1985 Women’s Amateur: Lillian Behan wins at Ganton

Lillian Behan won the 1985 Women’s Amateur at Ganton in Ganton, North Yorkshire, beating Claire Waite 1 up in the final.

Updated 23 October 2026

Walk this draw in the The Women’s Amateur Championship room.

Edition: 82nd
Dates: 15 June 1985
Course: Ganton, Ganton, North Yorkshire
Format: match play
Champion: Lillian Behan · Ireland
Champion's title: 1st Women’s Amateur title
Runner-up: Claire Waite
Final: 1 up (18-hole final)
Match-play field: 32
Losing semifinalists: Karen Davies and Vicki Thomas
Stroke-play medalist: Marie-Laure de Taya (152)
Defending champion: Jody Rosenthal

What happened at the 1985 Women’s Amateur

Marlene Streit, champion 32 years earlier as Marlene Stewart, reached the quarter-finals at Ganton before losing 4 and 2 to Karen Davies.

Lillian Behan, a 20-year-old who worked with horses at the Curragh, beat Karen Davies 4 and 3 in the semi-final and Claire Waite by one hole in the final.

Quarterfinal, Karen Davies v. Marlene Streit. Marlene Streit, the 1953 champion, reached the last eight 32 years after her title before losing 4 and 2 to Karen Davies.

The draw

Every match is recorded through the quarterfinal.

The final, 1985 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Lillian Behan	def.	Claire Waite	1 up

Semifinals, 1985 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Claire Waite	def.	Vicki Thomas	3 & 2
Lillian Behan	def.	Karen Davies	4 & 3

Quarterfinals, 1985 Women’s Amateur

Winner		Beaten	Result
Claire Waite	def.	K. Gardner	5 & 4
Lillian Behan	def.	T. Hammond	6 & 5
Vicki Thomas	def.	Mary McKenna	1 up
Karen Davies	def.	Marlene Stewart Streit	4 & 2

How this was built

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

Data: womens-amateur.json.