1951 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Dorothy Kirby wins at Town & C.C.

Dorothy Kirby won the 1951 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Town & C.C. in St. Paul, Minnesota, beating Claire Doran 2 & 1 in the final.

Updated October 22, 2026

Walk this draw in the U.S. Women’s Amateur room.

Edition: 51st
Dates: August 20, 1951 to August 25, 1951
Course: Town & C.C., St. Paul, Minnesota
Format: stroke-play qualifying + match play
Champion: Dorothy Kirby · age 31 · United States
Champion's title: 1st U.S. Women’s Amateur
Runner-up: Claire Doran
Final: 2 & 1
Losing semifinalists: unknown and unknown
Stroke-play medalist: Carol Diringer (74)
Defending champion: Beverly Hanson · did not play
Entries: 79

What happened at the 1951 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Dorothy Kirby, playing in the championship since 1934, finally won it, beating Claire Doran 2 and 1 in St. Paul.

Co-medalists Carol Diringer and Barbara Romack shot 74, equalling the qualifying record set by Beatrice Barrett in 1939, and twenty players broke 80.

Final, Dorothy Kirby v. Claire Doran. Kirby, a finalist in 1947 and medalist in 1946, beat Doran 2 and 1 in the final; rain fell from the 15th hole of the final (NYT).

The draw

Every match is recorded through the final.

The final, 1951 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Dorothy Kirby	def.	Claire Doran	2 & 1

Round of 16, 1951 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Dorothy Kirby	def.	Pat O'Sullivan	unknown

Round of 32, 1951 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Mary Sargent	def.	Lally Segard	unknown

How this was built

Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's U.S. Women’s Amateur data set (research collected through October 20, 2026). "unknown" means no source confirmed it; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the USGA's own record is used.

Data: us-womens-amateur.json.