BABY OF THE PARTY.

Unless it be Miss Rose M. Guild – a tall, powerfully-built girl, 18 years of age, who plays all her golf at North Berwick, and is used to the buffetings that one experiences at this exposed Northern golfing resort – it is not easy to see who will prevent Miss Wickenden adding another championship to her list of triumphs. Miss Guild, who presented rather a striking appearance in a bright cerise jumper, a grey felt hat, and a dark blue serge skirt, had some difficulty in shaking off the baby of the party, Miss Barbara Strohmenger, aged 14, of Sunningdale, Miss Strohmenger seemed oblivious to the fact that Miss Guild towered majestically over her. Without the slightest fuss this little miss in short skirts and a canary-coloured jumper, and scorning the rain, totally ignored the terrific whacks and the thumps that Miss Guild imparted to the ball. Miss Strohmenger went sweetly on her way by keeping to the fairway, and avoiding the bathing-pools in the bunkers and the rough. She was audacious enough to be one up at the seventh. But the long carries at the eighth and ninth were too much for her. However, she stuck gamely to her opponent, and only lost on the sixteenth green by 3 and 2. After this small fright, Miss Guild made mincemeat of Miss Marjorie Levy, aged 17, of the London Country Club, an enthusiastic golfer, with the imitative art well developed. For example, having seen the Australian Joe Kirkwood putt, she has adopted his putting stance – the right leg stretched outwards, with the knee bent in towards the left. Miss Levy is an extraordinarily good putter, but the ability to hole putts is of little advantage when first of all you have to splash the ball through pools of water. She is also a plucky little golfer, for I saw her wade into the stream at the seventh to play her ball that had just failed to carry the precipitous bank. Against Miss Guild, who was in a devouring mood, Miss Levy was as clay in the potter’s hands; she lost by 8 and 7.

Perhaps the most interesting encounter of all was that between the two sisters, Nancy and Barbara Griffiths, of Sunningdale. Each had won her match in the first round. So the sisters, who seldom play together at their home course – because, as their father puts it, “they can’t” – met face to face. In some ways this clashing of interests was a pity, but the irregularities of the draw, which often plays strange tricks, cannot be overcome. This was a fight to the bitter end, although a perfectly friendly one. Miss Nancy, a trim little girl, with her hair down her back, and wearing a dark blue jumper, is a trifle too impetuous; she hardly gives herself time to think how any shot should be played. She just walks up to the ball and hits it. On the other hand, her sister, far more methodical, leaves nothing to chance. But Nancy only lost by a hole, after a desperate battle. As Barbara has an L.G.U. handicap of 9, this was an excellent performance on the part of the younger sister. Today Barbara meets Miss Guild, and Miss Wickenden engages Miss Katharine Nicholls, of Kidderminster, who is so keen that she dashes about the course hatless and umbrella-less.