| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 11–15, 1970 |
| Location | Sutton, Massachusetts |
| Course(s) | Pleasant Valley Country Club |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play – 72 holes |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 73 |
| Length | 6,130 yards (5,605 m)[1] |
| Field | 67 players |
| Cut | none |
| Prize fund | $30,000 |
| Winner's share | $4,500 |
| Champion | |
 Shirley Englehorn | |
| 285 (−7), playoff | |
The 1970 LPGA Championship was the 16th LPGA Championship, held June 11–15 at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Massachusetts, southeast of Worcester.
In an 18-hole Monday playoff, Shirley Englehorn won her only major title, defeating 1967 champion Kathy Whitworth by four strokes.[2] Englehorn bogeyed the second hole and parred the rest for a 74 (+1).[3] Three years earlier Pleasant Valley, Whitworth had bested Englehorn by a stroke in 1967, after the pair had co-led after 54 holes. It was Englehorn's fourth consecutive victory during the 1970 season;[1] defending champion Betsy Rawls tied for 26th, 21 strokes back.[4]
This was the third LPGA Championship held at Pleasant Valley in four years, and the third of seven in an eight-year stretch.
Final leaderboard
Sunday June 14, 1970
Whitworth had a four-stroke lead after 58 holes, but Englehorn was four-under on the back nine on Sunday, including a birdie on the final hole to force the Monday playoff.[4][5]
| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Shirley Englehorn | 70-70-75-70=285 | −7 | Playoff |
| Kathy Whitworth | 69-71-73-72=285 | |||
| 3 | Sandra Palmer | 73-72-73-70=288 | −4 | 2,600 |
| 4 | Murle Breer | 75-71-70-74=290 | −2 | 2,150 |
| 5 | Sharon Miller | 74-74-72-71=291 | −1 | 1,800 |
| T6 | JoAnne Carner | 71-76-70-75=292 | E | 1,400 |
| Sandra Haynie | 73-72-72-75=292 | |||
| T8 |  Gerda Whalen | 73-73-73-74=293 | +1 | 1,050 |
| Sharron Moran | 73-71-75-74=293 | |||
| Marilynn Smith | 74-69-73-77=293 |
Playoff
Monday, June 15, 1970
No birdies were scored in the playoff: both bogeyed the second hole and Whitworth had another at the ninth to fall one back at the turn. She had a double bogey at the twelfth and dropped three back, while Englehorn had seventeen pars on the way to a one-over 74 for a four-stroke win and the title.[1][3]
| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shirley Englehorn | 39-35=74 | +1 | 4,500 |
| 2 | Kathy Whitworth | 40-38=78 | +5 | 3,410 |
Source:[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Shirley Englehorn wins playoff easily". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. June 16, 1970. p. 13.
- ↑ "Englehorn wins LPGA golf crown". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 16, 1970. p. 3B.
- 1 2 "Miss Englehorn wins Open golf". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. June 16, 1970. p. 10.
- 1 2 3 "Shirley forces LPGA showdown". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. June 15, 1970. p. 11.
- ↑ "Playoff needed in women's PGA". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. June 15, 1970. p. 8.
- ↑ "Ladies PGA". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). June 15, 1970. p. 5B.