Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-17
MRS. VANDERBECK'S PHYSICIAN
FORBIDS PLAY IN NATIONAL;
HE KNOWS BEST, SHE SAYS
Woman Golf Champion
Decides Not to Defend
Title = Meehan-Mac-
Bean Feud
BY SANDY McNIBLICK

| MFRS CLARENCE II. VANDERBECK,
! 1Hl woman golf champion of the United
States will default her title at the next
| championship to be held in October at Bos-
| ton. Mrs. VanderbeclS announced today
| that she had fully made up her mind to
accept the advice of her physician not to
| play.
ut is a bitter disappointment" said the
| champion "to give up the title without
| even playing for il, but have decided that
| the national tournament would be too much
| of strain and that | would be foolish to
| jcopardize my health again
at first | thought ] would play in the
| Berthellyn Cup matches at Huntington
| Valley. which come two weeks before the
| national, to see what that tourney would do
| to me but now have decided not to enter
any tournaments this year and to wait
| till another year,
After my long rest this year might not
be able to keep my championship title,
but as 1 said before, 1t would be some
satisfaction to play for IT, at least. 1t
is n funny thing, but ! have been making
better scores this year than ever, and at
the same time | don't remember when l
have ever been unsteady. Steadiness has
usually been the best part of my game
But my not entering the national Is not
n question of how / am playing. 1t Is
a question of the strain 1t would be on
me- and that is what has decided me
definitely not to play"
This announcement will come as n great
blow to Philadelphia fans, who had hoped
to see Mrs. Vanderbeck retain her worthy
honors for some time.
on on Approaches
In her match yesterday with George G.
Klauder at the public course Mrs Wander
beck played n beautiful game on her long
shots through the fairway. She was
always hole high for par, but could not
get her puts down. The champion was
also n little off on her short approaches.
Her driving was fine and straight. but
with the exception Of two or three drives
the gallery did not feel that she was getting
as much power as she did last year.
But her sc was very fast considering
the rain and the heaviness of the course,
and she had Klauder all square on the
last green, which is feat in itself
The national champion thinks the public
course is very good and will play there
again shortly. She delighted the caddies by
presenting them with about 25 clubs and
two golf bags Mrs Nanderbeck said she
felt right at home on the course, for 1t
marked the spot where she used TO go
fishing as a little girl.
I'VE flshed for minnows," she said, "and
we always used to come here on our pcncs
when we were children. II was right over
there" she said, pointing to the creek in
front of the 14th green, that my little
brother cut his foot one day and we all
pitch shot on the green
Memories of black feudal days, when 1t
was the pretty custom for the limb of one
family tree TO squint along the blue barrel
of a shot gun and take pot shot from
the shelter of some bushes at the back of
the favored Of a rival family, are
being revived today
The MacBean family is cunning" for
the AIeehans. The sheriff OF the North
Hills Country Club has been assured that
nft ha hut
the absence of shot guns, blood lust and
few other things, the contentious of the
two families take on all the aspect OF a
regular feud,
one family wishes earnestly to wallop the
other
The weapons selected are golf sticks
at 6OOO yards over the North Hills at high
noon The preliminary articles are being
signed up today, practice shots taken, and
all looks rosy for merry battle
Strafe Talk Begins
II all started when ]. Franklin Meehan
issued a sweeping challenge through these
columns TO any family golf team in the
u s. A. 10 a match for the championship.
John p. MacBean, Jr., read the def.
What !" he shouted, and bore the
challenge forthwith to his parent. Inn
mediately a family pow-pow was held
Yesterday the phones were working, and
today representatives of the families are
gathered at North Hills to arrange the
last details
The original challenge stipulated husband,
wife and four children. But Meehan, Sr.,
cut this number TO three. since that Is the
number OF MacBean sons.
Meehan, Sr., should win from MaeBean
Sr, and Mrs. Meehan, a finished player
should also win from Mrs. MacBean, who
has not played much and has great trouble
with driving Meehan ST., has great con-
fdence in the match play OF his two boys,
Thomas and j. F. JF but they will have
10 show their most brilliant shots TO win
from Norman MacBean and ]. p Jr.
The last representative OF the MacBeans
Is Donald, 13 years old. who has been