1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Florence Vanderbeck wins at Onwentsia Club

Florence Vanderbeck won the 1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, beating Margaret Gavin 3 & 2 in the final.

Updated October 23, 2026

Walk this draw in the U.S. Women’s Amateur room.

Edition: 21st
Dates: September 6, 1915 to September 11, 1915
Course: Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, Illinois
Format: stroke-play qualifying + match play
Champion: Florence Vanderbeck · United States
Champion's title: 1st U.S. Women’s Amateur
Runner-up: Margaret Gavin
Final: 3 & 2
Losing semifinalists: Ernestine Pearce and Alexa Stirling
Stroke-play medalist: Florence Vanderbeck (85)
Defending champion: Katherine Harley
Entries: 119

What happened at the 1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Alexa Stirling squared her semifinal with a 3 at the 18th from behind an elm, but Mrs. C. H. Vanderbeck won at the 22nd hole in a drenching thunderstorm.

Mrs. Clarence H. Vanderbeck, the medalist with a course-record 85, beat Englishwoman Mrs. W. A. Gavin 3 and 2 in the final.

Final, Mrs. C. H. Vanderbeck v. Mrs. W. A. Gavin. Mrs. Clarence H. Vanderbeck, the medalist with a course-record 85, beat Englishwoman Mrs. W. A. Gavin 3 and 2 in the final.

Semifinal, Mrs. C. H. Vanderbeck v. Alexa Stirling. Alexa Stirling squared her semifinal with a 3 at the 18th from behind an elm, but Mrs. C. H. Vanderbeck won at the 22nd hole in a drenching thunderstorm.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the round of 16.

The final, 1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Florence Vanderbeck	def.	Margaret Gavin	3 & 2

Semifinals, 1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Margaret Gavin	def.	Ernestine Pearce	5 & 3
Florence Vanderbeck	def.	Alexa Stirling	won on 22nd hole

Quarterfinals, 1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Margaret Gavin	def.	Eleanor Allen	4 & 2
Ernestine Pearce	def.	Nonna Barlow	4 & 2
Alexa Stirling	def.	Marjorie Edwards	5 & 4
Florence Vanderbeck	def.	Mrs. E. L. Beifield	3 & 1

Round of 16, 1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Margaret Gavin	def.	Margaret Fox	3 & 2
Eleanor Allen	def.	Dorothy Campbell Hurd	4 & 3
Nonna Barlow	def.	Lillian B. Hyde	1 up
Ernestine Pearce	def.	Caroline Painter	5 & 4
Marjorie Edwards	def.	Elaine Rosenthal	2 up
Alexa Stirling	def.	Laurie Kaiser	6 & 5
Florence Vanderbeck	def.	Winters Coldham	7 & 6
Mrs. E. L. Beifield	def.	Elizabeth Allen	4 & 3

Round of 32, 1915 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Margaret Gavin	def.	Mrs. George F. Henneberry	unknown
Margaret Fox	def.	Mrs. Mason Phelps	5 & 3
Dorothy Campbell Hurd	def.	Mrs. L. W. Mida	4 & 3
Eleanor Allen	def.	Mrs. A. A. Heaning	5 & 3
Lillian B. Hyde	def.	Mrs. Arthur Liveright	7 & 5
Nonna Barlow	def.	Marion Hollins	1 up
Caroline Painter	def.	Mrs. Stanley Widney	6 & 4
Ernestine Pearce	def.	Ethel Chatfield	3 & 2
Marjorie Edwards	def.	Frances Hadfield	unknown
Elaine Rosenthal	def.	Mrs. S. Kunstadter	unknown
Alexa Stirling	def.	Mrs. H. D. Hammond	won on 19th hole
Laurie Kaiser	def.	Grace Semple	2 & 1
Florence Vanderbeck	def.	Eleanor Chandler	7 & 6
Winters Coldham	def.	Jennie Jones	1 up
Mrs. E. L. Beifield	def.	Isabel Bridge	5 & 4
Elizabeth Allen	def.	Marjorie L. Dodd	1 up

How this was built

Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's U.S. Women’s Amateur data set (research collected through October 20, 2026). "unknown" means no source confirmed it; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the USGA's own record is used.

Data: us-womens-amateur.json.