1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Patricia Lesser wins at Myers Park C.C.

Patricia Lesser won the 1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Myers Park C.C. in Charlotte, North Carolina, beating Jane Nelson 7 & 6 in the final.

Updated October 22, 2026

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

Edition: 55th
Dates: August 22, 1955 to August 27, 1955
Course: Myers Park C.C., Charlotte, North Carolina
Format: match play
Champion: Patricia Lesser · age 22 · United States
Champion's title: 1st U.S. Women’s Amateur
Runner-up: Jane Nelson
Final: 7 & 6
Losing semifinalists: Polly Riley and Mrs. Probasco
Defending champion: Barbara Romack · lost in the round of 64
Entries: 112

What happened at the 1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Patricia Lesser played the 119 holes of the championship in about two over par on bermudagrass and beat Jane Nelson 7 and 6.

Defending champion Barbara Romack was upset in the second round by Mary Ann Downey of Maryland on the 18th hole.

Final, Patricia Lesser v. Jane Nelson. Lesser, the first former Girls' Junior champion to win the Women's Amateur, beat the Indianapolis schoolteacher 7 and 6.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the final.

The final, 1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Patricia Lesser	def.	Jane Nelson	7 & 6

Semifinals, 1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Patricia Lesser	def.	Polly Riley	6 & 5
Jane Nelson	def.	Mrs. Probasco	unknown

Quarterfinals, 1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Polly Riley	def.	Margaret (Wiffi) Smith	1 up
Patricia Lesser	def.	Mary Ann Downey	7 & 6
Mrs. Probasco	def.	unknown	unknown
Jane Nelson	def.	unknown	unknown

Round of 64, 1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Mary Ann Downey	def.	Barbara Romack	1 up

Round of 128, 1955 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Barbara Romack	def.	Miss Gorsuch	8 & 7
Mrs. Flippin	def.	Marlene Stewart Streit	unknown

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.