Women Golfers

At Newcastle, Ireland, 64 temperamental lady golfers gathered to play for the British championship. Agitation overcame the only U. S. entrant, Grace Amory of West Palm Beach, in her match against the French champion, Francine Tollon. On the 10th green she flopped on the ground, squeaked "oh my, how exhausting the tight matches are," lost on the 17th. Sheep-faced Diana Fishwick, who was champion in 1930, broke the course record in a qualifying round, got put out of the tournament by one Clarry Tiernan who, perturbed by her achievement, ran to hide in the dressing room. Before the final, a disgraceful confusion arose. Pamela Barton, 18-year-old star who was runner-up for the title last year, defeated her sister, Mervyn, in the semifinals, then discharged her caddy who had expected a large tip from her if she won the tournament. Next day, a raucous gallery of County Down caddies cheered loudly every time Miss Barton's opponent hit the ball, groaned mockingly when Miss Barton missed, gleefully watched Wanda Morgan win the title, 3 up and 2 to play.

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In Manhattan, reporters gathered on a dock to meet a tall, grey-haired young woman who, if she had been in the field at Newcastle, would certainly have won the tournament. She was Joyce Wethered, greatest woman golfer in the world, arriving to play a series of exhibition matches to exploit Wanamaker's golf supplies. At the Women's National Golf & Tennis Club, Miss Wethered proved that she was thoroughly off her game by shooting a 78, which gave her and Johnny Dawson an 18-hole match-play tie against Gene Sarazen and Mrs. Glenna Collett Vare. Two days later Miss Wethered and Mrs. Vare, with a handicap of six strokes, lost to Sarazen and Jess Sweetser, 2 & 1.

Now 33, Joyce Wethered first won the British Women's title in 1920, held it for the next four years. She won the British Women's Open four times, last in 1929, when she retired because she found women's competition tedious. She beat Glenna Collett Vare the three times they played each other--once at St. Andrews in the British final when Glenna Collett, with 34 for the first nine holes, was 6 up at the 12th. Joyce Wethered played 18 consecutive holes in 73, had a lead of 4 up at the 2 27th hole. For years she played most of her golf against her famed Brother Roger, who tied for the British Open in 1921, won the British Amateur in 1923. She frequently beat him. In 1930, Bobby Jones called her "the finest golfer I have ever seen," a compliment noteworthy for banality, since every expert who has seen her play agrees that for style perfection no golfer in the world, male or female, has ever been her equal.

In 1932, the golfing Wethereds lost a fortune when Ivar Kreuger shot himself. Joyce Wethered went to work at Fortnum & Mason's, first advising customers about golf equipment and later, when she definitely gave up thought of remaining an amateur, selling clubs and giving demonstrations. Galleries who watch a player unique for the uncanny accuracy of her iron shots, which are the weak point in almost every other woman's game, are usually surprised, no matter how low Joyce Wethered's score is, because they expect it to be lower. Soberly Spinster Wethered, who holds the world's record for women (68, made last summer at Woodbridge, England), tried to explain what, for her, were mediocre scores last week: "The change from amateur to professional has affected my game in a way I really cannot describe. Perhaps it is a feeling of obligation to the public instead of the old idea of simply hitting the ball. ... I shall do better when I get acquainted with your greens. . . . The sand in these bunkers is heavier and coarser grained than the sort I am accustomed to at home. ... I fancy a heavier niblick might help. . . ."

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