockholm, Sweden, as the only gi ...

in the final. In 1981

led the qualifying and went on to win the championship, beating another Scot,

Wilma Aitken Wilma Dickson Aitken (later Leburn, born 24 January 1959) is a Scottish amateur golfer. She won the 1977 Girls Amateur Championship and was a three-time winner of the Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Championship. She was runner-up in the 1981 Br ...

, in the final. Robertson, aged 45, became the oldest champion.

Kitrina Douglas Kitrina Douglas (born 6 September 1960) is an English ex-professional golfer who played on the Ladies European Tour. Douglas won the British Ladies Amateur in 1982 and played in the 1982 Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team. She played profes ...

won in 1982 and she was followed by

Jill Thornhill Jill Thornhill ( Woodside, born 18 August 1942) is an English amateur golfer. Her biggest successes came after reaching 40. She won the 1983 British Ladies Amateur, the 1986 English Women's Amateur Championship and the 1993 Women's Senior Amateur ...

in 1983. An American,

Jody Rosenthal Jody Anschutz (born October 18, 1962) is an American professional golfer. She competed as Jody Rosenthal prior to marrying Fred Anschutz on October 14, 1989. Career Rosenthal was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She attended the University of T ...

, won in 1984 despite having taken 90 in the first qualifying round and only just qualifying.

Lillian Behan Lillian or Lilian can refer to: People * Lillian (name) or Lilian, a given name Places * Lilian, Iran, a village in Markazi Province, Iran In the United States * Lillian, Alabama * Lillian, West Virginia * Lillian Township, Custer County, N ...

, from Ireland, won in 1985 while 17-year-old New Zealander

Marnie McGuire Marnie McGuire (born 22 February 1969) is a former New Zealand professional golfer who played mostly on the LPGA of Japan Tour. McGuire won the British Ladies Amateur in 1986 as a 17-year-old and was at the time the youngest champion in the tour ...

won in 1986. McGuire beat Australian Louise Briers in the final, and became the youngest winner since

in 1899.

Linda Bayman Linda Louise Denison-Pender Bayman (born 10 June 1948) is an English golfer. Personal life Bayman was born Linda Louise Denison-Pender to Louise (née Riviere) and Richard Ernest Denison-Pender in 1948. She married John Edward Bayman in 1973 an ...

led the qualifying and was top seed in 1987, 1988 and 1989, but failed to get past the second round.

Janet Collingham Janet Kay Melville (later Collingham, also Davies, born 16 March 1958) is an English golfer. She won two important championships, the 1978 Women's British Open and the 1987 Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship. Golf career Melville played f ...

Joanne Furby Joanne Catherine Furby (born 16 March 1969) is an English professional golfer. She won the 1987 English Women's Amateur Championship and the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship in 1988. She turned professional in early 1989. Golf career Fu ...

and

Helen Dobson Helen Dobson (born 25 February 1971) is an English professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. Dobson won the 1989 British Ladies Amateur. Dobson won once on the LPGA Tour in 1993. She also finished second at the 1998 Nabisco Dinah Shore, ...

won in those three years. Julie Hall won the championship in 1990, while

Valerie Michaud Valerie may refer to: People *Saint Valerie (disambiguation), a number of saints went by the name Valerie * Valerie (given name), a feminine given name Songs *"Valerie", a 1981 song by Quarterflash, from ''Quarterflash'' *"Valerie", a 1982 so ...

won in 1991, beating Wendy Doolan in the final.

Pernille Carlson Pedersen Pernille is a Danish and Norwegian female given name derived from ''Petronella'', and may refer to: *Pernille Dupont, retired female badminton player from Denmark *Pernille Fischer Christensen (born 1969), Danish film director and sister of actor ...

was the first Danish winner in 1992 while

Catriona Lambert Catriona Isobel Matthew (née Lambert; born 25 August 1969) is a Scottish professional golfer who plays mainly on the US-based LPGA Tour and is also a member of the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Catriona Lambert was born in Edinburgh, a ...

won in 1993.

