Youngest and Oldest Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur

Who are the youngest and oldest golfers to win the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship? The oldest is one of the giants in the early history of women's golf. The youngest was only 14.

The U.S. Women's Amateur is the biggest tournament in women's amateur golf. In its early history, nearly all the winners were in their 20s, with a few teens (and fewer 30 and older) sprinkled in. In its recent history, it seems like the winners skew mostly to the teens, with those in their 20s sprinkled in.

The age gap between the youngest winner and older winner is 27 years.

Youngest U.S. Women's Amateur Winners

• 14 years, 11 months, 21 days old — Kimberly Kim, 2006 (def. Katharina Schallenberg, 1-up, in final)
• 15 years, 3 months, 18 days — Lydia Ko, 2012 (def. Jaye Marie Green, 3 and 1, in final)
• 16 years, 2 months, 21 days — Laura Baugh, 1971 (def. Beth Barry, 1-up, in final)

Kim was certainly a golf prodigy, winning a USGA title at age 14. A successful pro career wasn't in the cards for her, however: She did attain LPGA Tour status, but didn't make enough money to remain. Kim came close in three other USGA championships, reaching the finals of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in both 2006 and 2009, and also in the U.S. Girls' Junior in 2009.

Ko, of course, did go on to a very successful pro career with many wins and multiple majors. Baugh had a long LPGA Tour career after being rookie of the year in 1973, but she never won on the LPGA.

Who was the record-holder before Laura Baugh? Beatrix Hoyt won the 1896 U.S. Women's Amateur — just the second one ever played — at age 16 years, 3 months. Hoyt held the record all the way until 1971, when Baugh finally beat it.

Oldest U.S. Women's Amateur Champion

• 41 years, 5 months, 13 days — Dorothy Campbell Hurd, 1924 (def. Mary Browne, 7 and 6, in final)

There have been only a handful of golfers older than 30 to win this championship, and Campbell is the only one older than 40. Dorothy Campbell (Hurd was one of several married names she had over the years) was probably the first truly international superstar in women's golf. She won the Women's British Amateur in 1909 and 1911; the Canadian Women's Amateur in 1910, 1911 and 1912; and the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1909, 1910 and 1924.

Related articles:

• All winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur
• Golfers who won both the U.S. and British women's amateurs
• All the amateur golfers who won LPGA tournament