Marlene Streit - Part 1 (The Early Years and the 1953 British Women's Amateur)

Mike Gonzalez  00:15

Welcome to another edition of FORE the Good of the Game and Bruce Devlin, one thing I'm not sure of I think this might be our third Canadian on the show. But one thing I'm very sure of is our guest today is one of the finest women golfers of all time. 

Devlin, Bruce  00:32

Boy, is that the truth? Let me just give you a couple of little stats here. 11-time Canadian Ladies Amateur champion. 76 Amateur victories in her career. And the only lady to have won the Australian, Canadian, British and U.S. Amateur championships, and what a thrill it is to have with us today, Marlene Streit. Marlene, Thanks for joining us.

Streit, Marlene  01:01

Well, thanks for thinking of me. It's a pleasure. And we'll have fun, I'm sure.

Mike Gonzalez  01:08

Yep, we are gonna have fun. Marlene, I know that. And you are, by the way, the 41st member of the World Golf Hall of Fame that Bruce and I have had the privilege of telling their life story.

Streit, Marlene  01:22

Well, well, it's a great thrill to be in that hall of fame. I'll tell you that. It's not anything I ever thought would happen. For me. We've got a lot of great Canadian players. And they chose me for some reason.

Mike Gonzalez  01:42

Well, and you were the first Canadian to go into the Hall of Fame. Of course, we'll talk about that and talk about a lot of your other accomplishments. But as you probably know, having listened to a few of our episodes with the with the ladies in particular, we like to start at the very beginning. And yours is a fascinating story. You'll tell some stories that our listeners will have a hard time relating to because they won't be able to relate to horse and buggy and you know some of the ways of getting around on the farm back in the day. But you grew up in Cereal Alberta, Canada, born in 1934. Tell us a little bit about that early life in Canada.

Streit, Marlene  02:23

Well, yes, I was born in 1934 and little town Cereal, Alberta they have wooden sidewalks and there was a Chinese restaurant and a railroad track with an elevator and I was to when we left Cereal soon it was kind of the dry lands and my dad so we moved to an area that was irrigation they called it and yes we went we went in a Augusta I guess you call it a cooker. Led by a team of horses. Maybe he had four horses. And my mother carried me under her arm, and she always said you know I would just I would just really careful because I had a chunk of wood under put under the wheels if the horse is blocked and better at but chocolate wood under there instead of you. Anyway, it all worked out. We got up I got up this big hill and everything was fine. And then so then then I grew up near Rainier Alberta which is near Brooks. Most people know where Brooks is. It was down by the river, and my dad farmed there. So that was like 1936, I guess. And then the war started in 1939. And in the meantime, I have a little Shetland pony, a little black Shetland pony that my dad brought back in the truck because he had a trucking business as well as he farmed, and I guess he took the grain away. I don't know what he did. And I had a little pony that he got out of the pony worked in the in the mines down in the mines. And, and I would write it to school. Can you imagine sending your five-year-old girl to school a little pony at five? I don't think I would have done that. But my mother did. And so, you know, maybe that's where I got my grit and determination. I don't know. And so in 1939 When the war started, my dad was an electrician also by trade. And I guess in those days, he tried to get in the Air Force, but he had the injuries from hockey and so on. And so, the they found out he was electrician by trade. He'd gone to calrec technical school, and they just sent him down to Welland, Ontario. We call it down least and, and then my mother and my sister and I My sister was five years younger than I was. And we moved then Then we moved the next year in 1940 down until Welland, Ontario. My dad worked in the steel plant and on there I guess they were making an animal. I don't. But that's how it started. That's how I ended up in the eastern I live in Ontario the rest of my life. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  05:30

Your father was Harold, your mother was Mary, your younger sister, Dolly. Was it an athletic family or golfing family? Tell us a little bit about that.