Emma Duggleby Emma Victoria (Duggleby) Brown (born 5 October 1971) is an English amateur golfer. She was born Emma Duggleby, her married name is Brown. She won the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship in 1994 and played in three Curtis Cup matches, in 2000 ...

won in 1994 beating

Cécilia Mourgue d'Algue Ingeborg Cécilia Mourgue d'Algue (née Perslow) (born 4 August 1946, in Sweden) is a French - Swedish amateur golfer. Early life Mourgue d'Algue, at the time named Cécilia Perslow, grew up playing golf with her parents Martin and Ingeborg at � ...

in the final, while Hall won for the second time in 1995, beating Kristel Mourgue d'Algue, Cécilia's daughter, in the final. An American,

Kelli Kuehne Kelli Kuehne Doremus (born May 11, 1977) is a retired American professional golfer. Amateur career Kuehne was born in Dallas, Texas. She was the Texas UIL 4A Girls Individual State Champion four years in a row, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 while atte ...

won in 1996, while there was another Scottish winner, Alison Rose in 1997.

Kim Rostron Kim Andrew ( Rostron, born 12 February 1974) is an English amateur golfer. She won the 1997 English Women's Amateur Championship and the 1998 Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship. She played in the Curtis Cup in 1998 and 2000. Golf career A ...

won in 1998, beating

Gwladys Nocera Gwladys Nocera (born 22 May 1975) is a French professional golfer. She currently resides in Biarritz, France. Amateur career Nocera was born in Moulins, Allier. She had a successful amateur career. She finished runner up at the 1998 British L ...

in the final, the third losing finalist from France in five years. However,

Marine Monnet Marine Monnet-Melocco (born 1978) is a French professional golfer who played on the Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour. She won The Womens Amateur in 1999 and finished third on the LET Order of Merit in 2000. Amateur career Monnet won the 1996 ...

, from France, won in 1999 beating

Rebecca Hudson Rebecca Emma Gisela Hudson (born 13 June 1979 in Doncaster, England) is an English professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Hudson had a very successful junior and amateur career. She was Yorkshire Girls Champio ...

in the final. In 2000,

led the qualifying, was top seed and won the championship, beating

in the final. She was top seed again in 2001 but lost in the second round. She had her second win in 2002, her third final in four years. Continental European golfers dominated from 2001 to 2009. Five Spanish women won the championship in this period: Marta Prieto in 2001, Elisa Serramià in 2003, Belén Mozo in 2006,

Carlota Ciganda Carlota Ciganda Machiñena (born 1 June 1990) is a professional golfer from Spain who plays on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. She won the LET's Order of Merit (money title) in her debut season in 2012, and was also named Player of t ...

in 2007 and

Azahara Muñoz Azahara Muñoz Guijarro (born 19 November 1987) is a Spanish professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Muñoz was born in Málaga, Andalusia in southern Spain and had a successful amateur career in ...

in 2009. Ciganda led the qualifying in 2007, completing the double of being top seed and winning the event. In 2009 Muñoz was joint leader in the qualifying but seeded second on countback. Swedish women also had successes with

Louise Stahle Louise Stahle (born 19 March 1985) is a professional golf player who has played on both the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. She won the British Ladies Amateur back-to-back in 2004 and 2005 Early years Stahle was born in Lund, ...

winning in 2004 and 2005, with

Anna Nordqvist --> , death_place = , height = , weight = , nationality = , residence = Orlando, Florida, U.S. , spouse = , partner = , children = , college = Arizona State University (2.5 years) , yearpro = ...

winning in 2008 after being runner-up in 2006 and 2007. Stahle was the top seed when she won in 2005. British women won the championship from 2010 to 2013.

Kelly Tidy Kelly Tidy (born February 1992) is a former professional golfer from England, who now works in golf event management. Career Amateur Tidy started her amateur career in 2009, where she competed in the British Ladies Amateur. Tidy finished in ...

won in 2010 while Lauren Taylor beat Tidy in the 2011 semi-finals and went on to win in the championship and, at 16, becoming the youngest winner of the event.

Stephanie Meadow Stephanie Meadow (born 20 January 1992) is a Northern Irish professional golfer who played for the University of Alabama and made her professional debut at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst. Amateur career Meadow won The Womens Amateur C ...

won in 2012 while 17-year-old

Georgia Hall Georgia Kelly Hall (born 12 April 1996) is an English professional golfer. She plays on the Ladies European Tour, and the LPGA Tour. In 2018 she won the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham; it was her first victory in a major championship. A ...

won in 2013. Hall had been a semi-finalist in 2012. Golfers from continental Europe won from 2014 to 2016.

