1974 Women’s Amateur: Carol Semple Thompson wins at Royal Porthcawl

Carol Semple Thompson won the 1974 Women’s Amateur at Royal Porthcawl in Porthcawl, Bridgend, beating Angela Bonallack 2 & 1 in the final.

Updated 23 October 2026

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

Edition: 71st
Dates: 15 June 1974
Course: Royal Porthcawl, Porthcawl, Bridgend
Format: match play
Champion: Carol Semple Thompson · age 25 · United States
Champion's title: 1st Women’s Amateur title
Runner-up: Angela Bonallack · age 37
Final: 2 & 1 (18-hole final)
Match-play field: 32
Losing semifinalists: Ann Irvin and Maureen Walker
Stroke-play medalist: Ann Irvin, Anne Sander (150)
Defending champion: Ann Irvin · lost in the semifinals

What happened at the 1974 Women’s Amateur

Three down after eight holes of her semi-final, Maureen Walker won three holes in a row to level with U.S. champion Carol Semple before bunkers at the 14th, 15th and 16th cost her the match 3 and 2.

In the final Semple holed a five-foot putt for a birdie 2 at the 7th to go three up and a 10-yard putt for a birdie 2 at the 11th, losing only two holes, to beat Angela Bonallack 2 and 1.

Final, Carol Semple v. Angela Bonallack. Semple lost only two holes and was level par when the match ended on the 17th green, becoming the first American to hold the U.S. and British titles together since Louise Suggs.

Semifinal, Angela Bonallack v. Ann Irvin. Bonallack dethroned the defending champion Irvin by one hole.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the quarterfinal.

The final, 1974 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Carol Semple Thompson	def.	Angela Bonallack	2 & 1

Semifinals, 1974 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Carol Semple Thompson	def.	Maureen Walker	3 & 2
Angela Bonallack	def.	Ann Irvin	1 up

Quarterfinals, 1974 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Carol Semple Thompson	def.	Anne Quast Sander	4 & 3
Maureen Walker	def.	Julia Greenhalgh	2 & 1
Angela Bonallack	def.	Mary Everard	3 & 2
Ann Irvin	def.	B. Bargh	2 & 1

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.