Mrs Leitch’s Finest Matches.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 21, 24 May 1911, Page 11

Mrs Leitch’s Finest Matches.

>' In the 'Christina*-- nfMvber of' “The Woman at Home," Miss Kevil Leitch gives Till interesting account- of “Aly Most Exciting Matches.” Miss Leitch began to play golf when she was twelve years old, and she was seventeen before she played on any other course than ISilloth. Then she entered for the Ladibs’ I hampionship at St. Andrew’s—her first experience of any. eighteen hole course outside of her home green. Writing of her match against Miss Titterton, in which Miss Leitch, a novice to the championship, played a marvellous game, she says: — "The one bit of really bad luck I had at St. Andrews occurred in this match, and at the fifth hole. There I smashed my only brassie. Without making this an excuse at all for the way. in .which Miss Titterton pulled nn, back. 1 am entitled to say that I sorely felt the loss of my brassie. I fell back on spoon and iron, although had I Deen less inexperienced I should probably have substituted my driver for the broken biassie. It is usually, a demoralising thing to lose a long lead and then be lead "oneself. But I was greatly cheered by a" piece of good fortune on'the. seventeenth green, where I holed a long and difficult putt, while 'Miss Titterton missed a much shorter one. This won me the hole and kept the match alive. There was still a ehanee of my saving and then winning the. match. ,If Miss Titterton made a. serious mistake at the last hole, and if I played it well, the match would have to go to the nineteenth hole. And when Miss Titterton half-topped her drive into Switean Burn I thought that serious mistake ha.l been made. Her ball, however, did not stay in the burn, but hit the side of the bank and jumped out. Ono always remembers a thing like that, and it is necessary to record it if one is to convey a correct impression of the exciting nature of the finrsfi of the match; Saved from a watery grave, Miss Titterton secured a five, and as I could not do any better I was beaten one up. To finish the story of this, my first championship, Miss ’Titterton met Miss Dorothy Campbell in the final and beat her at the nineteenth hole.” • Of her great match against Mr. H. FT. Hilton, she says:—“The match was a big strain, but al; the same time I never enjoyed uivselJt so much in my life.. Both 'Braid and Vardon. I knew, expected mi* to win. This knowledge was a great help, and another source of help was the crowd, who were so sympathetic and encouraging. pretty black for me when I was five down in the last round with only fifteen holes to go. But I did nob despair even then. I knew I could pros duce a better game. Happily, I managed to do so, and had the joy of winning seven out of the next nine holes, finally winning by two and one. I hardly, knew where I was at the finish. It was all like a dream. Air. Hilton was the first to congratulate me. I admired .Mr. Hiltons extraordinary calm almost ad much as his wonderful driving and iron shots. Whatever the future mav hold I am sure I shall never have a more intensely exciting match than my seventy-two holes’ encounter with Mr. H ilton.”