IN SEARCH OF A HEROINE

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31502, 17 October 1967, Page 19

IN SEARCH OF A HEROINE

(By M. 3. WOLVERIDGE) On a fine spring day there are few more delightful places than the terrace of the Christchurch Golf Club. It is a place where, undisturbed, Wodehouse’s oldest member could relate his tales in peace and view across the eigtheenth green and the undulations beyond, the pageantry that is golf.

This week he might be rather put out to find himself in the midst of a women’s amateur championship, that is with the exception of Miss Grigg’s “gammy’’ leg and Miss Sullivan’s splendid performances. rather short of a topic. What he would really need would be a Miss Gloria Minoprio—indeed New Zealand women’s golf needs a Miss Gloria Minoprio. As there is yet time for temptation, let me tell of an occasion long ago when at the beginning of a certain English women's amateur championship at Westward Ho! there drew up to within yards of the first tee * spectacularly large yellow motor car. Seconds before she was due to tee off out 2!5 p ? d M >ss Gloria Minoprio bhm fr T head t 0 toe in dark white h V faee powdered Furthprm d wearin 8 trousers! m ?he v ° re She had bumps ’ Runyan. vHX'V <£„ Dam ° n Utled to “ eD '

Her golfing equipment was one solitary club, a cleek, which she proceeded to use dextroUsly for 14 holes before finally bowing to her opponent After a murmurred “thank you,” she climbed into the large yellow motor car, which had been skillfully following her progress across the dunes, and was whisked away, not to be seen or heard of again until the next women’s championship. More seriously, I was sorry to see the demise of Miss Taylor, of whose swing I had heard many good things spoken. On the few occasions that I saw her she appeared to be struggling with her action and in no way measured up to the strong methods of Mrs Whitehead, on her current form the most impressive woman golfer I have seen in this country. The course at Shirley is providing a very real test for the women golfers, more especially after the warm dry days of the last week which have allowed the ball to run.

As can be imagined a player has very little control over a golf ball when it hits the ground in such circumstances and the leading golfers will be watching this most carefully during the remainder of the tournament, trying to place their shots to land where the ground is I most predictable.