The Washington herald., 1921-02-13

etc, who have outclassed the field.
Rut this terrific superiority above
all competition rarely invades the
feminine field.
Yet no masculine entries have
more clearly established their su-
periOr skill and ability than Miss
Stirling and Miss Leitch.
Miss Stirling has won the wOm-
ans championship Of the United
States three times running. No
woman golfer on this side Of the
water has been able to beat her in
a match or to reach the heights
that she has reached.
AS we recall the vital statistics,
she hasn't lost a tournament match
of any sort in three years, which
happens to be one of the most re-
markable records ever built up by
anybody at any sport. For she has
played in many tournaments against
the best in her field. Last year, to
extend her sway. she added the
Canadian championship to her
string, thereby becoming undisputed
champion of the continent of North
America with no South American
chsllengers.
nc AOh 1AASs
Miss Leitch holds about the same
supremacy above all British rivals.
She has won the British title time
and again and has been rarely
pressed in any match.
She has lost one or two minor
matches, but these defeats have
been extremely few and extremely
far between There is certainly no
one listed in her class among wom-
en- players on the other side of the
Atlantic
Miss Leitch has been the reigning
empress over her domain just as
Miss Stirling has been over here.
And now within the next two or
three weeks Miss Stirling is head
ing the American invasion to give
battle to her famous rival upon
British soil in May.
Much Argument.
There has been much and extended
argument from time to time as to
which OF these is the better golfer.
Those who have seen both play
are, in the main, still undecided.
They have seen Miss Leitch play
hard courses around rs or 79. They
recall that Miss Stirling had a rs in
the Canadian championship over the
6,500-yard course at Hamilton.
The general opinion seems to be
that Miss Leitch should be slightly
favored IL the match was played in
Great Britain, with Miss Stirling
~, al % - ha
But they all admit that II both
happen to be at their best it will be
too close TO a toss-up for anyone to
tell or for any prediction to stand.
Golf is a complex game to fore
cast at best.
One Advantage.
1t is generally admitted by all
who have seen both play that in the
actual playing of shots Miss Leitch
has no advantage over the American
star - in fact, that for thorough
soundness with every club in the
bag Miss Stirling is slightly su-
perior.
But Miss Leitch is of much more
husky build, a trihe harder hitter
and this advantage may tell upon
windy day.
Miss Leitch will weigh about 80
pounds more than her American
rival and will average about 10 to
Is yards longer of the tee. Per
haps not quite so much for a general
average, but Miss Leitch- with her
greater physical power. is undoubt-
edly a harder, longer hitter.
Miss Leitch will certainly have no
superiority in iron play. No woman
golfer ever lived who can WELD an
iron with greater dexterity than the
Atlanta girl, who has the firm crisp
ness that usually accompanies the
best professionals.
II will be a wonderful contest
when these two meet, II neither is
beaten in advance by some one trav-
cling at top speed. 1t will carry as
much general interest as q meeting
between any two masculine cham
pions from the rival nations, and
perhaps just tribe more, since
there are no two males who have
outclassed their respective fields by
any such distance.
II they were to play around one
of the larger American cities the
match would easily draw from 10000
to 1900 spectators. n will draw
that many or even more upon the
Scottish coast. .rrr=r