Who won the first U.S. Women's Open in 1946?

Patty Berg won the first U.S. Women’s Open in 1946. She defeated Betty Jameson 5 and 4 in the 36-hole final at Spokane Country Club in Washington.

The inaugural championship was played from August 26 to September 1 with 39 competitors. Unlike the modern tournament, it used match play: a 36-hole qualifier reduced the field to 32, followed by matches. Berg and Jameson were both professionals who reached the final.

Jameson led by three holes after seven in the morning round, but Berg rallied to square the match after 18 holes. After lunch, Berg won four of the first five holes in the afternoon and closed out the title on the 32nd hole. Her $5,600 prize was paid in war bonds.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias, one of the era’s biggest stars, entered the tournament but lost in the early rounds. The following year’s championship switched to 72-hole stroke play, the format associated with the event today.