Emily Kristine Pedersen Emily Kristine Pedersen (born 7 March 1996) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour. She had a successful amateur career winning the 2013 International European Ladies Amateur Championship and the 2 ...

won in 2014 beating

Leslie Cloots Leslie Cloots (born 1994) is a professional golfer from Belgium who plays on the Symetra Tour. She was runner-up at the 2014 British Ladies Amateur and the 2016 European Ladies Amateur. Amateur career Cloots was born and raised in Antwerp, Bel ...

in the final, while

Céline Boutier Céline Boutier (born 10 November 1993) is a French professional golfer. Amateur career Boutier won several international amateur events including the 2012 European Ladies Amateur Championship and the 2015 British Ladies Amateur. She played col ...

won in 2015 beating

Linnea Ström Linnea Ström (born 14 October 1996) is a Swedish professional golfer. She joined the U.S.-based LPGA Tour after graduating from the Symetra Tour as 2018 Rookie of the Year. Amateur career Ström became a member of the Swedish National Golf T ...

. 15-year-old

Julia Engström Julia Anna Margareta Engström (born 27 March 2001) is a Swedish professional golfer. A golf prodigy, she became the youngest winner of the British Ladies Amateur, at age 15. She won twice on the Ladies European Tour as a teenager, and was the ...

won in 2016, replacing Taylor as the youngest winner of the event. At the start of 2017, the

merged with The R&A, which took over the organisation of the championship.

Leona Maguire Leona Maguire (born 30 November 1994) is an Irish professional golfer. She was ranked 1st in the world on the women's World Amateur Golf Ranking from May 2015 until May 2016 and then from August 2016 until February 2018. Maguire's 135 weeks a ...

won in 2017, beating Ainhoa Olarra in the final.

Leonie Harm Leonie Harm (born 1997) is a German professional golfer who plays on the Houston Cougars golf team since 2015. In 2018, Harm was the first golfer from Germany to win the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship in the event's history. Her Britis ...

beat Stephanie Lau in the 2018 final. In 2019 the name of the event was changed from the "Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship" to "The Women's Amateur Championship". Emily Toy beat New Zealander Amelia Garvey in the final. The 2020 championship was affected by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

and was not played until late August. Qualifying was reduced to a single round.

Aline Krauter Aline Krauter (born 30 December 1999) is a German professional golfer. She won The Women's Amateur Championship in 2020, and the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships with Stanford in 2022. Early life and education Krauter hails from Stut ...

beat

Annabell Fuller Annabell Fuller (born 2002) is an English amateur golfer. She won the 2020 English Women's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship. She played in the 2018 and 2021 Curtis Cup. Golf career In August 2020, Fuller won the English Women's Open Amate ...

in the final. The format was revised in 2021 with the final extended from 18 to 36 holes.

Louise Duncan Louise Margaret Duncan (born February 2000) is a Scottish professional golfer. She won The Women's Amateur Championship in 2021 and finished tied for 10th at the 2021 Women's British Open. Amateur career Duncan started playing golf at 10. She i ...

beat Jóhanna Lea Lúðvíksdóttir 9&8 in the final, the first 36-hole final since 1964.

Winners

Source:

Multiple winners

Eighteen players have won more than one Women's Amateur Championship, through 2022: * 4 wins:

* 3 wins: Margaret Scott,

* 2 wins: Rhona Adair,

, Frances Stephens,

, Mickey Walker, Julie Hall,

Eleven players have won both the Women's Amateur and U.S. Women's Amateur Championships, through 2022: *

:^ 1909, 1911 British; 1909, 1910, 1924 U.S. *

: 1912 British; 1913 U.S. *

:^ 1936, 1939 British; 1936 U.S. *

: 1947 British; 1946 U.S. *

: 1948 British; 1947 U.S. *

Marlene Stewart Streit Marlene Stewart Streit, (born March 9, 1934) is a Canadian amateur golfer, and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. She was born in Cereal, Alberta. She learned golf from Gordon McInnis Sr. at the Lookout Point Golf Club in Fonthill, Ontari ...

: 1953 British; 1956 U.S. *

: 1960 British; 1959, 1964 U.S. *

:^ 1969 British; 1969 U.S. *

Carol Semple Thompson Carol Semple (born October 27, 1948), also known by her married name Carol Semple Thompson, is an American golfer who participated only on the amateur circuit, and never turned pro. Semple was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. She is from a pro ...

