1959 LPGA Championship
The 1959 LPGA Championship was the fifth LPGA Championship, held July 2–6 at Sheraton Hotel Country Club in French Lick, Indiana.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 2–6, 1959 |
| Location | French Lick, Indiana |
| Course(s) | Sheraton Hotel Country Club |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play – 72 holes |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 74 |
| Length | 6,700 yards (6,130 m)[1] |
| Field | 29 players[1] |
| Cut | none |
| Prize fund | $7,500 |
| Winner's share | $1,247 |
| Champion | |
 | |
| 288 (−8) | |
Hotel CC
Hotel CC
Betsy Rawls won the first of her two LPGA Championships, one stroke ahead of Patty Berg.[2] The final round on Sunday was delayed to Monday due to heavy rain and unplayable greens.[3] Defending champion Mickey Wright finished nine strokes back in eighth place. It was the fourth of eight major titles for Rawls.
The course was designed by Donald Ross; it opened in 1917 and was originally known as the "Hill Course." It hosted the PGA Championship in 1924, the second of five won by Walter Hagen and the first of four consecutive. It is now named the "Donald Ross Course."[4] The LPGA Championship returned to the course the following year in 1960.
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louise Suggs | | 1957 | 75 | 70 | 74 | 71 | 290 | −6 | 3 |
| Marlene Hagge | | 1956 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 73 | 294 | −2 | 5 |
| Mickey Wright | | 1958 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 77 | 297 | +1 | 8 |
| Beverly Hanson | | 1955 | 73 | 74 | 79 | 75 | 301 | +5 | T10 |
Source:[2]
Final leaderboard
Monday, July 6, 1959
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Betsy Rawls | | 76-68-69-75=288 | −8 | 1,247 |
| 2 | Patty Berg | | 75-71-73-70=289 | −7 | 961 |
| 3 | Louise Suggs | | 75-70-74-71=290 | −6 | 760 |
| 4 | Joyce Ziske | | 73-72-72-76=293 | −3 | 603 |
| 5 | Marlene Hagge | | 76-74-71-73=294 | −2 | 516 |
| T6 | Gloria Armstrong | | 78-74-74-70=296 | E | 409 |
| Bonnie Randolph | | 74-73-75-74=296 | |||
| 8 | Mickey Wright | | 73-74-73-77=297 | +1 | 318 |
| 9 | Fay Crocker |  | 81-74-73-71=299 | +3 | 285 |
| T10 | Beverly Hanson | | 73-74-79-75=301 | +5 | 240 |
| Peggy Kirk Bell | | 74-80-75-72=301 |
Source:[2]
References
- "Betsy Rawls leads LPGA with course-record 68". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. July 4, 1959. p. 11.
- "Rawls is winner; Joyce Ziske is fourth". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. July 7, 1959. p. 14.
- "Rawls eyes sixth 1959 LPGA title". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. July 6, 1959. p. 18.
- "The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort". French Lick Resort. Retrieved July 28, 2014.