1976 U.S. Women's Open: JoAnne Carner wins at Rolling Green Golf Club

JoAnne Carner won the 1976 U.S. Women's Open at Rolling Green Golf Club, Springfield, Pennsylvania, United States with 292 (+8), beating Sandra Palmer in a playoff.

Updated October 23, 2026

Every year is on the U.S. Women's Open winners list.

Dates: July 8, 1976 to July 11, 1976
Course: Rolling Green Golf Club, Springfield, Pennsylvania, United States
Edition: 31st edition
Counted as a major: yes
Format: stroke play, 4 rounds
Par: 71 · 6,066 yards
Entries: 205
Field: 150
Made the cut: 50 (cut at 156)
Purse: $60,000 · winner's share $9,054
Champion: JoAnne Carner · age 37 · United States · born Kirkland, Washington, United States
Champion's title: 2nd title at this event · 2nd major
Winning score: 71-71-77-73 = 292 (+8)
Runner-up: Sandra Palmer (292)
54-hole leader: Sandra Palmer · JoAnne Carner was 2 strokes back
Playoff: 18-hole stroke-play playoff (Monday July 12): Carner 76, Palmer 78; 18 holes; beat Sandra Palmer; 18-hole total (Carner 76, Palmer 78); Carner birdied the 17th and 18th, Palmer bogeyed the 18th
Low amateur: Betsy King (303)
Run by: United States Golf Association

Winner and runner-up

Pos.	Player	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	To par
1	JoAnne Carner	71	71	77	73	292	+8
2	Sandra Palmer	70	74	73	75	292	+8

What happened at the 1976 U.S. Women's Open

JoAnne Carner and defending champion Sandra Palmer both birdied the 71st hole and parred the 72nd to tie at 292, forcing an 18-hole Monday playoff.

In the playoff Palmer rallied from four strokes down after 12 holes to lead by one at the 17th, but Carner birdied the 17th and 18th while Palmer bogeyed the last, and Carner won 76 to 78.

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).

1976 U.S. Women's Open: JoAnne Carner wins at Rolling Green Golf Club

Winner and runner-up

What happened at the 1976 U.S. Women's Open

How this was built

Sources