1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Marlene Stewart Streit wins at Meridian Hills C.C.

Marlene Stewart Streit won the 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Meridian Hills C.C. in Indianapolis, Indiana, beating JoAnne Gunderson Carner 2 & 1 in the final.

Updated October 22, 2026

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

Edition: 56th
Dates: September 17, 1956 to September 22, 1956
Course: Meridian Hills C.C., Indianapolis, Indiana
Format: match play
Champion: Marlene Stewart Streit · age 22 · Canada
Champion's title: 1st U.S. Women’s Amateur
Runner-up: JoAnne Gunderson Carner · age 17
Final: 2 & 1
Losing semifinalists: Ann Casey Johnstone and Anne Quast Sander
Defending champion: Patricia Lesser · lost in the round of 32
Entries: 116

What happened at the 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur

JoAnne Gunderson, 17 and the Girls' Junior champion of the week before, was 4 up with 11 holes to play in the final before Marlene Stewart's putting turned it into a 2-and-1 win for the first Canadian champion.

Gunderson eliminated her Sand Point clubmate, defending champion Pat Lesser, 5 and 4 in the third round.

Final, Marlene Stewart v. JoAnne Gunderson. Gunderson was 4 up with 11 to play; Stewart's hot putting and Gunderson's errors turned it into a 2-and-1 Stewart win.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the final.

The final, 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Marlene Stewart Streit	def.	JoAnne Gunderson Carner	2 & 1

Semifinals, 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
JoAnne Gunderson Carner	def.	Ann Casey Johnstone	1 up
Marlene Stewart Streit	def.	Anne Quast Sander	unknown

Round of 32, 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
JoAnne Gunderson Carner	def.	Patricia Lesser	5 & 4
Ann Casey Johnstone	def.	Margaret (Wiffi) Smith	won on 19th hole

Round of 128, 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Patricia Lesser	def.	Miss Carroll	6 & 5

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.