The New York herald., 1921-10-08

Mrs. Clarence II. vanderbeck, PIN. |
] adelphia Cricket, I mp.
Special Despatch to THE New YosK HERALD
= DEAL, N. j., Oct. From the battle
:, smoke Of hectic week. through the
5 darkest and most oppressive pail OF
doubt and dread that ever overhung the
field of women's national golf cham
pionship in this country, two Of Ameri-
> cas- best and most powerful players in
Miss Alexa Stirling Of Atlanta and Miss
Marion Hollins Of Westbrook, L. l.. to-
day merged with colors still proudly
flying. free and ready to meet to-
morrow in the thirty-six hole final over
the Hollywood links for the biggest
honor that golf offers to their sex.
Miss Stirling. the title holder since
1915, drove through to her. fourth con-
secutive final by defeating her great
rival, Mrs. Clarence II. Vanderbcck Of
the Philadelphia Cricket Club by the
margin of a single hole. Miss Hollins
had an even harder contest. for she did
not qualify for the bracket against Miss
Elaine Rosenthal Of Ravisloe Chicago
until she had laid her putt dead for
on the nineteenth green. BY that time
the splendid little golfer who year or
two ago held the Western championship
title was ready to extend her hand, to
smile and to wish the Long Island girl
the best of luck In the final.
Miss Rosenthal on that extra hole
was clearly outplayed. She had been
able to come from behind even when her
powerful opponent had gone off to fly
ing start with q pair of winning fours
for the first two holes. had fought back
bravely, had measured drive for drive
approach for approach and putt for putt
all the way around the eighteen holes
But on that nineteenth she was caught
with her game in a temporary slump.
It was do or die then. Along the
course the losing Of hole generally
had steeled the nerve, but on that nine
teenth failure meant success or failure.
triumph or elimination, the difference
between the bronze medal of a semi
fnalist and the silver medal of the rum
ner-up or perhaps the gold emblem which
Is bestowed by the United Golf Associa-
ton upon the winner of the champion
ship.
Match Is All Square.
with the match all square, both had
played the last hole under high tension.
Shorter on the drive, almost hopelessly
short, Miss Rosenthal had found a gleam
of hore In the fact that her opponent
was In the rough. She might have car
ried the yawning chasm OF bunker
which guards that eighteenth green at
Hollywood, but prudence had whispered
TO her to play short and that even
successful brassie shot would not gain
much distance. so Miss Rosenthal
played short and laid her ball on the
carpet of perfect turf in front OF that
bunker, trusting that with her next size
would be able to get close enough to hole
out in one putt or ut worst in two.
Miss Hollins saw the chance thus Of
fered to her by the strategy of Miss
Rosenthal. On the 800 yard eighteenth
she invariably uses an iron for her Sec
ond. Against Miss Rosenthal she had
the added problem of bad lie. but
despite this break she was satisfied that
her trusty iron would still see her
through. Instead Of reaching the green,
however, Miss Hollins found the sand.
Fortunately that guarding bunker is a
spacious sand waste
Miss Holins had the worst of 1t un.
doubtedly even If she was closer to the
cup than her opponent, but she came out
OF the mess In fine style and halved with
Miss RoSenthal. who had been applauded
for the fno approach shot which she sent
up to within less than a dozen feet of
the pin and hole high.
Less than a yard short on her fourth,
Miss HoHns holed out and then con-
ceded putt of almost two feet to
her opponent. To the gallery this was
considered very sportsmanlike ac-
tion. inasmuch az Miss RosenthaI had
failed on exactly the same sort Of putt
at this identical spot tho previous day
in her match with Miss Edith I,eitch.
And so all the play OF these eighteen
holes had In manner of speaking.
gone for nothing. The match now
hinged on the extra hole.
From the first tee Miss. Hoilins bit
perhaps the best shot that she had had
on that particular part OF the course
all week There was Just enough hook
to the shot to make the ball travel
down the side OF the course which
brings the player closest to the pin
This first Is said TO be Miss Hollins's
favorite hole on the Hollywood course.
The Long Island sportswoman certainly
appeared to be in her element The
distance is 400 yards. and after the tee
shot Miss Hollns was left with an iron
stroke to the green.
How different was Il with Miss Rosen.
thai. Beginning by slicing. the Chicago
Eirl lost distance through having the
stiff cross wind emphasize the slice.
Looking toward the pin. Miss Rosen-
thai saw confronting her still two good
long shots. On this twisting hole the
slice had added the width OF the fair
way to the distance to be traversed
For her second Miss Rosenthal used
brassie. and although she hit a good
shot, she still was short of the bunker
that slashes the falrway.
Hits Into tho Rough.
Using wood again. Miss Rosenthal
cent her rubber core over thu green.
Miss Hollins meanwhile having played
her second n trifle short of the putting
territory. BY this time II was quito
clear that Miss Roscnthai would have
TO mako q shot or superlative quality
fer her third to give her any chance
with her opponent Instead of laying
the ball anywhere near tho cup how
ever, tho Chicago girl hit II back over
tho green into the rough. She had now
played four. whereas on her third Miss
Hollins was within six feet of the cup.
The situation for Miss Rosenthal was
hopeless. Playing two more she was
still Far from the mark. and when she
saw Miss IIollins lay the ball along
side Of the cup the Chicago girl gave up.