The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11

Misses Orr should he winner and runner
| up was taken as proof positive that the real
skill in golf lay beyond the Tweed. and
that the Scotch girls did not win more often
! was because they did not often so to the
| tournaments.
This fruitful theme OF discussion weakened
| with the first Of the Irish conquests. that
Of Miss May Hezlet in 1890. and vanished
forever the next year when the Scotch
players came in strength to Westward Ho
and Miss Rhona Adair won, with another
Irish player as runner up. To clinch the
present supremacy of the Irish girls further,
J Miss May Glover. who won the champion
ship Of the newly organized Scottish Ladies'
Golf Union this year. was beaten by up
and to play by Miss Rhona Adair. at the
recent opening of the Barnehurst Golf
Club in Kent, England.
The two leaders OF womens golf in Ire
land are the best of friends, and in the
| medal play competition on the day pre-
ceding the last championship of the Ladies'
| Union. after tieing with her for the prize
Miss Rhona Adair reinquished her claim
! to Miss May Hezlet.
Il began playing golf when about ten
years old at Portrush," said Miss Adair
at Merton. 1T has since been my best
loved recreation. Use light clubs. some
what short in the shaft, and ] prefer the
| rubber cored ball.
"The Merton course, the only one have
played on here, like very much, although
| It lacks the width and distances of those
abroad, while the hazards are also very
different.
"The players here are far beyond what
I had expected in their skill, from what
had been told and many, particularly
Mrs. Stout, are as good as our best.
| "The country is charming, but not the
weather as yet; and the American and
| Canadian women have been most kind and
delightful. After my matches they have
cheered me as heartily as though l was
| native born"
Tho Merton links will not find many
| supporters about the Metropolitan Golf
; Association clubs, and to this extent Miss
Adair's views will not be Endorsed. The
! round is of 5,907 yards, but many OF the
holes are tricky ones.
| The match between the M. G.. A. and
All Philadelphia teams was played there
last spring, when the home players won
| anu TlUuldJ bOuSidS Vac bVuNt'ii III II ii'Sp
decisive way by w. p. Smith. This is
why our local players will not agree with
| Miss Adair's views.
A charm of the game Of the visiting
champion is in her easy and confident way
of playing every stroke No matter how
puzzling the lie or the distance to be meas
! ured to the green, Miss Rhona takes out
the right club from the bag.
| She does not have to be told by caddie
what to do or where to play the ball This
decisive manner in play was marked in
| the members Of the Oxford and Cam
bridge Golfing Society's team, and it is due
to lifelong knowledge Of the links and
| the game. In Boston it was said that
! the action was subconscious, the influence
of past generations Of golfers; but this may
not be said of Miss Rhona, for golf is as new
| in Ireland as in this country.
On the tee Miss Adair has a full and
| graceful swing, her iron shots are made
with snap, and bit Of turf follows the
| ball, while in putting she Is quick and ac-
curate. On the putting greens the cham
, pion does not waste any time in looking
from the ball to the hole. but, like the best
putters abroad, she studies the turf with
| care from back of the hole. and, having
made up her mind, takes her stance and
sends the ball along without further hest
| taton.
In appearance there is nothing Of the
colleen about the visitor. She is Sctoch,
rather, in her style. She is slight in ply
sique, but all curves, with deep auburn
hair, blue eyes and clear pink and white
| complexion. At the same time, while
| Vardon in petticoats, Miss Rhona Adair
| is a girls girl, and utterly lacking in the
airs that sometimes give to great opponents
Of the game the reputation of playing
for the gallery This makes her great
favorite and is one reason for the chorus
of the Merton players the other day:
Who goes our links with ease7
Rhona. Rhona Adair!
Who makes the holes in threes!
Rhona. Rhona Adair!
There were several verses in the parody,
and the guests of Mrs. Griscom sang it with
glee