1976 - Women (All)
The winners in the category "1976 - Women (All)" are shown in the table below, which also includes relevant information on venues, scores and prize money.
Majors
USGA
The US Women's Open (31st) (July 8-12). Carner (USA) beat Sandra Palmer (USA) in an 18-hole playoff: Carner 76 (+5), Palmer 78 (+7). Carner recorded the second of her two major championship wins. [Rolling Green GC, Springfield, PA].
Majors
LPGA
The LPGA Championship (22nd) (May 27-30). Second-placed Judy Rankin (USA) finished 1 shot behind Burfeindt (USA), who recorded her first and only major championship win. [Pine Ridge GC, Baltimore, Maryland].
Amateur
LGU
Played as the Girls' British Open Amateur Championship. Stewart (Scot) beat Miss S. Rowlands 5 and 4 in the final match. [Pyle & Kenfig GC, nr Swansea, South Wales].
Amateur
LGU
The Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship (73rd). Panton (Scot) beat Alison Sheard (RSA) by 1 hole in the final. [Silloth on Solway GC, Silloth, Cumbria].
Amateur
USGA
The US Women's Amateur Championship (76th). Horton (USA) beat Marianne Bretton (USA) 2 and 1 in the final. [Del Paso CC, Sacramento, CA].
America
American Defender
Played as the American Defender Classic. Second-placed Hollis Stacy (USA), Carole Jo Skala (USA, née Kabler), Kathy Whitworth (USA) and defending champion JoAnne Carner (USA) finished 1 shot behind Roberts (USA), who recorded the last of her four LPGA Tour wins. [North Ridge CC, Raleigh, North Carolina].
America
x
Played as the Babe Zaharias Invitational. Rankin (USA) won by one shot over second-placed Jane Blalock (USA). [Tanglewood Club, Chagrin Falls, Ohio].
America
x
Played as the Birmingham Classic. Second-placed Kathy Martin (USA) finished 4 shots behind Stephenson (Aus), who recorded her second LPGA Tour win. [Green Valley CC, Birmingham, Alabama].
America
Borden
Played as the Borden Classic. Second-placed Pat Bradley (USA) and Hollis Stacy (USA) finished 5 shots behind Rankin (USA). [Riviera CC, Dublin, Ohio, which permanently closed in 2015].
America
Burdine's
Played as Burdine's Invitational. Second-placed Pat Bradley (USA) finished 3 shots behind Rankin (USA). [Kendale Lakes CC, nr Miami, FL; now called Miccosukee G&CC].
America
Peter Jackson
Played as the Peter Jackson Classic (June 11-13). Donna Caponi Young (USA) beat Judy Rankin (USA) with a par at the first playoff hole. [Cedar Brae G&CC, Scarborough, Ontario].
Played as The Carlton. Jane Blalock and Judy Rankin finished in second place behind Caponi.
America
Colgate
Played as the Colgate Dinah Shore Winners Circle (5th) (April 1-4). Second-placed Betty Burfeindt (USA) finished 3 shots behind Judy Rankin (USA). [Dinah Shore Tournament course, Mission Hills CC, Rancho Mirage, CA].
America
x
Played as the '76 LPGA Classic. Second-placed Jane Blalock (USA) finished 1 shot behind Alcott (USA), who recorded her second LPGA Tour win. [Forsgate CC, Monroe Township, New Jersey].
America
Natl Jewish Hosp.
Played as the National Jewish Hospital Open. Second-placed Pat Bradley (USA) finished 2 shots behind Palmer (USA). [Green Gables CC, Denver, Colorado; now permanently closed].
America
x
Played as the inaugural Women's International. Second-placed Jan Stephenson (Aus) finished 1 shot behind Little (RSA), who holed an 80-foot bunker shot for birdie at the final hole. After six years on the LPGA Tour this was Little's first win. The LPGA intended to call the event the "Ladies Masters" until objections and legal threats rained down from the organisers of the Augusta National Masters Tournament. [Moss Creek Plantation, Hilton Head Island, SC; now called Moss Creek GC].
America
Civitan
Played as the Dallas Civitan Open. Second-placed Kathy Whitworth (USA) finished 9 shots behind Blalock (USA). [Brookhaven CC, Farmers Branch, Dallas, Texas].
Played as the Girl Talk Classic. Judy Rankin, Bonnie Lauer and Sandra Post finished in second place behind Bradley.
Played as the Hoosier Classic. Debbie Austin and Pat Bradley finished in second place behind Carner.
America
Pepsi-Cola
Played as the Pepsi-Cola Mixed Team Ch'ship (two-person team event; one PGA Tr, one LPGA Tr). Winning team: Chi Chi Rodriguez (Puerto Rico/USA) & Jo Ann Washam (USA). Second-place: Jim Colbert (USA) & Silvia Bertolaccini (Arg) and David Graham (Aus) & Penny Pulz (Aus). [Doral Golf Resort, Miami, FL].
America
Ping
Played as the Karsten Ping Open. Second-placed Sandra Post (Can) finished 7 shots behind Rankin (USA). [McCormick Ranch GC, Paradise Valley, nr Phoenix, AZ].
