Pat Bradley, 30, of Nashua, New Hampshire, won the 1981 Championship with a record score of 279, nine under par, at the La Grange (Illinois) Country Club. She was the third consecutive Champion to lower the Women's Open 72-hole scoring record. In 1979, Jerilyn Britz had brought it down from 287 to 284.

One year later, Amy Alcott dropped it to 280. Bradley played absolutely stunning golf, yet won by only one stroke over Beth Daniel, who had 280. Bradley had rounds of 71-74-68-66 to Daniel's 69-74-69-68. It was the first USGA title for Bradley, whose best previous Open performance was a tie for fourth in 1977. From 1953, when the USGA assumed sponsorship, through 1980, par for 72 holes in the Women's Open had been bettered only seven times.

In this Championship alone, five players finished below par, including Bradley, Daniel, Kathy Whitworth at 284, and Cynthia Hill and Bonnie Lauer, both with 287. When the 1981 Women's Open was over, 33 rounds had been played under par, the most ever. The first round co-leaders were Whitworth, playing in her 23rd Women's Open, and Daniel with 69s. Britz and Shelly Hamlin were one stroke back at 70. Bradley, Donna Caponi, Marlene Floyd, Dorothy Germain and Debbie Massey were in a group at 71. After the second round Whitworth with a 70 still had a share of the lead at 139, but was tied with Lauer, who shot 67. They were four strokes ahead of Floyd, Daniel and Massey at 143. Bradley, with a 74, fell six shots off the pace at 145.

The third round produced no dramatic changes. Whitworth managed a 71, her third straight sub-par score, and clung to a one stroke lead at 210. Lauer at 211 and Daniel at 212 were close behind. Bradley, who cut her deficit in half with a 68, was fourth at 213. After nine holes of the final round, it was clear that the Championship would be settled between Bradley and Daniel. Paired together, they played perhaps the most spirited final round the Women's Open has known. Bradley broke the deadlock at the 15th hole with a birdie putt of nearly 70 feet. Daniel had all she could do to save par from a greenside bunker. But at the 16th, Daniel hooked her 4-iron to the left of the green and dropped a stroke to par. Bradley's lead was now two strokes.

Daniel rallied at the par-3 17th hole with a birdie putt of eight feet, and so she was only one behind with the 18th, a 455-yard par 5, coming up. Knowing that she possibly could reach the green in two, Daniel played a big tee shot and then went for the green with a 3-wood. However, the ball hooked to the left of the green. Bradley's first two shots left her nearly in front of the green. She then lofted a soft sand wedge shot just two feet from the hole. Knowing that she would have to hole her pitch shot for an eagle, Daniel nearly did just that, barely missing the hole. Both players made their short putts for birdies; but Bradley, having played a glorious round of 66, was the winner.

Daniel, with a superb 68, settled for second place. Whitworth, who finished third, became the first woman golfer to have won more than $1 million in a career. Fifty-eight professionals and 10 amateurs returned scores for 72 holes. The 36 hole cut was at 153, nine over par. Kathy Baker of Clover, South Carolina, was the low amateur with a 299 total.

The Championship received a record 434 entries. A record $148,670 in prize money was awarded. A total of 37,900 spectators attended the four days of the Championship, second only to the 41,200 attendance record established in 1979.