LADY GOLFERS

Shannon News, 15 June 1926, Page 1

LADY GOLFERS

WHY THEY HAVE IMPROVED.

(By Harry Vardon, Six Times Open Champion).

The ladies golf championship is to be decided at Harlech in Wales on May 10th and following days. There is a splendid entry including Miss Glenna Collett, the United States champion, and Mile Simone de la Chaume, the French champion, and the chance of the title being taken abroad for the first time in perhaps greater than in any previous year. Unfortunately, Miss Joyce Wethered is not defending the honor. She is probably the best lady golfer that this or any other generation has produced. Leaving her out of the reckoning, it is an interesting question as to how the present standard of feminine ability on the links compares with that of former times. In his reminscences, Mr. Horace Hutchinson who was amateur champion thirty years ago, says:—“l am disposed to think that our best ladies of to-day are not greatly better, if at all, than Lady Margaret Scot at her best.' People who have followed the play in the ladies championship, year in and year out, since its early days, will find it difficult to agree with this view. Lady Margarot Scott was a fine golfer. In the first three competitions for the championship in 1893-4-5, all of which she won, she was a class by herself. And I daresay that she would have gon e on winning for some time afterwards if she had not been content with these successes.

Her long, easy graceful swing was far better than anything that had been seen in women’s play up to that time, veterans said that her. style was the fascimile of that of Sir Robert Hay, a stalwart of St. Andrews in the 'forties, who was renowned as the possessor of the most beautiful swing in golf at his time. To me, it seems that the character of, women’s golf has changed entirely during recent years. It has become more athletic and forceful, and therefore, batter. The standard of play has improved in far greater degree than among men—mainly Decause of the greater scope fOr improvement. In the old days, there was no lady golfer who hit the ball, with the power that Miss Cecil Leitch and Miss Wethered subsequently developed. ’ Importance of Dress. Lady Margaret Scott lacked neither the power nor the' skill which her successors have shown, but womens golf in her time was regarded front a standpoint which saw, and, indeed Insisted upon very definite limitations of the possibilities of the sex on the links. Nobody viewed it as a game id a lady should be hard-hit-ting or athletic. The very mode of dress—if the mere male may be critical on this point—precluded anything in the nature of really powerful shots.

In the minds eye one sees now the lady golfers of the nineties—wide skirts almost touching the ground, blouses drawn in at the waist to produce the wasp-like effect and broadbrimmed straw hats, the backs or which would have checked a club falling properly into position close the head at the top of the swing. Custom of the p.eriod prescribed this manner of dressing, ror outdoor life, and nobody thought of wearing special garments for golf. Lady Margaret Scott adopted the ways of other members of her sex, but how could any woman Jiave played the best golf possible to her in such circumstances ?

In point of fact, the length of the full shots 'came purely of a gentle, easy swing into which little real power could be imparted . The evolution began about 1900, and I think that Miss Rhona Adair (who sUDsequently became Mrs. Cuthell) inaugurated it. This splendid Irish player favoured a style of dress which if not quite so well adapted to the purpose as that since evolved was at least a great improvement on that which had prevailed hitherto . It allowed freedom of movement and the use of physical power . The length of Miss Adair’s shots when she won the championhip at Westward Ho in 1900 was an eye-opener. Hie Old Way.

Even she, however, was probably hardly so good as the best of tne modern players. Nor, I think, was her famous compatriot Miss May Hezlet (now Mrs. Ross), although Miss Hezlet secured three championships . She hit the ball harder than most of her predecessors had done, but if she were to pay the same sort of game to-day, her methods would be considered peacefully persuasive compared with those of such goirers as Miss Wethered and Miss Leitch.

Women golfers who have attended most of the championships consider that the standard of play has Improved enormously, and more than anything else, I believe, is the development due to changes of dress. The physical strength which some of the women golfers of to-day get into their shots is astonishing. When their best players meet strong men golfers, they are seldom more than fifteen yards behind the man in the full drives . The idea of the lady holding her own in the long game with a male champion would have

been laughed to scorn twenty years

ago. * Particularly does one observe' this, rising of power in feminine golf, when the leading players get into bunkers, long grass, or other places or retribution. At one time it was pathetic to see a lady in distress on the links. I have watched matches in which the two players—the pick of all the competitors—have suffered untold agonies in bunkers .they would bang and bang in the sand without ever banging hard enough to force the ball from the clutches of the hazard. Nowadays, the first-class lady golfer recovers from difficulties with the facility—born of the physical attributes — which used to be the proud privilege of man.