The New York herald., 1921-10-19
MISS LEITCH NEAR
BELLECLAIRE MARK
Finishes Round in 80, With
Three Puts on Each of
Last Two Greens.
REGAIN1NG TRUE FORM
Defeats Miss Louise Elkins of
Oakmont in Invitation
Tourney by 8 and z.
ny KERR N. rETRIr.

ny KERR N. PETRIu.
Those golfers who have been SUR
prised to note the almost overwhelming
measure OF success which has attended
the match play efforts Of the American
women players against Miss Cecil
I.eitch, the British champion. In the
national and Bertheliyn sup tournaments
tho last two weeks had their mystifica-
ton deepened yesterday by the wonder
full form exhibited by the English girl
in the first round OF the invitation tour
nanent at Belleclaire. 1t is quite evident
now that the climatic change from Eng
land to the United States has In recent
weeks adversely affected Miss Leitch's
game. She Is only now beginning to
touch her true form It would seem in so
far at least as 1t concerns consistent
play.
Miss Leitch in the qualifying round
went around Belleclaire In SO. Yester-
day she lowered this mark by two
strokes, but the marvel is not SO much
in the 80 as the fact that the total was
not two or three strokes less. Playing
against Miss Louise Elklns of Oakmont,
Pittsburgh, Miss Leitch was going so
we'll when she won the match by up
and z to play on the eleventh green that
she was induced to continue so as to try
for new woman's record for the course.
There Is a 70 standing to the credit OF
Mrs. w. A. Gavin. This Miss Leitch
should have beaten haSdily in this her
second over the course and that she did
not Is due entirely to the fact that she
took three puts on each OF the last TWO
greens.
Out in ss the British champion was
still only five over 4s when she drove on
against the wind for the uphill 525 yard
sixteenth. Where in the qualifying round
she was within chip shot on her second
so strong was the wind yesterday that
she required three woods to reach the
corner of the green. Close enough even
then to make well within the
bounds of probability Miss Leitch mis-
judged the strength Of the shot. No
sooner had the club head connected with
the ball than she saw her mistake. How
ever the damage then was irreparable.
The ball rolled eight or ten feet beyond
the cup and was the natural out
come.
Three Puts Each on Last Two.
Left now with two pairs, a and 3.
for her record card, Miss Leitch drove
within a short approach Of the 365 yard
seventeenth. laid her second within M
teen feet of the cup and then proceeded
70 take three puts from that distance
She had now a par to tie, but once
more she was short on her putting ana
three strokes on the home green left her
card at so.
Considering the round In its match
play aspect, there was not much of
contest after Miss Leitch had won the
first three holes. Miss Elkins played ex-
ceedingly well at times. but against such
player as Miss Leitch she was clearly
overburdened her tee shots being so
short in comparison that on many of the
holes she had lost the stroke that meant
the difference between a half and q loss
before she reached the green.
Miss Leltch gave some idea OF her
mower and accuracy with the driver on
the first hole against the wind while her
tee shot with the wind at her back for
the third was simply the acme of perfec-
tion. This hole is 275 yards in length
and the green is cut out of the hillside.
Had the ball been shot out of rifle 1t
could not well have been aimed more ac-
curately. for when the gallery trudged
up over the hill they were astonished to
find the sphere lay hole high. Miss Leitch
took three, puts on top of this magnin-
cent effort, but even then she had the
holo with stroke to spare.
These, however, were not Isolated In
stances Of Miss Leitch's prowess. for all
along the line she gave the gallery so
much to marvel at that Peter Lees was
Heard to exclaim that never In his life
lad he enjoyed two such days Of golf.
on the eighth, 4S0 yards. with the wind
behind. Miss Letch was hole high on
the green with drive and brasslc.
Her putt for 9 hung on the lip of tho
cup.
Gets Three ON Fifteenth.
The English girl was over the green
with a drive and iron on the 40 yard
thirteenth, but got har 4. She had made
a grand recovery for her 4 after topping
her tee shot for the 260 yard twelfth
into trap. but even this was surpassed
on the 2S5 yard fifteenth. when altar
driving into the bunkers In front of the
green she pitched on and holed a twen-
ty-five foot putt for her g. Her card:
out........... A44sSsz e-3s :.
Miss Leitch for tho sscond round this
morning comes into the bracket with
Mrs O. NJ. Heckscher of Pipiuu Rock