Streit, Marlene  05:40

Oh, gosh, I didn't know anything about golf. Neither did I didn't even know golf existed. But they, my mom and dad were both my mother. Well, since she played baseball, I'm sure she did. They were they were very athletic. And, and, and a dad played hockey. I think that's how they met probably at the hockey rink, and then the Cereal. And it just, it just evolved. I was I always liked all kinds of sports. And I ran every place I went because I wanted to get from A to B and in a hurry. And so, I've never I didn't really know anything after the war. After the war, my dad bought a store in in Fonthill, little town outside of Welland about, I don't know, five or six miles. And he started electrical contracting business. Well, then he wired all these houses and he found out everybody needed the fridge and stove. So he got that General Electric dealership. So he made nicely from nothing. I mean, they everything they got, they worked for it. And so I was in Fonthill that my neighbor and sharp, who I knew she was a good, pretty good player and she was five years older than I am. And she so I would, you know, worry her to death to take me with her to this Golf Course. I didn't know what Golf was. And I was about 12 at the time. So finally one day she said, Okay, Marlene, I'll take you off, I'm going to go on practice. So that was fine. Her I was thrilled to death. I know where I was going, I've never been to a Golf Course. And anyway, we get up there and we go down on the course in those days because it was a blue collar area. Nobody came out to play golf till about four o'clock in the afternoon. So we used to practice all over the course. And she dumped out these balls shake bag full of balls, but told me to go out there and she was going to hit him at me. I thought Yeah, right. But you know, it worked out fine. And who wouldn't love being at a Golf Course? I mean, then I found out I could caddy make a little bit of money. And so I caddy for a couple of years and then the pro took in it my mother didn't think that was such a good idea. caddy and you know, when everybody up at the club, they'd be you know, partying and smoking and drinking. Like she didn't. But anyway, the pro said don't worry about her. I'll look after she'll be fine, you know, wrongly, because all the other candies were voice, which was fine with me. And because I was a tomboy, I was a tomboy anyway, so but that's how, that's how it all kinds of started. She should follow them in the pro Gordon McInnis, Sr. took an interest in me and I can't eat a lot for him and he was not very tall. And he had a great golf swing. I think I just copied him. And then I would never work in practice without asking him to check my grip. I don't think you can be a good player with a good grip. Do you think first?

Devlin, Bruce  09:01

I think that's absolutely spot on. Yeah. And you know, it didn't take you very long though. Before you played in the competition, the Ontario Junior Girls Championship in 1949. Two years after you took up the caddying business. And you finished second in that tournament, that was a quick rise.

Streit, Marlene  09:22

Well, you know, it's interesting. I played in that Ontario Junior, I think the first time I played and I shot 104. Then I played the next year, and I shot ninety so I was 14 shots better. And then the next year. I shot 76 and another 14 shots better. Yeah I know, so that that junior tournament was good. Ontario Junior I never played in any international or national juniors. I wasn't old enough. Or I mean I was well in Canada if you want to tournament. When the Canadian you can't have two prizes. So you couldn't join your two, or they didn't have a junior tournament, but they had a junior prize.

Mike Gonzalez  10:13

Okay, all right. We, you talked about the golf pro at Lookout Point golf club in Fonthill by the name of Gordon McInnis, Sr. He's the guy that that taught you, I guess took you under his wing a little bit and talk to the game early on.

Streit, Marlene  10:30

He did. He did. I'd caddy for him and then we come back in and he'd let me hit some balls. And then then we'd often stand late in the day and hit balls. We could hit from, there were two greens up at the back where we practiced. And he'd stand there and hit wedge shots. With me, that's how I just how I learned. I mean, I didn't know I was learning. But then I think that's how I became a competitor. And, but, yeah, no, it was great. And then they'd have we, the First Tee was very elevated, we could see Niagara Falls from the First Tee at Lookout Point. And often they'd have an outing and the men would be up on the veranda and you know, having a good time. And then they'd say to Gordon, hey, let's get that little girl out there. Let's watch her hit some balls. But of course, I stand out there and hit so galleries never bothered me. But I just everything I learned just kind of came when I think back just came naturally. I mean, I wasn't looking for another pro who because Gordon told me the same thing every time. But you know, now that they send their kids to a pro and they come home and the pro doesn't tell them something different. They get another pro. Heck my pro told me the same thing every time; smoothness, rhythm and balance.

Devlin, Bruce  11:58

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  11:58

There you go. So, tell us what you remember about the first golf clubs you ever got?