America
x
Played as the Lady Keystone Open (a full LPGA Tour event from this year onward). Second-placed Sandra Haynie (USA) and Pat Bradley (USA) finished 3 shots behind defending champion Berning (USA), who claimed the last of her 11 LPGA Tour victories. [Sportman's GC, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania].
America
Tara
Played as the Lady Tara Classic. Second-placed Silvia Bertolaccini (Arg) finished 3 shots behind Carner (USA). [Indian Hills CC, Marietta, Georgia].
America
x
Played as the Bloomington Bicentennial Classic. Second-placed Laura Baugh (USA) and JoAnne Carner (USA) finished 1 shot behind Palmer (USA). [Eagle Pointe GR, Bloomington, Indiana; at the time called Lake Monroe at the Pointe GC].
America
x
Played as the Patty Berg Golf Classic. Sandra Post finished in second place behind Whitworth.
America
x
Played as the Portland Classic (Sept 17-19). Donna Caponi Young (USA) beat Clifford Ann Creed (USA) with a birdie at the second playoff hole. [Portland GC, Portland, Oregon].
America
Sarah Coventry
Played as the inaugural Sarah Coventry Naples Classic. Second-placed Judy Meister (USA) and Sandra Haynie (USA) finished 1 shot behind first-time PGA Tour winner Stephenson (Aus). [Lely CC, nr Naples, FL].
America
x
Played as the inaugural Bent Tree Ladies Classic. Second-placed Hollis Stacy (USA) finished 1 shot behind Whitworth (USA), who claimed her 75th LPGA Tour win. [Bent Tree CC, nr Sarasota, Florida].
America
Jerry Lewis
Played as the inaugural Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Classic. Palmer (USA) beat JoAnne Carner (USA) with a birdie at the third playoff hole. Michelle "Mickey" Walker (Eng) and Mary Lou Crocker (USA) were eliminated at the first playoff hole. [Rail GC, Springfield, Illinois].
America
x
Played as the Orange Blossom Classic. Carner (USA) beat Sandra Palmer (USA) with a par at the fourth playoff hole. [Seminole Lake CC, Seminole, nr St Petersburg, FL].
America
x
Played as the Wheeling Classic. Blalock (USA) beat Pat Bradley (USA) with a par at the first playoff hole. [Jones course, Speidel GC, Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, WV].
Europe
LGU
The inaugural British Women's Open (Sept 1-3; formerly the British Ladies' Amateur Stroke Play Ch'ship; from 1976 open to amateurs and professionals). Second-placed Mary McKenna (Ire, amateur) finished 2 shots behind 27-year-old Smith (Eng, amateur). [Fulford GC, York, North Yorkshire].
Europe
Colgate
Played as the Colgate European Women's Open (Aug 4-7; LPGA Tr event). Second-placed Kathy Whitworth (USA) and Sandra Palmer (USA) finished 6 shots behind Hisako "Chako" Higuchi (Jpn). [Old course, Sunningdale GC, Sunningdale, Berks].
Asia
Colgate
Played as the Colgate Far East Championship (Nov 25-27). Second-placed Donna Caponi Young (USA) finished 1 shot behind 20-year-old Amy Alcott (USA). [Manila G&CC, Makati, Manila].
Asia
Colgate
Played as the Colgate Hong Kong Open. Chako Higuchi finished in second place behind Rankin.
Asia
Mizuno
Played as the LPGA/Japan Mizuno Classic (LPGA & Jpn LPGA Trs event). Hisako "Chako" Higuchi (Jpn) finished in second place behind Caponi (USA), who claimed her third LPGA Tour win in as many starts. [Hanayashiki GC, Miki, Hyogo, Japan].
Aus/NZ
Wills/Qantas
Played as the Wills-Qantas Australian Ladies Open (March 12-14). Won by Donna Caponi Young (USA). [Victoria GC, Melbourne, Aus].
Awards
LPGA Tr
Rankin (USA) won her second Vare Trophy, recording the season's lowest scoring average on the LPGA Tour.
Awards
LPGA Tr
Rankin (USA) won the LPGA Tour 1976 Money List, with earnings of $150,734 on the Tour. Donna Caponi (USA) was second on the money list.
Awards
LPGA Tr
Rankin (USA) won the LPGA Tour Player of the Year Award, based on a points system for top 10 finishes and performance in Majors.
Awards
LPGA Tr
Lauer (USA) won the LPGA Tour 1976 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year Award as the leading first-season player.
Chevron Championship: Carlton Woods near Houston in Texas provides the stage for the first women’s major championship of 2025, where Nelly Korda defends her title. (April 24-27).
Soudal Open: successor to the Belgian Open, the Soudal Open takes place on the quiet, wooded North course of Rinkven Golfclub. Belgian stars Thomas Pieters and Nicolas Colsaerts will be vying for top honours. (May 22-25).
Rory McIlroy: with his 2025 win in The Masters, Rory joined the pantheon of golfing greats who have achieved a career Grand Slam of men’s majors ... Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only others in this select band.
Bernhard Langer: he may have played in his last Masters Tournament, but the 67-year-old German will be trying to extend his own record, and win a 13th senior major title at the 36th Regions Tradition. (May 15-18).
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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