1976 Women’s Amateur: Cathy Panton wins at Silloth on Solway

Cathy Panton won the 1976 Women’s Amateur at Silloth on Solway in Silloth, Cumbria, beating Alison Sheard 1 up in the final.

Updated 23 October 2026

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

Edition: 73rd
Dates: 26 June 1976
Course: Silloth on Solway, Silloth, Cumbria
Format: match play
Champion: Cathy Panton · age 21 · Scotland
Champion's title: 1st Women’s Amateur title
Runner-up: Alison Sheard · age 24
Final: 1 up (18-hole final)
Match-play field: 32
Losing semifinalists: Debbie Massey and Nancy Roth Syms
Stroke-play medalist: Debbie Massey (148)
Defending champion: Nancy Roth Syms · lost in the semifinals

What happened at the 1976 Women’s Amateur

Holder Nancy Syms lost 4 and 3 to Cathy Panton in the semi-finals after Panton played six holes from the turn in four under par, including four successive 3s from the 9th.

Debbie Massey missed a four-and-a-half-foot putt to win at the 18th of her semi-final and Alison Sheard holed from 15 feet for a birdie at the 20th to become the first South African finalist.

Final, Cathy Panton v. Alison Sheard. Panton, never behind but pegged back to square after losing three holes from the 12th, holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the 15th, won the 16th and halved the last to become the first Scottish winner since 1958.

Semifinal, Alison Sheard v. Debbie Massey. Massey missed from four and a half feet to win at the 18th and Sheard holed a 15-foot birdie putt at the 20th.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the quarterfinal.

The final, 1976 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Cathy Panton	def.	Alison Sheard	1 up

Semifinals, 1976 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Cathy Panton	def.	Nancy Roth Syms	4 & 3
Alison Sheard	def.	Debbie Massey	won on 20th hole

Quarterfinals, 1976 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Debbie Massey	def.	A. M. Palli	6 & 5
Alison Sheard	def.	Belle Robertson	1 up
Cathy Panton	def.	Jenny Lee Smith	1 up
Nancy Roth Syms	def.	N. Jeanson	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.