1961 Women's Western Open: Mary Lena Faulk wins at Belle Meade Country Club

Mary Lena Faulk won the 1961 Women's Western Open at Belle Meade Country Club, Nashville, Tennessee, United States with 290 (−10), by 6 strokes over Betsy Rawls.

Updated October 23, 2026

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

Dates: June 1, 1961 to June 4, 1961
Course: Belle Meade Country Club, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Edition: 32nd edition
Counted as a major: yes
Format: stroke play, 4 rounds
Par: 75 · 6,615 yards
Field: 87
Made the cut: 32 (cut at 167)
Purse: $7,500 · winner's share $1,313
Champion: Mary Lena Faulk · age 35 · United States · born Chipley, Florida, United States
Champion's title: 1st title at this event · 1st major
Winning score: 75-75-67-73 = 290 (−10) · won by 6 strokes
Runner-up: Betsy Rawls (296)
54-hole leader: Mary Lena Faulk
Low amateur: Polly Riley (312)

Winner and runner-up

Pos.	Player	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	To par
1	Mary Lena Faulk	75	75	67	73	290	−10
2	Betsy Rawls					296

What happened at the 1961 Women's Western Open

Faulk's third-round 67 (-8) is the lowest 18-hole score in Women's Western Open history.

Her closing 67-73 = 140 is the event's 36-hole record and carried her to a six-stroke win over Betsy Rawls.

How this was built

Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's Women's Western 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).

1961 Women's Western Open: Mary Lena Faulk wins at Belle Meade Country Club

Winner and runner-up

What happened at the 1961 Women's Western Open

How this was built

Sources