Streit, Marlene  12:06

Well, I the first set of clubs were those Spalding. You know, they had yellow baked on the shaft. You got to remember that Bruce, there were Spalding irons with a yellow and I bought them from Anne Sharp the gal that took me to the Golf Course for the first time. I think she charged me $90 I think it was way too much. But also, but anyway, I had the caddy money and I got them but then I think I just know my first driver was a Tommy Armour driver. I guess I guess it was a man's Club. I guess it was a men's because it was regular length. So it wasn't a ladies club. And I don't know, I just took whatever Gord would let me have or get for me.

Mike Gonzalez  13:08

Did they cut them down and regrip them for you?

Streit, Marlene  13:11

No. No, I played them. I played them long. Everyone used to say, Whoa, and I could hear them in the gallery. I never I never talked when I played much. I think Ben Hogan could do that I could do it.

Mike Gonzalez  13:29

At this early age, you're probably four foot tall swinging that long driver.

Streit, Marlene  13:34

Yeah, everybody said she had a long driver. It was almost as tall as she is. But didn't matter, man. It was good. I guess. No, they didn't ever never cut clubs down for me.

Mike Gonzalez  13:47

Marlene, coming out of the 1949 first foray, I guess at least finishing second at the Ontario Junior Girls Championship. You talked about improving 14 shots every time I don't know if you've ever shot 62 In that event with another 14 Shot improvement. But you know, that was kind of your start and off you go. You must have had a very rhythmic swing, swinging that long driver, you certainly had to have good hand eye that you developed probably, as you mentioned playing other sports because many of our guests share that same experience as kids is they love playing all kinds of sports,

Devlin, Bruce  14:24

Right. 

Streit, Marlene  14:25

Oh, yeah. I mean, I used to run home. I didn't live very far from the school and man, I'd eat and run back at lunchtime, so I can either be the catcher or the pitcher playing baseball.

Mike Gonzalez  14:39

Yeah. And of course batting develops good hand-eye. If you if you held a hockey stick and hit a few slap shots that takes good hand-eye.

Streit, Marlene  14:49

Yeah, well I used to play Shinny with the boys on the pond. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  14:55

Well, going from that second place, finish in the Ontario Junior girls, you started racking up the victories. And so this is long before you even thought about going to college, which we'll talk about. But as we go through your 76 Amateur victories, it kind of starts in 1951, doesn't it? And I'll just name a few for our listeners. Canadian Ladies Golf Association Amateur Championship. Canadian Ladies Golf Association Closed Championship, Ontario Junior Girls Championship, Ontario Ladies Amateur Championship. You're 16, 17 years old. Off you go.

Streit, Marlene  15:37

Yeah, it I was 17. I beat Grace Lansik in the Canadian Amateur. That year, that was pretty special. She was a Curtis Cup player.

Mike Gonzalez  15:49

So now you're getting a taste of some competition. What are you thinking about in terms of golf and your abilities? And now you get to kind of match yourself up against some of the better players, don't you?

Streit, Marlene  16:02

Yeah, I don't know. I just thought about it. I just one player I hated to lose.

Devlin, Bruce  16:11

That's a good attitude.

Streit, Marlene  16:15

I mean, I could lose, I could lose because you have to lose to win, right, Bruce?

Devlin, Bruce  16:20

Unfortunately, yes. Yeah. You lose a lot.

Streit, Marlene  16:23

Yeah, that's right. But I don't know, I never thought about it at all just evolved. I'd go back to the, to the club after these tournaments and I'd say to, you know, I think I was pretty smart, did good stuff. And I go up to the pro shop to Gordon the next morning. And he'd look at me and he'd say, Well, you did alright. I mean, we never discussed the whole games or anything. You did okay. So get your shag bag out there and get ready for the next one. And that was it, so I never knew I never really knew what I was doing. And another neat thing. I don't know, you. You all have done your homework. I mean, big time. But I did I won a national championship in six decades. I'm really pretty proud of that. Yeah. Yeah. Well, some of our senior tournaments. But yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  17:24

That's some serious staying power.

Streit, Marlene  17:26

I think it's just longevity that got me into the World Golf Hall of Fame. I don't think it was great golf. 

