Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-18

conferred on Washington this week, when
thirty-fve of the best woman players in
the United States will meet on the beau
tiful course of the Chevy Chase Club in
a struggle for the national championship.
While the number of aspirants for the
title which is now held by Miss Margaret
Curtis of the Essex Country Club of
Brookline. Mass, is slightly smaller than
usual, the class is much higher, and any
one who imagines that the standard of
play will he low is bound to be very great
ly deceived.
From present appearances 1t looks as
though Miss Curtis will be able to sue
cessfully defend her title, which she won
last year over the course of the Mid
lothian Country Club. At that time Miss
Curtis was practically newcomer in the
golfing world. and few of the experts
counted on ner to win when the tourna
ment opened. Then when she got into
the finals and was obliged to play her own
sister. Miss Harriet Curtis. for the title
it was predicted that the latter. who had
won the championship the previous year,
would have no difficulty in defending it.
But golf championships, like base ball
games, are very capricious things, and
when Miss Margaret defeated her sister
up and to play the experts were con-
founded. 1t is. therefore. only natural
that the experts should look for another
upset this time. But the phesent cham
pion has been playing very consistent
game this year, and it will certainly take
some sterling golf to defeat her.
Winner Of Presidents Cup.
Miss Curtis latest achievement was to
win the Presidents cup in the special
championship tournament over the course
of the Huntingdon Valley Country Cluo
of Philadelphia the past week. In this
tournament her strongest opponent proved
to be Miss Mollie Adams of Boston. but
by playing sterling golf Miss Curtis sue
ceeded in winning It, Miss Adams is one
of the entrants for the tournament at
Washington and hopes to have better
success If she Is fortunate enough to get
into the finals with Miss Curtis.
In order to win Miss Curtis must -.s-
pose of at least two former champions.
These are Miss Frances Grtscom OF the
Merton tPa.) Club, who won several years
ago, and has always been a factor in
big tournaments, and Miss Georgianna
Bishop, a New England player of rare
merit. Both of the players have been
doing good work all summer and expect
to be we'll up at the finish.
Battle Between East and West.
AS was the case last year, there will be
a fight between the east and the west.
The east has won the most champion
ships, but there are several classy players
entered from the western clubs. and they
will not be disposed of without a struggle.
Besides Miss Griscom. Philadelphia pre-
sents two other players who are likely to
make trouble These are Mrs Ronald
II. Barlow and Mrs. Caleb Fox, and both
f>1a ,ICx iSYh q
golf. Mrs. Barlow. In particular, has
been playing very consistently this sum-
mer and may spring surprise
Chevy Chase's beautiful golf course
had a somewhat dissipated look, If such
a term can be used, yesterday afternoon
on account of the continued dry spell
and warm sun. Heretofore as far as the
eye could reach the course presented
nothing but the velvety. dark green, SO
restful to the eye. but yesterday there
were great patches of dirty yellow here
and there where the grass had been
shriveled up by the sun. But the drought
has not hurt the course in the least for
playing, and Professional Douglas said
last evening that the course was never
in better shape for fast and accurate
play. The fair greens have been gone
over so often during the past week that
they are at present as level and as true
as a billiard table Water has been car
ried to the different greens In large
tanks and distributed in buckets. and in
this way the grass has been saved. 1t
was impossible to cover the entire
course. hence the large patches Of yell
low on the landscape.
Course Crowded With Players.
From an early hour yesterday until
it was almost too dark to play last even
ing the course was crowded with play
ers Of both sexes. Saturday is a great
day always for the home players to take
an outing, and with the large influx of
visitors there was not a time when at
least two seperate couples and some
times quartets were either putting or
driving off at the same time. glance
from fhe clubhouse out over the course