Nancy Lopez

Miss Nancy Lopez, Roswell, New Mexico, won the Championship in her first attempt at the age of 15. She defeated Miss Catherine Morse, Rochester, N.Y., 1-up, in the final round at the Jefferson City Country Club, Jefferson City, Mo. Miss Lopez had been her state's Women's Amateur Champion since she was 12.

Miss Laura Baugh of Long Beach, Calif., the 1971 Women's Amateur Champion, was eliminated in the second round by Miss Janet Aulisi, West Caldwell, N.J., and Miss Amy Alcott, the qualifying medalist with a 151, and 1971 runnerup, was defeated by Miss Barbara Barrow, Chula Vista, Calif., in the quarter-final round. Miss Aulisi, runnerup to Miss Hollis Stacy in 1970, was defeated in turn by Miss Janis Jones, Phoenix, Ariz.

On her way to the final, Miss Lopez won handily, requiring only 55 holes to win four matches. Miss Morse, on the other hand, was forced to the 18th hole in two of her four matches and took 63 holes to reach the final. Miss Morse began the final round by winning the first three holes, but Miss Lopez drew even at nine. They continued all even until the 16th where Miss Morse, a strong player, amazed the gallery by driving over a tree at the bend of the sharply dog-legged par-4, 315-yard hole to within 30 feet of the green. She birdied the hole and went 1 up with two to play. Miss Lopez won 17 with a birdie and the 18th with a par.