The New York herald., 1921-05-10
SEE MISS STIRLING
AS GOLF CHAMPION
Several British Critics Pick
American Girl to Win at
Turnberry.
BY KERR N. PETRIE.

About this time. as the report comes
In that the team OF American amateurs
has arrived in the vicinity of Hoylalxe.
the fancy of the lnksman once again
turns. and by no means lightly. to the
courses of Great Britain. In day or
SO reports will be arriving of what our
hcpefuls are doing In practice, and per-
haps in O tournament here and there,
but until that time 1t will suffice to keep
the searchlight focused on that distant
sturdy little figure of the American
woman champion, Miss Alexa Stirling,
who, as would appear. already has
found warm place in British hearts.
But while the personality of the At
lanta girl has endeared her to golfers
both OF her own and Of the sterner
sex. It is more interesting still to learn
that those cold materialists who have
gone forth to weigh her In the balance
OF golf pure and simple and who have
given no thought to personality, or at
least have made no note of their inn
presstons In this respect, have given to
the world some pertinent facts calcu-
lated to make all and sundry take no
tice In brief. Miss Alexa Stirling.
holder since 1916 of the women's ma
tional golf championship of the United
States. has made a decided impression
on the critics abroad by the uniform
and consistent accuracy Of her game"
Harold H. Hilton had not seen the
American title holder In action up to
the end Of April nevertheless he admits
that he has come across many good
judges who have expressed the opinion
that It Is very likely that the champion
ship at Turnberry will fall to the Amer
1can girl. In saying this these judges
recognize that Miss Stirling cannot live
wvxtk ~ Y Ill k.~f. l. -
power. nevertheless their Judgment has
been formed on two very important fac
tors In championship golf-"the accu-
racy of the Americans approaching and
her imperturbable demeanor."
Had Not Seen American.
Hilton says that personally he lives In
the belief that Miss Leitch will succeed
in winning her third consecutive British
championship, as he cannot get away
from the advantage she holds in respect
Of her consistent powerful long drive.
1t has to be borne in mind. of course,
that Hilton when he gave his opinion
had not seen Miss Stirling swing club.
1t is just possible that the advantage
which the English girl gets on the drive
is more fancied than real. and that II II
should transpire that between the two
there is a difference of a few yards only
his opinion will change.
However, driving is not everything.
Quite possibly that approaching ac-
curacy and imperturbable demeanor
may turn the scales against the long
shot from the tee. In this connection
the words of Miss f. L. Helme on the
play Of the respective champions in the
tournament at Burhill are of weight.
or Miss Leitch this authority, herself
al Az
Miss Cecil Leitch's so!s was as inn
pressive as ever so far as driving went,
but in the morning she could not find the
green's with her second and was not
putting we'll enough to make up for that
fact" And this of the American Miss
Stirling played beautifully steady. ac-
curate golf and never looked like doing
anything else or taking more than she
| did. In fact, little more luck with
puts. half a dozen of which tipped the
hole. and her morning 81 would have
been 75. Her afternoon effort was
! even better. but she had two disasters
| which cost her six between them"
! After the Ranelagh meeting, the first
tourney for Miss Stirling IN England
Miss Hclme wrote: "A truly historic
week OF golf has left US "till a little
weary, almost bcwildered ana full OF
admiration And in the middle of Ter
long catalogue of outstanding happen
| ings she has this: Miss Alexa Stirling
/ threatening to win everything and cniy
| lust failing by the narrowest OF mar
gins"
Miss Helme at Ranelagh tied at 145
with Miss Stirling. so praise from
her Is praise indeed. She had the same
total as the American. 73 ana 72. OF
the first round at Ranelagh, the English
woman writes entertaininr.y ~ follows