Mike Gonzalez  17:33

Oh, I don't know about that. I would beg to differ. Yeah. So we start, we start in 1951. With your victories, we go to 1952. And now you're starting to double up right. Now you're starting to win tournaments for a second time. And now you're 19 years old. 

Streit, Marlene  17:54

Right. 

Mike Gonzalez  17:55

And was that the first time you had a chance to travel across the pond to play a little golf?

Streit, Marlene  18:01

Yeah, I think it was the first time that they've set a Canadian team anywhere after the war. And yeah, I was 19 and went to the British and Ada McKenzie, you know, our great player. You probably remember Bruce, Ada Mackenzie. She was our captain. And oh my gosh, you know, she was great. She taught me how to hit that little hit and run shot. And before I went, that was just sort of interesting. I had a game with Bobby Locke in Toronto. Yeah. And, of course, I thought I was pretty good with the wedge. I mean, just because everybody else when I started to play, were hitting that little seven iron hit and run. Which I do a lot now. But yeah, so I played with him and I'm using this wedge and I think I'm really smart. And then after we got finished playing he said Marlene, if you're gonna go over there and play in the British at Porthcawl, you better leave that wedge at home. Wait a minute. Yeah. And of course then then he got he got back home to New York and sent me a letter and said don't take your wedge. Well, I don't know I might have taken it but do you think I used it? No. And I'd learned to hit that little hit and run shot. I learned those little that little five iron thing from something Ada McKenzie helped me with. Everybody else is having fun and party and I'm out there practicing because I don't think I'm ever going to get there again. If we had that we went over there was for the Commonwealth tournament. Right? Well it wasn't the first Commonwealth but it was the startup of the Commonwealth. Australia was there, and New Zealand and all the Commonwealth countries.

Mike Gonzalez  20:07

I think you had a chance to play that team play at Formby Golf Club which is up by Birkdale and Lytham and Hoylake up and that part of England right?

Streit, Marlene  20:20

Right. I don't think we did all that great there but we played and we did play there. We didn't win.

Mike Gonzalez  20:28

So that that British Amateur in 1953 at Royal Porthcawl, Bobby Locke gave you a very good tip because it's always blowing there.

Streit, Marlene  20:39

That's right. That's right. And I mean, the only time like to go to my wedge was to get out of a bunker. Poof. So I wore that five iron out and that four iron, seven iron whichever, whatever got it there. But I had some good matches there. I played, I think three Curtis Cup players. I think I played Elizabeth Price and Jean Donald in the semifinals and Phil Garvey in the finals from Ireland. Yeah, that was pretty fun. But I just kept thinking the whole time, you know, I'd better win this thing because I'm never going to get over here again. I had never been any further away than Winnipeg.

Mike Gonzalez  21:21

Yeah. Yeah. Well, as you said, you beat Philomena Garvey seven and six in the final. Right? There is a term for that score in Scotland and in the UK I've heard I don't know if you're familiar with it, but what they say if you beat somebody seven and six, you put a dog license on them. Have you ever heard that term?

Streit, Marlene  21:46

No, no, but I know the next year when I went and Ganton to defend, first person I saw in the parking lot was Phil Garvey. Yeah. And so I said hi Phil, she never even said hi. All she said to me was I'm gonna beat the ____ out of you. She was a great competitor. Oh my gosh. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  22:15

And you made it to the semi finals the following year right?

Streit, Marlene  22:18

Well I did and then I missed a really short putt and then we had to go extra holes I guess I must have been one up, anyway I lost on the last hole to ____ Stevens but yeah, I still that's the only putt I really wish I'd made.

Mike Gonzalez  22:40

I'll come back to my  dog license comment. Bruce has heard me say this. But the reason that seven and six they call it a dog license and match play is because back in the day, a dog license cost a seven pence, six shillings? 

Streit, Marlene  22:56

Oh no, really. 

Mike Gonzalez  22:58

And so that's where that that came from. But Garvey did okay in that event, because she had three other seconds. And then of course, she won it 1957 You came back to Toronto and there was a few people waiting for you when you got home.

