Hank Aaron hits 715th homer, besting Ruth Richard Nixon resigns from the Presidency Ali regains his world heavyweight title

1974

Select A Year 1962 - Maureen Orcutt 1963 - Marion Choat 1964 - Loma Smith 1965 - Loma Smith 1966 - Maureen Orcutt 1967 - Marge Mason 1968 - Carolyn Cudone 1969 - Carolyn Cudone 1970 - Carolyn Cudone 1971 - Carolyn Cudone 1972 - Carolyn Cudone 1973 - Gwen Hibbs 1974 - Justine B. Cushing 1975 - Alberta Bower 1976 - Cecile Maclaurin 1977 - Dorothy Porter 1978 - Alice Dye 1979 - Alice Dye 1980 - Dorothy Porter 1981 - Dorothy Porter 1982 - Edean Ihanfeldt 1983 - Dorothy Porter 1984 - Constance Guthrie 1985 - Marlene Streit 1986 - Constance Guthrie 1987 - Anne Sander 1988 - Lois Hodge 1989 - Anne Sander 1990 - Anne Sander 1991 - Phyllis Preuss 1992 - Rosemary Thompson 1993 - Anne Sander 1994 - Marlene Streit 1995 - Jean Smith 1996 - Gayle Borthwick 1997 - Nancy Fitzgerald 1998 - Gayle Borthwick 1999 - Carol Semple Thompson 2000 - Carol Semple Thompson 2001 - Carol Semple Thompson 2002 - Carol Semple Thompson

Mrs. Justine B. Cushing, of New York City, won the Championship with a 54-hole score of 231 over the 5,992-yard Lakewood Golf Club course in Point Clear, Ala. Mrs. Philip Cudone was second at 233.

Mrs. Cudone had won the Championship five consecutive years and was bidding to join Mrs. Glenna Collett Vare as the only woman to have won six United States Championships. Mrs. Vare won the United States Women's Amateur Championship six times between the years 1922 and 1935.

Mrs. Gwen Hibbs, of Long Beach, Calif., the defending Champion and Mrs. Mark Porter, of Cinnaminson, N.J., tied for third place, seven strokes back. Mrs. Nancy Rutter, runner-up in 1972 and 1973, had a lost ball and scored a 10 on the first hole. She finished with a total score of 245 and placed sixth in the field of 118.

Mrs. Cushing and Mrs. Hibbs started with 77 in the first round. Mrs. Cudone shot a 79, while Mrs. Porter, the 1949 United States Women's Amateur Champion, scored a 78. Mrs. Porter took the lead, by one stroke, after the second round with a 76 for 154 while both Mrs. Cushing and Mrs. Cudone shot 78s, giving them 155 for 36 holes. Mrs. Hibbs shot 83 in the second round and never challenged again.

Mrs. Porter increased her lead to two strokes after three holes of the final round, but she lost two strokes to par on the fourth as Mrs. Cushing birdied. Mrs. Cushing was then a stroke ahead, and when she finished the first nine in 36, she led Mrs. Cudone by three strokes and Mrs. Porter by five. Mrs. Cushing finished the round with a 76, matched by Mrs. Cudone, while Mrs. Porter shot 84.

The 76s by Mrs. Cushing and Mrs. Cudone in the last round and by Mrs. Porter in the second were the low rounds of the Championship. Mrs. Porter's 76 included an eagle three on the 408-yard, par-5 ninth hole. There were 122 entries and 119 starters from 28 states and Washington, D.C.