THE ENGLISH LADIES' CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 2, 10 July 1912, Page 10

THE ENGLISH LADIES' CHAMPIONSHIP.

MISS RAVENS! ROFT'S GREAT VICTORY.

The meeting this year took place on the Turnberry Links in Ayrshire, a course of 6} 15 yards, with fine turf, well bunkered, and with many beautiful undulating greens. There are only two one-shot holes (165 and 160 yards), while five holes are over 400 yards and seven over 300, the remaining four varying from 220 to 290 yards. New Zealand ladies would consider the course a long one, and wpul'd probably protest against a "par” of 81 or 82, yet these were the scores put up by the scratch players. Miss Ravenscroft amt Miss Cecil Leitch, whose standard of play is taken as a guide in fixing ■■pars.” It is rather interesting to note no( only the goodness of the total scores put up, but the way in which the holes were played. In three full rounds given in detail in one of the English papers (those of Miss C. Boyd, winner of the Stroke Match, Miss Ravenscroft and Miss (4. Leitch), there is no figure higher than a 6, and there are very few sixes. Then a hole of 45 yards was played with the drive, mashie and 2 putts, and also with drive, iron and 2 putts; 330 yards with drive, pitch and 1 putt; 280 yards, drive to green and 1 putt: 450 yards, drive, brassie. and 2 putts, such scores being made by odd prayers as well as by those who reached the final stages. Truly, the golf of the ‘’Home” girls is of a wonderfully fine kind. To turn to the matches. Proceedings began with the international matches for the Miller Shield, teams of nine with two reserves from England, Scotland. Ireland and Wales competing against each other, and England was victorious, winning all three matches against the others. Ireland won two and Scotland one. Then followed a stroke match, open to all competitors in the championship proper, and played on level terms. There jvere 114 competitors, and the winner turned up in Miss C. Boyd, who plays on a 2 handicap in the Westward Ho! Club. Iler score was 85. and she was closely followed by Miss C. Leitch 86. and Miss G. Ravenscroft and Miss D. Chambers 87. Next came the championship proper. Miss Leitch was looked upon as a prime favourite for this event. She is a magnificent golfer of the young school, and has won trophy after trophy from scratch, though she had hitherto been unlucky in the championship contest I having only once reached the semifinal, in 1908). and had succumbed to her sister, Miss May Leitch, in the competition for the Golf Illustrated Ladies’ Gold Cup. Iler match with Mr. 11. IL Hilton will always be remembered as showing her steady nerve under trying circumstances. Miss Ravenscroft. who beat Miss C. Leitch in a round of last year's ohamionship, was also picked as a likely w inner. Two ex-champions in Mrs. Ross (May Hezlett) and Mrs. Jock Gibb (Miss Titterton) competed, but Miss P. Campbell, last year’s winner, was unable to make the trip from Canada. Among the others competing were Miss May T.eiteh. a brilliant left-handed player, and wjnner of .the Golf llustrated Ladies’ Gphl Cup; Miss V. Hezlett. last year's runner-up. and last of the noted Hezlett. quartet of sisters; three other Leitch girls, who, with Cecil and May, seetn bent on making golfing history and a name for the Leitch quintet; Miss L. Moore, runner-up in 1910. and a large number of winners of bronze medals at previous • hampionsbijfe—Buch names showing that the very b*»t of golfers were present. There were also one or two American and Canadian ladies, and one from Australia In Miss Cirbury. twice champion of New boiltli Wales &nd once of Australia. The strangers alt succumbed early, Alias Parbur.v and Miss Thomson (of New Brunswick) lasting longest, but dropping out tn the third round, beaten by those sterling players Miss Teacher aiid Miss Neill Fraser.

The earlier rounds, as usual, were rather of the weeding-out order, though a good number of games ran on beyoud the

18th hole, and still more concluded only on the home green. -When the round before the semi-final was reached there were stilt two Leitches in the contest, but the luck of the draw brought them together, and a slendid game between the two gave pride of place to Mias Cecil, who won 'only on the 18th. The other survivors in this round were Miss Ravenscroft, of the Bromborough Club; Miss Temple, ot Westward Ho! and Miss Herring Johnston, of Limpsfield Chart.

In the semi-final Miss Ravenscroft and Miss C. Leitch met and started off on what was felt_ would be the deciding match for the championship, as the winner was practically certain to be able to account for the other players still left in. They had a following of over 1006 spectators. and the greater interest was taken in the match seeing that when they met at Portrush in the previous contest Miss Ravenscroft- had won only at the 21st hole, and in the meantime Miss Leitch had made decided improvement in the matter of steadiness and nerve. They seem to have started) cautiously, the first two holes (350 and 305 yards) lieing halved in fives, though fours had been the usual score at these holes in the previous rounds of both. The third (385 yards) felt to Miss Ravenscroft in 4, the fourth (395) to Miss Leitch in .4, the next (415) was halved in 5, Miss Ravenscroft got the sixth (165) in 3 to 4. lost the next (220) in 4 to 3, making the match all' square; the eighth (290) was halved in 5, and Miss Ravenscroft won the ninth (280) in 4 to 5, turning 1 up. The 10th (255) was halved in 4, the 11th (330) was won by Miss Ravenscroft (drive, pitch, and putt) in 3 to 4; she also won the 12th (420) in 5 to 6. giving her a lead of three. The 13 th (160) was won by Miss Leitch in 3 to 4, but the 14th (370) in 4 to 5 again gave Miss Ravenscroft a lead, of three. Miss Leitch, playing pluckily as always, won the next two (450 and 415) in 5 and 4 to 6 and 5, thus reducing Miss Ravenscroft’s lead to 1 up; but as she could only succeed in squaring the next, two (450 and 365) in 6 and 4. the match went to Miss Ravenscroft at 1 up. Their scores, which were fully played out, were 81 (Miss Ravenscroft) and 82 (Miss Leitch). Meanwhile the. matvh behind was making history unnoticed, except by a few faithful followers. Miss Temple stood 2 up at the time, she lost the lOt-h and 11th, and looked like losing the 13th, but •Miss Johnson’s' indifferent putting reversed matters! At the 16th she stood 1 up. On the 17th green she laid the Sussex player a stymie and stood dormy; with 4 to 5 on the home green she entered the final 2 up. An immense crowd followed 'the afternoon match, Mr. Leslie Balfour-Melville acting as referee. Miss Temple, as her friends anticipated, put up a splendidly plucky fight, but Miss Ravenscroft’s grit was very fine, and although at the 3rd the Westward Ho! player assumed a lead .she lost it at the sth, and from this point Miss Ravenscroft was never down. A fine putt on the 6th gave Miss Temple a half in 3, but she missed one at the next and the Bth hole, where out of a bunker she iptayed over the wall, and eventually picked up her ball, giving Miss •Ravenscroft a comfortable lead of 2. and With a half at the 9th, Miss Ravenscroft turned 2 tr’p. -The 10th she won, but lost the 11th; the 12th was halved; the 13th was a win in 3 for the 'Cheshire player, and she again stood 3 up; a half follow* i at the 14th, and at. the 15th a beautiful difficult putt gave M'iss Temple the hole in 4. To the 16th Miss 'Ravenscroft was nearly under the wall from her tee shot, and both took 3 to reach the green. Miss Temple lay dead with the odd, and then with a sensational putt Miss Ravenscroft won tlie championship. It was a fine performance throughout, and she thoroughly deserved her victory, whilst Miss Tenijple is to’be congratulated on her fine display, and for the consistently good golf which carried her through tlie several heats and enabled her to beat many doughty opponents.