Streit, Marlene  23:13

Yeah. Yeah. They were so yeah, Toronto not so much. But my little Fonthill where I grew up. They were always there waiting for me to come home at the club. And I always look forward to that. I was really lucky.

Mike Gonzalez  23:33

Well, the news stories we heard said that you had a hero's welcome in Toronto with 15,000 people in attendance. Is that right?

Streit, Marlene  23:43

Oh, you're right. That you did have it didn't have a ticker tape. What do you call it a ticker tape parade or something? Yeah. Went up the Main Street. Yeah, that's right. I forgot about that. That's right. They did. Toronto did. Yes. And I didn't. Yeah, I didn't really live in Toronto.

Mike Gonzalez  24:05

At age 19, can you fully appreciate that with the same perspective you would have now?

Streit, Marlene  24:12

Oh, yeah. I mean, I was thrilled. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I wouldn't be doing it now. But, but I guess in those days, that's what they did.

Mike Gonzalez  24:30

Yeah, well, that was a big deal. I mean, kind of almost sounds like Bruce was it in 1953 when Hogan came back from Carnoustie his one time The Open Championship had a ticker tape parade in Manhattan, 

Devlin, Bruce  24:42

New York. Yeah.

Streit, Marlene  24:43

Well, when I came back, and Hogan Yes, we'll get it well, in Carnoustie. The members of the club started calling me a little Ben and that lasted the whole time. That's sure is a big compliment. Yeah. 

Mike Gonzalez  25:05

What came first that year, the Women's Amateur at Royal Porthcawl or the Open Championship in Carnoustie? Do you remember?

Streit, Marlene  25:15

Maybe they were near about the same time. I think he was. You know, I can't remember. No, sorry.

Mike Gonzalez  25:22

That's kind of cool, though, to share that to sort of recognition in that same summer.

Streit, Marlene  25:26

Well you know, Ben Hogan has always been. I don't know. I don't have an idol. But, you know, always. I really looked up to him, Ben Hogan. I liked it because he didn't talk. And so I didn't have talk. I couldn't and concentrate, I guess.

Mike Gonzalez  25:52

Yeah. Well, Bruce had several opportunities to play golf with Mr. Hogan over the years, didn't you Bruce?

Devlin, Bruce  25:58

I did Marlene might be interested. The very first round of golf I played in the United States as a professional in 1962 was at Augusta. And it was with Mr. Hogan. And I was petrified when I walked on the first tee to think that I'm going to play a practice round at Augusta with Mr. Hogan. Anyhow, I got through it. And then fortunately for me, we played just about every practice round together that we both played in the same tournament. So it was a great eight years that I spent playing practice rounds with him.

Streit, Marlene  26:40

Wow. That's really nice. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  26:44

So Marlene, its during the stretch starting probably in 1953. With your first travels overseas, the win at the British Women's Amateur, extending all the way through some of your accomplishments in 1956. Those were your college years at Rollins. Yes.

Streit, Marlene  27:00

Right. That was my graduating year. Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez  27:04

Yeah. So tell us a little bit about the decision process you went through if there was a significant one on where to go to school. And then a little bit about your days at Rollins, and then we'll come back to some of your accomplishments that senior year of yours.

Streit, Marlene  27:19

Well, I had good friends. They were almost like a golfing family to me because my folks didn't play golf or know anything about it. But somebody had offered me some sort of a scholarship, I guess, in Montreal at McGill University. And, and then Mr. Streit found out about, let me say, what are you going to Montreal for? You can't play golf there? No. So anyway, I think he contacted somebody at Rollins. And so my folks sent me to Rollins. No, there was no scholarships in those days.

Mike Gonzalez  28:01

Well, that's right. And, of course, we've talked to a lot of ladies now about their experience playing golf in college and in your era, long before Title Nine in the U.S. there just weren't many opportunities for women to play golf in college few women teams. More often than not, ladies were playing on the men's team to get a chance to play.

Streit, Marlene  28:26

That's what I did. I played on the men's team at Rollins. I didn't play many I played one away game I think when the golf coach's wife came with me. But mostly, I play the home games. It was fun. I won once in a while.

