America’s Young Champion

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20762, 24 June 1937, Page 10

America’s Young Champion

America has lately discovered a new young champion who, in the opinion of her admirers, may on the links attain the position that Miss Helen Wills did on the tennis courts. She is Miss Clara Callender, who won the 1937 women’s championship of California. She is aged 17, about lOst in weight, and 6ft high. When, in the final, after being one

down at lunch, she won from Mrs Willard Shepherd, 6 and 5, she was two under par for the afternoon holes. From accounts she hits a terrific ball,

and has all the shots, plus a first-class temperament. There is about her game none of the half-hearted smacking that marks tire golf of most women, and she is rated as a “he-golfer.” Typical of some of the opinions of sports writers is the following by Will Connolly:— “She tries for distance, and gets it, scorning the extreme caution of the average lady golfer, she plays her second shots with the foolhardy daring of a good he-golfer, and lets thY putts take care of themselves. When young

Clara crashes the national picture soon she will be the most popular lady | golfer • among male contemporaries since Helen Hicks. Yeah. I’ve heard of Babe Didrikson and I’ve deliberately excused her. Clara plays the he-golfer’s game so excellently and so graciously that the male dopes can’t possibly resent her poaching on their preserves."