: 1974 British; 1973 U.S. *

Anne Quast Anne Quast (born August 31, 1937) is an American amateur golfer. She won the U.S. Women's Amateur three times (1958, 1961, 1963) and was runner-up three times (1965, 1968, 1973). She was married several times and played as Anne Decker, Anne Welt ...

: 1980 British; 1958, 1961, 1963 U.S. *

:^ 1996 British; 1996 U.S. ^ Won both in same year.

Stroke-play qualifying

Stroke-play qualifying was first used from 1931 to 1936. 36 holes were played with the leading 64 advancing to the match-play stage. There was no seeding. In 1931 qualifying was on Saturday and Monday but was then moved to Friday and Saturday. The leading qualifiers in this period were: *1931

(158) *1932 Maureen Orcutt (151) *1933

(153) *1934

Molly Gourlay Mary Perceval Gourlay ODE (14 May 1898 – 1 October 1990), better known as Molly Gourlay, was a British golfer who won several international championships. She was the first female golf course architect in Britain, and after World War II was act ...

(152) *1935 Ina Clarke (158) *1936

(152) Qualifying was reintroduced in 1966. Originally it was intended that 64 players would qualify but because of weather conditions, this was reduced to 32. The match-play draw was seeded. The number of qualifiers remained at 32 in 1967. In 1968, bad weather reduced the qualifying to one round and, as a result, the number of qualifiers was increased to 64, returning to 32 in 1969. The number of qualifiers was generally 32, although in 1972, 1975, 1982 and 1988 it was increased to 64. In 1990 the number of qualifiers was increased to 64 where it has remained. *1966

(148) *1967

(150) *1968

Peggy Conley Peggy Conley (born 1947) is a retired American professional golfer. Career At just 16, Conley played her way into the championship match of the 1963 U.S. Women's Amateur and lost 2 and 1 to Seattle's Anne Quast. In 1964, she won the U.S. Girls ...

(77) *1969

(150) *1970

(149) *1971

(148) *1972

(155) *1973 Anne Sander (143) *1974

, Anne Sander+ (150) *1975

(144) *1976

Debbie Massey Debbie Massey (born November 5, 1950) is an American professional golfer. Before joining the LPGA Tour, Massey worked as a skiing instructor. She was LPGA rookie of the year in 1977. Massey won three events on the LPGA Tour, not including back-t ...

(148) *1977

Julia Greenhalgh Julia A. Greenhalgh (later Merrill, born 6 January 1941) was an English amateur golfer. She was runner-up in the 1978 Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship. She won the Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 1974 and 1975 an ...

(150) *1978

Beth Daniel Beth Daniel (born October 14, 1956) is an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1979 and won 33 LPGA Tour events, including one major championship, during her career. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fa ...

(145) *1979

(144) *1980

Brenda Goldsmith Brenda is a feminine given name in the English language. Origin The overall accepted origin for the female name Brenda is the Old Nordic male name ''Brandr'' meaning both ''torch'' and ''sword'': evidently the male name Brandr took root in area ...

(150) *1981

(145) *1982

Marie-Laure de Taya Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (born 21 January 1961, in Biarritz) is a French professional golfer. She is also known by her married name Marie-Laure Taya, and competed using that name until midway through 1989 when she reverted to her maiden name. De L ...

Marta Figueras-Dotti Marta Figueras-Dotti (born 12 November 1957) is a retired Spanish professional golfer. Early life Figueras-Dotti was born in Madrid and her father was the president of the Spanish Golf Association. She started playing golf at 8 years of age. Ama ...

(145) *1983

Mary Gallagher Mary Gallagher is an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, actress, director and teacher. For six years, she was artistic director of Gypsy, a theatre company in the Hudson Valley, New York, which collaborated with many artists to cre ...

Beverley New Beverley New (born 1960) is an English professional golfer who played on the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career New had a successful amateur career and was runner-up 1979 Welsh Women's Open Stroke Play Championship, before winning the 1980 E ...

+ (153) *1984

(152) *1985

(152) *1986

(145) *1987

Karen Davies Karen Davies (born 19 June 1965) is a professional golfer from Wales who formerly played on the LPGA Tour. Amateur career Davies was born in Wrexham, Wales. She gained her first recognition as an amateur golfer when she won the Welsh Girls C ...

