The 1981 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship was contested from July 23 to July 26 at La Grange Country Club. It was the 36th edition of the U.S. Women's Open.

This event was won by Pat Bradley.

It was at this Open that Kathy Whitworth had her best chance to win the U.S. Women's Open, the only major championship to elude her. She opened the final round leading by one shot but shot a final round 74 to finish solo third. Whitworth however became the first woman golfer to win one million dollars on the LPGA Tour.

Final leaderboard

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#	Player	Country	Score	To par	Money
1	Pat Bradley		71-74-68-66=279
$22,000.00
2	Beth Daniel Beth Daniel Beth Daniel 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 Fame....		69-74-69-68=280
$12,500.00
3	Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth is an American professional golfer. Throughout her playing career she won 88 LPGA Tour tournaments, more than anyone else has won on either the LPGA Tour or the PGA Tour. In 1981 she became the first woman to reach career earnings of $1 million on the LPGA Tour...		69-70-71-74=284
$9,500.00
T4	Bonnie Lauer Bonnie Lauer Bonnie Lauer is an American golfer, currently retired from the LPGA Tour.Lauer turned professional in 1975, and graduated Cum Laude in 1973 from the Michigan State University where she won the National Collegiate Championship. In 1976, she won the LPGA Rookie of the Year award.Lauer had individual...		72-67-72-76=287
$7,000.00
T4	Cindy Hill Cindy Hill Cynthia "Cindy" Hill is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.Hill won the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1974 after having lost the final twice before . She won the 1975 North and South Women's Amateur. She represented the U.S...		76-70-69-72=287
$7,000.00
T6	Donna Caponi Donna Caponi Donna Caponi-Byrnes is an American professional golfer.Caponi was born in Detroit, Michigan. The daughter of a club pro, Caponi began playing golf at the age of eight and joined the LPGA Tour at 20. Caponi captured her first win on the Tour four years later in 1970, winning the U.S. Women's Open...		71-74-72-73=290
$4,562.50
T6	JoAnne Carner JoAnne Carner JoAnne Gunderson Carner is a former American professional golfer. Her 43 victories on the LPGA Tour led to her induction in the World Golf Hall of Fame. She is the only woman to have won the U.S. Girls' Junior, U.S. Women's Amateur, and U.S. Women's Open titles, and was the first person ever to...		73-71-72-74=290
$4,562.50
T6	Marlene Floyd		71-72-73-74=290
$4,562.50
T6	Patty Sheehan Patty Sheehan Patty Sheehan is an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1980 and won six major championships and 35 LPGA Tour events in all. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame....		74-74-72-70=290
$4,562.50
T10	Amelia Rorer		73-77-69-73=292
$2,967.00
T10	Debbie Massey Debbie Massey Debbie Massey is an American professional golfer.Massey won three events on the LPGA Tour, not including back-to-back victories in the Women's British Open, which is now one of the LPGA's major championships...		71-72-72-77=292
$2,967.00
T10	Hollis Stacy Hollis Stacy Hollis Stacy is an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1974, winning four major championships and 18 LPGA Tour events. She was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in November 2011 in the veterans category and will be inducted in May 2012.-Amateur career:Stacy...		73-75-71-73=292
$2,967.00
T10	Sally Little Sally Little Sally Little is a professional golfer. She originally had South African nationality, but became a United States citizen in August 1982....	South Africa	74-72-76-70=292
$2,967.00
T10	Sandra Haynie Sandra Haynie Sandra Jane Haynie is an American professional golfer.Haynie was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She won 42 events on the LPGA Tour, including four major championships. She finished in the top ten on the money list every year from 1963 and 1975 and a 14th and final time in 1982, her best placing being...		75-73-73-71=292
$2,967.00
T10	Shelley Hamlin Shelley Hamlin Shelley Lee Hamlin is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.Hamlin was born in San Mateo, California. As an amateur golfer she won the California Women's Amateur four times. She played at Stanford University and won the 1971 AIAW National Collegiate Championship...		70-75-75-72=292
$2,967.00

External links

• Golf Observer final leaderboard
• U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship