AUSTRALIAN GOLF

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 20

AUSTRALIAN GOLF

CHAMPION WOMAN PLAYER

Seldom has there been a more worthy winner of the Australian women’s golf championship than Miss Betty Kemot, of Geelong, who won the title for the first time recently at Metropolitan, says a writer in a Melbourne paper. Miss Kernot has been in the championship class for some years, but her win was the first success in a major event.

While perhaps she was not the most perfect swinger in the field, Miss Kernot was by far the best shot-maker. Unlike the majority of women golfers, Miss Kernot hits the ball hard, after the style of the best men players. In many respects her methods resemble those of Gene Sarazen. I say this, not because Miss Kernot is short and strong-shouldered like the famous little American, but because she addresses the ball in a similar manner, hits her drives with the same low trajectory, and plays her short iron shots with the same bold crispness. In all four of her matches she outplayed her opponents to the green. She did not have any particular luck on the greens, as did some of her opponents, but she was always reliable. The final, in which Miss Kernot defeated Miss Burtta Cheney, was a most interesting one in spite of the fact that the winner almost won the match over the first 18 holes, after which she was 8 up. Miss Cheney, who had the most orthodox swing in the field, had defeated Miss Joan Lewis, Miss Vedas Ebert, and Mrs C. L. Evans, all strong players, who hit the ball a long way, by wearing them down with accuracy. These three players had outdriven her, and frequently she played a wood against an iron to the greens, but seldom was Miss Cheriey off the line, and frequently she was putting for a win. With these comparatively gentle methods she slew these giants. Meanwhile, Miss Kernot had accounted for Miss Shirley Tolhurst and h'er famous sister, Mrs Sloan Morpeth, and Mrs Norman Russell, using methods in direct contrast to those of Miss Cheney. Unfortunately Miss Cheney, who looked ill, lost her touch completely on the day of the final. However, it was most unlikely that Miss Cheney would have won had she been at her best, for Miss Kernot gave _ a dazzling display, and completed the morning round in 79. There was a little more fire in Miss Cheney’s game after lunch, and, although she lost the opening hole to be 9 down, she fought grimly to reduce the margin to six holes at the turn. The match ended 6 and 5 in Miss Kernot’s favour, the latter clinging on and holing good putts on the last four greens. The difference between being the winner and the runner-up is great, but Miss Cheney deserves great praise for her sterling performance. She is not yet aged 21 years, and has many opportunities before her. At her present rate of progress it would not be at all surprising to see her win a major title in the very near future.