(147) *1988

(145) *1989

(147) *1990

Lisa Hackney Lisa Ann Hall (born 24 September 1967), née Lisa Ann Hackney, is an English professional golfer who was previously a member of the LPGA Tour and currently plays on the Ladies European Tour. College career Hall accepted an athletic scholarshi ...

Kathryn Imrie Kathryn Christine Imrie (born Kathryn Marshall 8 June 1967) is a Scottish professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Marshall was born in Dundee, Scotland. She had a successful amat ...

+, Martina Koch (142) *1991 Jane Shearwood, Aline Van der Haegen+ (147) *1992 Alison Rose (148) *1993

Janice Moodie Janice C. Moodie (born 31 May 1973) is a Scottish professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour but is also a member of the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Moodie was born in Glasgow. At age 11, she was taught to play ...

(145) *1994 Julie Hall (142) *1995 Julie Hall (144) *1996

Eileen Rose Power Eileen ( or ) is an Irish feminine given name anglicised from Eibhlín and may refer to: People Artists * Eileen Agar (1899–1991), British Surrealist painter and photographer *Eileen Fisher (born 1950), clothing retailer and designer * Eilee ...

(144) *1997

(137) *1998

Karine Icher Karine Icher (born 26 January 1979) is a French professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and is also a member of the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Icher was born in Châteauroux, Indre. She had a successful amateur ...

(145) *1999 Kim Andrew+,

(151) *2000

+, Jessica Lindbergh (141) *2001

(137) *2002

Alison Coffey Alison may refer to: People * Alison (given name), including a list of people with the name * Alison (surname) Music * ''Alison'' (album), aka ''Excuse Me'', a 1975 album by Australian singer Alison MacCallum * "Alison" (song), song by Elvi ...

(143) *2003

Danielle Masters Danielle Louise Masters (born 2 March 1983) is an English professional golfer on the Ladies European Tour. She turned pro 1 June 2004. Masters is from Bearsted in Kent, England. Masters has been playing on the European tour since 2004 and enj ...

(145) *2004 Christine Boucher (69) *2005

(145) *2006

(142) *2007

(138) *2008

Caroline Hedwall Caroline Ingrid Hedwall (born 13 May 1989) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the LPGA Tour. In 2013 she became the first player to win five matches in a single Solheim Cup event. As an amateur she ...

(140) *2009

(138) *2010

(143) *2011

Camilla Hedberg Camilla Hedberg Bertrand (born 5 February 1993) is a professional golfer from Spain. She won the 2013 European Ladies' Team Championship and has played on the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Hedberg was born in Barcelona to a Swedish fathe ...

(140) *2012

Sally Watson Sally Watson (January 28, 1924 – March 11, 2022) was an American author best known for her English Family Tree series, which encompasses generations of a family with roots in England and Scotland, and branches that stretch to early America. Other ...

+ (141) *2013

Nanna Madsen Nanna Koerstz Madsen (born 23 October 1994) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the American LPGA Tour and maintains membership of the Ladies European Tour (LET). She won the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand and made history becoming the first ...

, Su-Hyun Oh+ (141) *2014 Laetitia Beck (141) *2015

(135) *2016

(142) *2017 Paula Grant (138) *2018 Elodie Chapelet,

Elin Esborn Elin or Elín is a variation of Ellen and Helene used in Scandinavian and Celtic languages. Prominent people *Elin Andersdotter (d. 1569), Swedish lady-in-waiting and political conspirator * Elin Brandell (1882–1963), Swedish journalist * El� ...

Esther Henseleit Esther Henseleit (born 14 January 1999) is a German professional golfer and member of the Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour. Amateur career Henseleit attended Freie Waldorfschule Oldenburg and played for Golfclub am Meer before switching to ...

(143) *2019 Hannah Screen (139) *2020 Rosie Belsham,

Amalie Leth-Nissen Amalie Leth-Nissen (born 15 September 2004) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour. As an amateur, she was runner-up at the 2021 Terre Blanche Ladies Open and the 2022 Smørum Ladies Open on the LET Access Series. ...

