1981 U.S. Women's Open

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox individual golf tournament

| name = 1981 U.S. Women's Open

| image =

| dates = July 23–26, 1981

| location = LaGrange, Illinois

| course = La Grange Country Club

| org = USGA

| tour = LPGA Tour

| par = 72

| yardage = {{convert|6204|yd}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2DwpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TeIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6794%2C7584102 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Bradley shows she can't be overlooked |date=July 27, 1981 |page=4B }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KUBYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2fYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6599%2C1043788|work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Bradley shoots past field |date=July 27, 1981 |page=D2}}

| field = 150 players, 70 after cut

| cut = 153 (+9)

| purse = $150,000

| winners_share = $22,000

| champion = {{flagicon|USA}} Pat Bradley

| score = 279 (−9)

| previous = 1980

| next = 1982

}}

{{Location map

|USA

|relief = 1

|label = La Grange 

|position = left

|lat = 41.801

|long = -87.881

|caption = Location in the United States

|marksize = 5

|float =

|background =

|width = 230

}}

{{Location map

|USA Illinois

|relief = 1

|label = La Grange 
Country Club

|lat = 41.801

|long = -87.881

|caption = Location in Illinois

|marksize = 5

|float =

|background =

|width = 150

}}

The 1981 U.S. Women's Open was the 36th U.S. Women's Open, held July 23–26 at La Grange Country Club in LaGrange, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago.

Three strokes back after 54 holes, Pat Bradley shot a final round 66 (−6) to win her only U.S. Women's Open, one stroke ahead of runner-up {{nowrap|Beth Daniel.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1981/08/03/825823/a-champion-and-a-winner-as-pat-bradley-took-the-womens-open-kathy-whitworth-went-over-1-million |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=McDermott |first=Barry |title=A champion and a winner |date=August 3, 1981 |page=42}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rSQWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZBIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6754%2C4744976 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |last=Kausler |first=Don Jr. |title=Bradley wins Open by 1 |date=July 27, 1981 |page=1, part 2 }}}} It was the second of Bradley's six major titles.

Kathy Whitworth had her best chance to win the U.S. Women's Open, the only major championship to elude her. She co-led after 18 and 36 holes,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1jwpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TeIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4589%2C6936723 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Whitworth touchy about Open hopes |date=July 25, 1981 |page=3C }} and led by a stroke over Bonnie Lauer after the third round.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1zwpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TeIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6574%2C7315509 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Whitworth alone in lead |date=July 26, 1981 |page=7C }} Both faded on Sunday as Whitworth carded a 74 (+2) to finish five strokes back in solo third. With that, she became the first to exceed one million dollars in career earnings on the LPGA Tour.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QsBRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=flkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3450,3358402 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Independent |location=(Florida) |agency=Associated Press |title=Women's Open emotional |date=July 27, 1981 |page=1C }}

The course hosted the championship seven years earlier in 1974.