1947 Women’s Amateur: Babe Zaharias wins at Gullane

Babe Zaharias won the 1947 Women’s Amateur at Gullane in Gullane, East Lothian, beating Jacqueline Gordon 5 & 4 in the final.

Updated 23 October 2026

Walk this draw in the The Women’s Amateur Championship room.

Edition: 44th
Dates: 12 June 1947
Course: Gullane, Gullane, East Lothian
Format: match play
Champion: Babe Zaharias · age 35 · United States
Champion's title: 1st Women’s Amateur title
Runner-up: Jacqueline Gordon · age 27
Final: 5 & 4 (36-hole final)
Losing semifinalists: Jean Donald and Jessie Valentine
Defending champion: Jean Hetherington

What happened at the 1947 Women’s Amateur

Mrs Zaharias won her six matches before the final 6 and 5, 4 and 2, 6 and 4, 6 and 5, 3 and 2 and, in the semi-final against Scottish champion Jean Donald, 7 and 5, never over fours when the matches ended.

All square at lunch after both went round in 75, Zaharias won the 19th and 20th holes of the final and closed out Jacqueline Gordon 5 and 4 on the 32nd green.

Final, Mrs. G. Zaharias v. Jacqueline Gordon. Gordon led by one after nine and each went round in 75 in the morning, but Zaharias won the 19th and 20th, was five up by the 27th and finished it on the 32nd green to become the first American winner.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the final.

The final, 1947 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Babe Zaharias	def.	Jacqueline Gordon	5 & 4

Semifinals, 1947 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Babe Zaharias	def.	Jean Donald	7 & 5
Jacqueline Gordon	def.	Jessie Valentine	unknown

How this was built

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

Data: womens-amateur.json.