1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur: Mary Budke wins at St. Louis (Mo.) C.C.

Mary Budke won the 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur at St. Louis (Mo.) C.C. in St. Louis, Missouri, beating Cynthia Hill 5 & 4 in the final.

Updated October 22, 2026

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

Edition: 72nd
Dates: August 14, 1972 to August 19, 1972
Course: St. Louis (Mo.) C.C., St. Louis, Missouri
Format: stroke-play qualifying + match play
Champion: Mary Budke · age 18 · United States
Champion's title: 1st U.S. Women’s Amateur
Runner-up: Cynthia Hill · age 24
Final: 5 & 4
Losing semifinalists: Barbara White Boddie (Mrs. Teddy Boddie) and unknown
Stroke-play medalist: Carol Sorenson (148)
Defending champion: Laura Baugh · lost in the quarterfinals
Entries: 134

What happened at the 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Five down after six holes of her quarterfinal, Mary Budke rallied to 1 up before Mary Bea Porter birdied the 18th, then won on the 19th when Porter hit two bunker shots out of bounds.

Barbara Boddie, 1 up on the 18th of the semifinal, called a penalty on herself when her ball moved at address, conceded the hole and lost on the 19th.

Final, Mary Budke v. Cynthia Hill. Hill made a hole-in-one on the 145-yard 7th in the morning, but Budke shot 75 to lead 1 up at lunch and clinched it on the 32nd hole when Hill had to crawl under a fir tree to play her second.

Semifinal, Mary Budke v. Barbara White Boddie. Boddie, 1 up on the 18th, called a penalty on herself when her ball moved at address in deep rough, conceded the hole, and bogeyed the 19th.

Quarterfinal, Mary Budke v. Mary Bea Porter. Budke lost five of the first six holes, rallied to lead, was caught by Porter's 30-foot birdie on the 18th, and won on the 19th when Porter hit two balls out of bounds from a bunker.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the final.

The final, 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Mary Budke	def.	Cynthia Hill	5 & 4

Semifinals, 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Mary Budke	def.	Barbara Fay White	won on 19th hole

Quarterfinals, 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Mary Budke	def.	Mary Bea Porter	won on 19th hole
Martha Wilkinson	def.	Debbie Massey	8 & 7
Barbara Fay White	def.	Laura Baugh	6 & 5

Round of 16, 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Mary Budke	def.	Phyllis Preuss	3 & 2

Round of 32, 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Mary Budke	def.	Lancy Smith	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.