Mike Gonzalez  28:47

I've got to ask you about this because I saw a note about this somewhere where you were on a trip home for the holidays. Right after starting school. And you're involved a little plane mishap.

Streit, Marlene  29:00

I was, it was in 1954. And we were coming home from school. My girlfriend Wilma Watson Uhlendorf was with me and another fellow, I think he was going to Ottawa or Montreal. But he was going through Toronto, so we were flying from Tampa to Toronto. And it was one of those. Well, in in those days, it wasn't called Air Canada. It was called Trans Canada Airlines, TCA. And they had this big Super Constellation. They called it big, big plane. Anyway. Yeah, they were huge. And there were only 16 of us on this flight. So back in those days, and you'll remember this too Bruce but the galley was in the back. The first class section was in the back. Of course we were flying cattle car but they were they moved us all back into the first class section to feed you know, they used to give you lunch or dinner or whatever. And so we got to Toronto, it was snowing, snowing a little bit, and oh my gosh, all of a sudden. Just the, you know, we could tell, I guess it was he flew it, he flew it right, right in  8000 feet, or whatever, short of the runway. And we just missed a quarry. And that was okay. But anyway, and my girlfriend was sitting next to the window, which I think if I'd been sitting next to the window, I probably would have been crushed to death. But she jumped back to the seat behind. And then when I when it finally the plane finally stopped. Of course, it took the wings off, you know, I hit trees, I guess and everything. And there was a big hole right in front of me. I was sitting up in the in the first row there. So I just jumped out of this jagged thing out of the plane, then I yelled back to them. Everybody, come on, there's a place to get out right here. And anyway, we all got out and then the crew and everything and they came back. And everybody's just standing there. Like, this plane is going to blow up, you know? So, there was a light over across the field, farm house, I guess. And then big mouth, I went over and knocked on the door. They all went with me and said we'd been in a plane crash. And there's Oh, yeah, we heard something. And anyway, they have us all. And by then the airport knew and had sent, you know, buses and everything else. But we found out later it was really pilot error. The pilot Ramsey had been taking psychiatric help in Chicago and the co pilot, who I met a few times later had kept telling him you're too low. You're too low giving him the thumbs up. And so, you know, we were really lucky. Yeah, it was a miracle. Yeah, it was a miracle. And it's funny we are it really does your life does sort of flash by and all I could think of was that I've never been married and haven't had children. You know, all that stuff. And so, you know, Golf was pretty unimportant after that.

Devlin, Bruce  32:43

Yeah. What a shock.

Mike Gonzalez  32:45

Maybe makes those three footers a little easier, kind of puts them in perspective, doesn't it?

Streit, Marlene  32:49

Yeah. Yeah. So we were we were really lucky. Everybody got out. Everybody got out, the crew and everything but then it blew up.

Mike Gonzalez  32:57

Did you have a lot of fun in college?

Streit, Marlene  33:00

Oh, yeah yeah, Roly Coly, Rollins College and they called it Roly Coly, but I studied and then I would I try not to get classes after one o'clock because I wanted to play golf every afternoon. And then yeah. So then when I got there you know, you meet the golf team and stuff. And anyway, so I say to the boys, you know, okay, well, I want to ride to the Golf Course. So I'd make them take me to the Golf Course. They did. They were really good. And Barbara McIntyre went there. She was my little sister in the sorority. And, Ann Richardson. Yeah, we have a lot of lot of pretty good girl golfers there, I think I was the only one that played on the men's team a few times.

Mike Gonzalez  33:56

Well, you had an opportunity to win what was the sort of the precursor of the NCAA championship, individual wise in 1956. I think it was called The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.

Streit, Marlene  34:11

Yeah, we just called it the Intercollegiate. Yeah, we didn't have a team at it. You know, it's just an individual thing in those days. I'm not sure it might have been match play. I can't remember. 

Mike Gonzalez  34:25

I think the host of that one was Purdue in West Lafayette. Do you remember that? 

Streit, Marlene  34:31

Yeah. Lafayette. Yeah, that's right, Indiana.

Mike Gonzalez  34:36

Thank you for listening to another episode of FORE the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word and tell your friends. Until we tee it up again, FORE the Good of the Game, so long, everybody.

Music playing  34:55