1956 U.S. Women's Open: Kathy Cornelius wins at Northland Country Club
Kathy Cornelius won the 1956 U.S. Women's Open at Northland Country Club, Duluth, Minnesota, United States with 302 (+7), beating Barbara McIntire (a) in a playoff.
Updated October 23, 2026
Every year is on the U.S. Women's Open winners list.
- Dates
- July 26, 1956 to July 28, 1956
- Course
- Northland Country Club, Duluth, Minnesota, United States
- Edition
- 11th edition
- Counted as a major
- yes
- Format
- stroke play, 4 rounds
- Par
- 74 · 6,456 yards
- Entries
- 46
- Field
- 45
- Cut
- 179
- Purse
- $6,000 · winner's share $1,500
- Champion
- Kathy Cornelius · age 23 · United States · born Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Champion's title
- 1st title at this event · 1st major
- Winning score
- 73-77-73-79 = 302 (+7)
- Runner-up
- Barbara McIntire (a) (302)
- 54-hole leader
- Kathy Cornelius, Marlene Bauer Hagge
- Playoff
- 18-hole stroke-play playoff (Sunday July 29): Cornelius 75, McIntire 82; 18 holes; beat Barbara McIntire (a); 18-hole total (Cornelius 75, McIntire 82)
- Low amateur
- Barbara McIntire (302)
- Run by
- United States Golf Association
Winner and runner-up
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathy Cornelius | 73 | 77 | 73 | 79 | 302 | +7 |
| 2 | Barbara McIntire (a) | 75 | 79 | 77 | 71 | 302 | +7 |
What happened at the 1956 U.S. Women's Open
Amateur Barbara McIntire, eight strokes back after 54 holes, closed with a 71 that finished birdie, par, eagle to tie Kathy Cornelius at 302, the largest final-round comeback to tie in championship history.
Cornelius, whose closing 79 is tied for the highest final round by a champion, led by one at the turn of the 18-hole playoff and won it 75 to 82.
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's U.S. Women's Open data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: womens-golf-majors_dataset_2026-10-20.json (GNN's women's majors research set, "master" row for this year, research dated October 20, 2026).
Also from GNN's U.S. Women's Open set (entries, runners-up round by round, values the majors set does not hold).