The English Championship.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 26, 29 June 1910, Page 11

The English Championship.

MISS GRANT SUTTIE WINS. The 18th L.G.U. championship meeting was brought to a happy conclusion in far-off, peaceful Devonshire on the beautiful links of Westward Ho. On Monday morning, May 2, the stroke competition immediately preceding the championship was held. It was a fine morning for scoring, and early starters had the best of the weather, for as the day advanced the wind got up, until long before the last couples neared the home green a gale was blowing. Prophets in their own country prophesied a possible 85 as the winning score, but early in the day they were falsified, for the fine young Broinborough player, Miss G. Ravenscroftj brought in a beautiful 84, made up thus: Out, 65456453 6 —44; in, 5 5463 4 3 6 4—40; total 84. Soon after this that renowned score player, Mrs. F. W. Brown, handed in 88, and these two remained the leading returns. Quite late in the afternoon, in the full force of the gale, Miss May Leitch (a fine left-handed player, who only wants steadiness —the outcome of practice—to become a first-class golfer) gave in her card of 89—every whit as fine a performance as Miss Ravenscroft’s, being compiled when the gale was at its worst. Appended are the twelve leading scores: Miss Ravenseroft (Bromborough) .. 84 Mrs. F. W. Brown (W’imbledon) ... 88 Miss D. M. Jenkins (Troon) 90 Miss Ida Kyle (St. Rule) 90 Miss A. Glover (Elie and Earlsferry) 91 Miss Violet Hezlet (Royal Portrush) 91 Miss Cecil Leitch (Carlisle and Silloth) 91 Miss Florence Hezlet (Royal Portrush) 92 Mrs. Gavin (Burnham Beeches) ... 92 Miss Temple (Westward Ho) 93 Miss Hunter (Ashford Manor) .... 93 Miss Heming Johnson (Limpsfield) 94 Miss L. Moore (Olton) 94

The semi-finals attracted large First out were Mrs. Tamworth and. Miss Grant Suttie, but it was soon evident that Mrs. Tamworth would not survive the round. She was 4 down at the seventh, and putted badly throughout. Miss Grant Suttie, on the other hand, played steady, sound golf, and stood 4 up at the turn, out in these figures: 5645 4 4 4 4 6—44; while Mrs. Tam worth’s approximate score out was 49. After this Miss Grant Suttie never missed an opportunity, and eventually entered the final by 7 and 6. On the other hand, the match behind, between Miss Neill Fraser and Miss Moore was very closely contested. The later won the first hole, and lost the two next; she won the fifth and sixth, where Miss N. Fraser was bunkered: but the match was square at the turn. The tenth and eleventh were halved. After that Miss Moore played perfect golf. At the fourteenth she stood 2 up, but lost the sixteenth. A perfect 5 at the long difficult seventeenth, however, gave her the match by 2 to 1. FINAL. Miss E. Grant Suttie beat Miss L. Moore by 6 and 4. The final was witnessed by about SOO people. The wind was very strong, but brilliant sunshine prevailed. After her hard fight in the morning Miss Moore seemed tired, and her play was not as good as in the morning. Bad luck at the start, too, disheartened her. whereas Miss Grant Suttie played almost faultless golf, and led by 4 up at the turn. She increased this to 5 at the eleventh, having run the bunker guarding the green. Miss Moore secured her only win at the 12th, but the long thirteenth in the teeth of the wind was too much for the Olton player, and a piece of luck at the fourteenth, where her sliced ball just lay clear of the rushes, gave Miss Grant Suttie the championship by 6 and 4. She thoroughly deserved her win, having en countered and beaten Mrs. WingfieldStratford, Mrs. C. F. Richardson (who stood 2 up and 4 to go), Miss Temple, Miss Ida Kyle, Miss Neill Fraser, and Miss Moore (who, by the by, holds the title of Midlands Champion for the 3rd year in succession). At the conclusion of play, the prizes and trophies were presented by. , Lord Churston, and a heartily accorded and applauded vote of thanks to Miss IssettePearson was a clear indication of the appreciation all feel for her arduous gray ; tuitous work. The 18th L.G.U. Championship is a thing of the past. One notable feature was that the winner of the Championship (Miss E. Grant Suttie) was not in the first thirteen of the stroke competition which preceded the Championship, and the runner-up (Miss Moore) was thirteenth on the list. Miss Grant Suttie won most of her matches by a narrow margin. Tn the fourth round, playing against Miss I. Kyle, Miss Grant Suttie had a grim struggle, the match being taken to the home hole; here her ball ran through the bunker and jumped out of the burn. Miss Grant Suttie thus won by one hole. In the fifth round Miss Grant Suttie defeated Mrs. Nicholson 2 and 1. Mrs. Nicholson put up a fine light, and was only one down at the sixteenth; going to the seventeenth, she was bunkered, but after recovering she laid her approach practically dead; Miss Grant Suttie, however, holed a putt across the green, winning the hole and the match. In the semi-finals Miss Grant Suttie won handsomely, defeating Mrs. Tamworth 7 and 6; and the final against Miss L. Moore 6 and 4. Miss Grant Suttie’s club is Sunningdale. Miss Issctte Pearson defeated Mrs. Hezlit by one up, and in the second round beat Miss Bryan by one hole. In the third round Miss Pearson was defeated by Miss D. Barker, 3 and 2. Miss V. Hezlet survived until the fifth round, when she was defeated by Miss Neil Fraser by 4 and 3. Much interest was taken in the match between the sisters Kyle, recalling similar meetings between the Hezlcts and Orrs. Both have perfect style, and the game was a treat to watch. The elder sister (the Scottish champion) was 3 down at the ninth, and was level at the thirteenth. The younger, however, played the remaining holes perfectly, and gained a victory one hole from home. Miss Bertha Thompson, an ex-eham-pion, was put out in the second round by Miss Temple, of Westward Ho, by 3 and 1. Miss E. Leitch was another disappointment. She has been playing such splendid golf of bite that her chance for the championship was considered very good, and yet she was put out in the first

round by Miss 1 lemming Johnson (Limpsfield) by one hole. The Ladies’ Golf Union has decided t»> b<»ld next, year’s championship at Portrush. The Union now consists of 300 clubs. Players engaged in county championships are in future to be allowed expenses