1982

Janet Alex, 26, of West Sunbury, Pennsylvania, the only player to finish under par, won the Women's Open Championship with a score of 283, five under par, at the Del Paso Country Club, in Sacramento, California. It was her first victory as a professional.

For the first time in the Women's Open history, four players tied for second. They included former Women's Open Champion Sandra Haynie, former Women's Amateur Champion Donna H. White, two-time Women's Open and five-time Women's Amateur Champion JoAnne Carner, and two-time Women's Amateur Champion Beth Daniel. All four players finished at 289, one over par. Mrs. Alex, whose best previous finish in the Women's Open was a tie for 26th in 1981, had rounds or 70-73-72-68—283.

Mrs. Carner, who earned her first Women's Amateur title at Del Paso in 1957, was the first-round leader, with 69, three under par. Mrs. Alex, Mrs. White, Miss Haynie, and Vicki Tabor were one stroke behind at 70. Mrs. Carner built her lead to three strokes by the end of the second round. She shot 70 for a 36-hole score of 139, five under par, tying the Women's Open record set by Donna Caponi and Carol Mann, in 1970, and equalled by Kathy Whitworth and Bonnie Lauer, in 1981.

Beth Daniel moved into second place at 142 with a second consecutive 71. Mrs. Alex held third place with a 73 for 143. Mrs. Carner lost the lead in the third round with a 75, for a total of 214. Miss Daniel shot still another 71, giving her the lead and a total of 213 for 54 holes. Mrs. Alex shot a par 72 for a third-place total of 215.

Mrs. White, who won the 1976 Women's Amateur at Del Paso, was at 217 with a 73 for the day, and Miss Haynie, the 1974 Women's Open Champion, was next with 74 for 218. Miss Daniel and Mrs. Carner played together in the last round, with Mrs. Alex in the group just ahead. Mrs. Alex began with birdies on the first and third holes to go three under par, but so did Miss Daniel, who was then 5 under, three strokes ahead of Mrs. Carner and two ahead of Mrs. Alex. Mrs. Carner fought back, and when she birdied the sixth hole, she drew into a tie with Miss Daniel and passed Mrs. Alex by one stroke. The eighth hole was the first turning point. Mrs. Alex went ahead to stay when she birdied.

Moments later, Mrs. Carner three-putted for a bogey and Miss Daniel called a penalty stroke on herself when her ball moved on the putting green after she had addressed it. She also bogeyed. The 13th, another par 5, was also a key hole. Once again Mrs. Alex birdied and picked up two strokes on both Mrs. Carner and Miss Daniel, who bogeyed. Mrs. Carner three-putted again and Miss Daniel's second shot rolled under a tree, and she could not reach the green with her third.

When Mrs. Alex birdied the 15th, it was all the cushion she needed. She finished with three pars on the closing holes for a final round of 68, four under par. Miss Daniel shot 76 and Mrs. Carner had another 75. They fell into a tie for second, and Miss Haynie and Mrs. White, who finished with 71 and 72, respectively. Fifty-six professionals and 12 amateurs returned scores for 72 holes. The 36-hole cut was at 154, 10 over par. Kathy Baker, of Clover, South Carolina, was the low amateur for the second consecutive year, with a 296 total.

The Championship drew 360 entries, short of the record 434 entries received in 1981. A record $174,250.99 in prize money was awarded. An estimated crowd of 44,600 attended the four days of the Championship, breaking the previous attendance record of 41,200 set in 1979.