CHAMPION ENGLISH WOMAN GOLFER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 30 November 1927, Page 4

CHAMPION ENGLISH WOMAN GOLFER

(From our London correspondent.) LONDON, Mlli Oct, . II is n big misfortune for women's golf that Alias Joyce Wethered has retired from competitive play. She has lost no interest in the game, and still plays in private as much as ever, but she refuses to be buffeted about, by the huge galleries which today follow the championships. Miss Cecil Leitch, tow, is rarely seen, on the links in public, and so the young players lack the example of these two most accomplished golfers. But, though there are no otlier players of tho equal of Miss Wethered and Miss Leitch women's golf continues to prosper. Indeed, the standard of play is higher all round than even three years ago, and there are many more first-class players. For instance, in the English championship, which has just been won by Mrs Guedella; there wci'O nearly two hundred competitors, and the majority were still in their teens, or only just out of them. .Mrs Guedella, who is better known as Miss Edith Leitch, the elder sister of Mies Cecil Leitchp is naturally a fully experienced golfer. She has been playing ia open competitions for twenty years. She has gained nothing like tho successes of her distinguished sister, but repeatedly she has accomplished excellent performances. It is curiousiiow golfing talent runs ill families. There were four girls and one boy in tho Leitch family, and they were all first-class, players. They lived at Silloth, a small seaside resort on the Cumberland coast, where their father was in practice as a doctor. Unfortunately, both Dr. Leitch and the son were very delicate, and all the children were encouraged to run wild out-of-doors. In these circumstances they spent a great deal of time on the golf links. The hoy was a most promising golfer, hut he died soon after his father. The girls continued with their golf, and in 1908 Cecil, the pride of the family, appeared in the championship at St. Andrews. At the time her hair hung in plaits down her back and she was no more than' seventeen. " But she played well enough to reach the semifinal. It was" surprising; that she did not ,wiu the championship before 1914, but she has since captured the title on three occasions, and her record of four wins has not been equalled even by Miss Wethered.