WOMEN’S GOLF

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 154, 27 March 1937, Page III (Supplement)

WOMEN’S GOLF

Ranking in Great Britain

sisters who graduated at the - - Surrey club, is Ue outstambng figure M W36 (states a in London ti° b hMdTr o’f both the British a . t h ® uatloU n. l .o—hasa‘ 0 —hasa‘ pffiyer succeeded iu winScotswoman, who did much to populanse tlH in Si the several well-known nlavers have made the attempt among e u VIU Cecil Leitch and Miss Emd WiSou, who failed three ui cession The venture was never unilei taken by Miss Wethereil, whose only visit to America was at a time when she was ineligible to compete in championships Had she made the attempt there won d scarcely have beeu any question as to thresult, for her supremacy was such that all opposition seemed futile. <

Fighting Single-handed

While Miss Barton may not be endowed with the same remarkable degree of skill as regards the playing .of the shots, she has courage and determination, qualities which will enable her to sur. mount successfully many a iormidable obstacle in future championships. It took a good deal of pluck to go. alone to America, and to fight single-handed a-minst a big field of American players, including the members of the Curtis Cup team. One by one Miss Barton beat them in the British championship, at Southport, and then repeated the process in New Jersey. „ , ~ Her victory in the final over Mrs. Orcutt Crews was the best tome British golf had experienced for some time, tor it followed two depressing defeats—the rout in the Walker Cup match and McLean s failure in the American championship when success seemed almost certain. Miss Barton will be first favourite m the championship at Turnberry this year, and the prospects of another victory are exceedingly bright.

Miss Barton’s Chief Rivals.

None bits the ball with the same vigour and dash, and .on a long seaside course, where there is always a good deal of wind, Miss Barton should have a decided advantage over her rivals,, the chief of whom are Miss Morgan Miss Made, Miss Anderson, Miss Park and Miss Fishwick. The Curtis Cup matehe at Gleneagles, played in the most depressing weather conditions imaginable, was a dismal business from the British point of view Wet, cold and thoroughly miserable, the American players were at the mercy of the British team, but the opportunity to avenge the defeat m the States was thrown away. The best that our players eould do was to divide the honours with America, a result for which Britain had to. thank Miss Jessie Anderson. Playing m the last match she was one down going to the eighteenth, where she was faced with a putt of about a dozen yards to save not only her own game but what was or far greater importance, to prevent Britain being defeated. Miss Anderson gallantly holed the putt. A Sporting Gesture. Mrs. Pare, captain of the American team, made the sporting gesture that, as the contest was halved, Britain should hold the cup. The offer, however, was declined on the ground that as America were the holders, and they had not lost the match, the right of possession could not pass. Once again Miss Morgan failed to do herself justice, and the impression cannot be resisted that, in her case, international matches are too much of a strain. Competing in the English championship at Hayling, she was an entirely different golfer. Supremely confident and playing almost flawless golf, she beat Miss Wade 2 and 1. In a ranking list of women players, Miss Barton and Miss Morgan occupy first and second places respectively. Miss Wade and Misej. Newell, a barrister and a justice of the peace for Matlock, share third place. Miss Newell, who was run-ner-up in the British championship, won the Northern Foursomes with Miss Cra-dock-Sartopp as partner.

Third Time Successful.

Fourth place goes to Miss Fishwick, who Won the German open and the Surrey founty titles; and fifth on the list is Miss'Doris Park, a member of the famous golfing family of that name, who won the Scottish championship. This was Miss Park’s third appearance in the final aqd, because of previous failures in similar Situations, her many Scottish admirers were a little uneasy as to what might happen. Always her confidence seemed to crumble when the goal was within reach. Two up with three to play, .Miss Park lost the next two holes to Mies Purvis-Russell-Montgomery, and only saved herself from defeat by. holing a putt o£ 15ft. at the thirty-sixth hole. Miss Park holed an even longer putt at the thirty-seventh to Win her first national championship, a success many years overdue, Miss Anderson, who is sixth in the ranking list, won the French championship and the East of Scotland title. Despite her small stature, Miss Anderson can keep tip with most of the long hitters, and as regards her pluck in critical situations there can be no sort of question. If I were picking a side, this dour little Scottish player, who never knows when she is beaten, would be one of my first choices.