+, Carolina Melgrati, Emily Price, Isabelle Simpson (71) *2021 Ragnhildur Kristinsdóttir (140) *2022 Emilie Alba Paltrinieri, Ami Yamashita+ (138) + Number one seed. If two or more players are tied, the seeding is decided on countback, the player with the lowest second round score being seeded higher. If players are still tied, the last 9 holes of the second round are used.

Host courses

The Women's Amateur Championship has been played at the following courses, listed in order of number of tournaments hosted (as of 2022): *9 Royal County Down Golf Club,

Royal Portrush Golf Club Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The 36-hole club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links (the championship course) and the Valley Links. The former is one of the courses on the rota of the Ope ...

Hunstanton Golf Club Hunstanton Golf Club is an 18-hole members golf club in Norfolk, England which has hosted many of the leading amateur golf tournaments in Britain including the Brabazon Trophy and English Amateur. History The course was first designed in 189 ...

, Royal St David's Golf Club *5

Royal Troon Golf Club Royal Troon Golf Club is a links golf course in Scotland, located in Troon, South Ayrshire, southwest of Glasgow. Founding and early years The club, which now has a total of 45 holes, was founded in 1878, initially with five holes. It lies ad ...

Ganton Golf Club Ganton Golf Club is an 18-hole golf course in Ganton, North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1891, the course was initially designed by Tom Chisholm and Robert Bird, but modifications to the course have been made since by a number of people includ ...

Gullane Golf Club Gullane ( or ) is a town on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian on the east coast of Scotland. There has been a church in the village since the ninth century. The ruins of the Old Church of St. Andrew built in the twe ...

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being designated a major c ...

St Andrews Links St Andrews Links in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, is regarded as the "Home of Golf.” It has one of the oldest courses in the world, where the game has been played since the 15th century. Today there are seven public golf courses; the ...

Burnham & Berrow Golf Club Burnham & Berrow Golf Club is a 27-hole members golf club in Somerset, England which has hosted many of the leading amateur golf tournaments in Britain, including the Brabazon Trophy and English Amateur. History The club was first opened as Bu ...

Carnoustie Golf Links Carnoustie Golf Links is in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Carnoustie has four courses – the historic Championship Course, the Burnside Course, the Buddon Links Course and a free-to-play short, five-hole course called The Nestie. Carnoustie ...

Royal Birkdale Golf Club Royal Birkdale Golf Club is a golf course in the United Kingdom in North West England, located in Southport, Merseyside. It is one of the clubs in the rotation for both the Open Championship and Women's British Open and has hosted the Open Champi ...

Royal Liverpool Golf Club The Royal Liverpool Golf Club is a golf club in Wirral in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 1869 on what was then the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club. It received the "Royal" designation in 1871 due to the patronage of the Duke of ...

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club Royal Porthcawl Golf Club is a golf club in Wales in the United Kingdom, located north of Porthcawl and bordering the Bristol Channel. The club has hosted many prestigious tournaments including The Amateur Championship on six occasions, the Wal ...

, Turnberry Golf Club *2

Alwoodley Golf Club Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds and is one of the most affluent areas of the city. Alwoodley lies in Leeds 17 which was reported to contain the most expensive housing ar ...

Hillside Golf Club Hillside Golf Club is a golf club located in Southport, England. The club was founded in 1911. Classed as a "links" course, because of the type of vegetation and geography, it runs over 18 holes and about 7,000 yards, all the holes being between ...

, Gleneagles, Littlestone Golf Club, Prince's Golf Club,

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club is an 18-hole links golf course in southeastern England, in the town of Deal in the County of Kent (the course is often known simply as "Deal"). Founded in 1892, its name derives from Deal's membership of an ancien ...

Royal North Devon Golf Club Royal North Devon Golf Club, commonly abbreviated as RND, was founded in 1864, and is the oldest golf course in England. The course was designed by Scottish golfer Old Tom Morris. Geography RND is located on Northam Burrows between Northam a ...

Saunton Golf Club Saunton is a village located approximately two miles from Braunton on the North Devon coast in the South West of England. Several kilometres long, the village borders Braunton Burrows, the heart of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve, the first ...

, Silloth-on-Solway Golf Club,

Walton Heath Golf Club Walton Heath Golf Club is a golf club in England, near Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey, southwest of London. Founded in 1903, the club comprises two 18-hole golf courses, both of which are well known for having heather covering many of the areas o ...

