Juli Simpson Inkster

Juli Simpson Inkster, 21, of Los Altos, California, became the first golfer to win consecutive Women's Amateur Championships since Betty Jameson in 1939 and 1940. Inkster captured a dramatic 1 up victory over Lindy Goggin, of Tasmania, Australia, at the Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon.

Patti Rizzo, of Hialeah, Florida, and Heather Farr, of Phoenix, Arizona, shared medalist honors with 36-hole scores of 147 to lead the 64 qualifiers for match play. Rizzo, the 1980 runner-up, was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Rose Jones, 2 and 1.

Farr, playing in her first Women's Amateur, lost in the first round to Karin Mundinger, of Canada, 3 and 2. Inkster and Goggin qualified with scores of 156 and 154, respectively. Eight players were involved in a playoff to decide the final seven places in match play.

To reach the semi-finals, Inkster defeated Tanna Lee, of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and Helen Kirkland, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, by identical 3 and 2 margins; Penny Hammel, the 1979 Girls' Junior Champion, of Decatur, Illinois, 4 and 3; and in the quarterfinals, Curtis Cupper Lancy Smith, of Snyder, New York, 2 and 1.

Inkster's semi-final opponent, as in 1980, was Carol Semple, of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, her U.S. World Amateur teammate. Inkster defeated Semple, the former American and British Amateur Champion, 3 and 2.

Goggin, whose husband was her caddie, made a serious bid to become the first Australian to win the U.S. Women's Amateur. She defeated Mary Callaghan, of Los Angeles, California, 3 and 2; Julie Kintz, of Atlantis, Florida,1 up; Mary Beth Zimmerman, of Hillsboro, Illinois, 5 and 4; and, in the quarterfinals, Carol Hogan, of Delmar, California, 2 and 1.

In the semi-finals, Goggin was four down to Rose Jones with eight holes to play. She won the next five holes en route to a 1 up victory.

The final match, for the most part, was played on even terms. They halved 11 of the 18 holes. Neither managed more than a one-hole lead. Through 15 holes, the match was even. At the long par-3 16th, Inkster left her tee shot to the right of the green and lost the hole to Goggin's par.

One down, Inkster proceeded to birdie the final two holes and save her title. At the 17th, she made a birdie putt of 10 feet, then watched as Goggin missed from six feet. Inkster followed with a birdie putt of 12 feet on the final hole to clinch the victory. The USGA received 240 entries, short of the record 281 for the 1980 Championship.