Beth Daniel

Miss Beth Daniel, of Charleston, S.C., defeated Miss Donna Horton, from Jacksonville, Fla., 3 and 2, in the 36-hole final at Brae Burn Country Club, West Newton, Mass. Miss Daniel was appearing in her first Championship, while Miss Horton reached the semi-final round in 1973 and the second round in both 1972 and 1974.

Medalist was Mrs. Nancy Roth Syms, of Colorado Springs, Colo., who scored a two-under par 71; she lost to Miss Carol Semple, of Sewickley, Pa., in the second round. Miss Semple was then defeated by Miss Daniel in the third round.

The defending Champion, Miss Cynthia Hill, of Colorado Springs, Colo., lost in the second round to Miss Marilyn Palmer, from Kamloops, B. C.

With Miss Daniel and Miss Horton in the semi-final round were Miss Noreen Friel, of Woburn, and Jeanne-Marie Boylan, of Milton; it was the first time since 1911, when Miss Margaret Curtis and Eleanor Allen made the round of four, that two Massachusetts players had reached the semi-finals.

In the final round Miss Daniel won the fourth hole with a birdie 4, then lost three in a row-five through seven-to stand 2-down. The next three holes were halved in par. Miss Daniel then won five of the next seven holes while Miss Horton could win only the 15th, where she had a birdie.

The 18th was halved and the players went to lunch with Miss Daniel standing 2-up. They had played the first 18 holes in 2 hours, 45 minutes.

In the afternoon Miss Horton squared the match after eight holes, but Miss Daniel went 1-up with a birdie on the ninth. Miss Horton drew even again with a birdie 4 on the 10th. The 1lth and 12th were halved in pars and then Miss Daniel made par-5s on the 13th and 14th while Miss Horton hooked out-of-bounds on the 13th and was short of the green in three on the 14th. Miss Daniel was then 2-up with four to play.

The 15th was halved in pars and Miss Daniel closed out the match scoring a birdie on the 16th, where she holed a 15-foot sidehill putt. The match took only 5 hours, 5 minutes, about the time it takes U.S. Open contestants to play 18 holes. There were 154 entries.