*1 Aberdovey Golf Club,

Ashburnham Golf Club Ashburnham may refer to: * Ashburnham, East Sussex, England ** Ashburnham Place, a country house in that village, the ancestral home of the Ashburnham family * Ashburnham, Massachusetts, United States * Ashburnham, Ontario, Canada, a village annexe ...

The Berkshire Golf Club ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

, Broadstone Golf Club,

Conwy Golf Club Conwy Golf Club in Conwy, Wales was officially opened as Caernarfonshire Golf Club in 1890. The links course on the Morfa Conwy peninsula was designed by Jack Morris (nephew of Old Tom Morris). The championship course is long with a par of 72. ...

, Cruden Bay Golf Club, Dunbar Golf Club, Dundonald Links,

Formby Golf Club Formby Golf Club is a golf links in Formby, Merseyside, England. History Founded in 1884, the course was redesigned by Willie Park Jr. in 1912. Over the years the course has undergone some changes, including some in 1922 by James Braid. Major ...

, Great Yarmouth & Caister Golf Club,

Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club is a golf club and course in Barassie (on the outskirts of Troon, Ayrshire) on the west coast of Scotland. Formed as Ossington Golf Club in 1887, the first course was at Holmes Farm in Kilmarnock. The Club quickl ...

, Ladybank Golf Club,

Lindrick Golf Club Lindrick Golf Club is a golf course in South Yorkshire and is also a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). The SSSI covers and was designated for its biological interest. The site was notified in 1987. The course is situated on the ...

Little Aston Golf Club Little Aston Golf Club is an 18 hole members golf club located within the Little Aston Park Private Estate in Sutton Coldfield, England which has hosted a variety of leading professional and amateur tournaments including the Schweppes PGA Clos ...

Nairn Golf Club Nairn Golf Club is a golf course in Nairn, Scotland. The Nairn Golf Club is noted for hosting the 1999 Walker Cup, 2004 Jacques Léglise Trophy, 2012 Curtis Cup, and the 2021 The Amateur Championship, Amateur Championship. References External ...

Newport Golf Club Newport Country Club, is a historic private golf club in the northeastern United States, located in Newport, Rhode Island. Founded in 1893, it hosted both the first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open in 1895. History Theodore H ...

, North Berwick West Links, Notts (Hollinwell) Golf Club,

Portmarnock Golf Club Portmarnock Golf Club is a links golf club in Portmarnock, County Dublin, Ireland, located close to Dublin Airport. The golf course is often rated as one of the top courses in the UK and Ireland and is also often included in lists of the top 10 ...

, Pannal Golf Club,

Portstewart Golf Club Portstewart Golf Club consists of three 18-hole courses situated in the town of Portstewart, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Golf was first played there as far back as 1889. The three courses are: the Strand Course (par 72), a championship ...

Prestwick Golf Club Prestwick Golf Club is a golf course in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is approximately southwest of Scotland's largest city, Glasgow. Prestwick is a classic links course, built on the rolling sandy land between the beach and the h ...

, Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club, Royal Cromer Golf Club,

Royal St George's Golf Club The Royal St George's Golf Club located in Sandwich, Kent, England, is a golf club in the United Kingdom and one of the courses on The Open Championship rotation and is the only Open rota golf course to be located in South East England. It has ...

Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club is an 18-hole championship golf course in North West England, situated near the Merseyside (formerly Lancashire) towns of Southport and Ainsdale, north of Liverpool. The course is near the coast of the Irish Sea, ...

Sunningdale Golf Club Sunningdale Golf Club is a golf club in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England, located approximately west-southwest of London. Sunningdale Golf Club was founded in 1900 and has two eighteen hole golf courses: the Old Course, designed by Willie Pa ...

West Lancashire Golf Club West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

, West Sussex Golf Club,

Woodhall Spa Golf Club Woodhall Spa Golf Club is a private golf club in England, that is located to the north of Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. The club was founded in 1891. In 1995 the club was purchased by the English Golf Union, who have since relocated their headqu ...

Future sites

* 2023 – Prince's Golf Club * 2024 –

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Womens Amateur Championship, The Women's major golf championships R&A championships Amateur golf tournaments in the United Kingdom 1893 establishments in England Recurring sporting events established in 1893 Women's golf in the United Kingdom