The New York herald., 1921-10-22
MISS CECIL LEITCH
OYERWHELMS RIVAL
Defeats Mrs. II. Hucknall IL
and 10 i'm Belleclaire
Golf Final.
by KERR N. PErRIE.

When an opponent, a member OF the
gentler sex. can go out In a gale of
wind that makes the nearby woods roar
like the ocean and play an outgoing
stretch of links of 30T5 yards IN 80,
when after you hole a brilliant 4 on
the first of 40 yards. this golfer ex-
traordinary In skirts comes right back
with pair of brides on the second
and third holes of 800 and 275 yards re-
spectively, when she hits 'em a mile
into the teeth of the wind and with
1t drives EN- out of sight--well. what's
the use?
such probably were the thoughts surg
ing through the brain of little Mrs.
Thomas Hucknall of Forest Hill as
che stood in the breach for America
against England yesterday in the final
or the women's invitation golf tourna-
ment at Belleclaire. automatically nomi-
mated through her victory over Mrs.
w. A. Gavin to test her skill against
the might and power OF the SUPER
golfer, Miss Cecil Leitch of Carlisle
and Silloth. holder of championships
won all the way from the shores OF
the Mediterranean to the waving corn
fields OF Canada.
In the Tomens national champion
ship a, Hollywood and again in the
berthellyn cup tournament at Hunting
don Valley Miss Leitch was bowled
over before she had chance to settle
down, but this week at BeIleclaire she
has given such conclusive and cumula-
tive proof Of her greatness that Ameri-
ravieVTipu hn toc ca fc.t, a.,
the realm of the cleek and the baffy.
can only offer UP prayer of thank
fulness that the championship Is not
still on the calendar
With the wind blowing with sufficient
force to unsteady her at times as she
swung the club. Mrs. Hucknall was
powerless against the magnificent golf
of Miss Leitch. MS powerless MS one
would be In trying to stem the Binnie-
kill with. nibllck. Mrs. Hucknall did
win the first hole In the morning. but
Miss Leitch countered with such a
game that in the eighteen holes of play
the American representative won only
two altogether, the first and sixteenth.
while she lost no less than twelve. That
left her 10 down TO start the afternoon
round.
Mrs. Hucknall confessed to her friends
that she did not realize her position
until Miss Leitch holcd the second and
third in each. She had felt quite
courageous and hopeful. II not exactly
confident especially after she won the
first hole IN 4 with a curling putt OF
some dozen feet But after those 3s.
not to mention the terrific shots that
carried hills up one side Of which Mrs.
Hncknall could scarcely drive. hope fled
entirely and in Its place their reigned in
the breast of courageous little Mrs
Hucknall something akin to stage
fright. In the afternoon Mrs. Hucknall
did better and lost only one more hole
up to tho eighth. And that concluded
the holocaust, as Miss Leitch then had
the match by IL up and 10 to play.
DR.. Haight Loses Count.
If DIR. A. r. Haight had known just
how the contest was TO turn out he prob
ably would have hired some one &c
carry around comptometer. However
az the doctor carried nothing more dan.
gerous than megaphone and the sum.
rner radiance OF white flannel. while al
others were done up In greatcoats and
buffalo robes. he lost count. and, under
the impression that the first eighteen
holes had closed with Miss Leitch ur
only, kept back the handshaking for
malities until the finalists had halved
the ninth.
Some OF the distances made by Miss
Leitch on her drives yesterday will live,
particularly that tremendous smash of
$40 or $50 yards over the hill to the
3S5 yard sixth In the first round. Those
who feel that such tale iS Pigment
OF the imagination are at liberty to visit
the Bellcclaire course and survey tho
ground for themselves.
Away over the hill. beyond the spot
where the men usually drive in calm
weather. they will find a grassy basin.
certainly not more than fifty yards from
it's centre to the middle of the green.
In the middle of this basin they will find
n small depression about the size of a
sunken grave. A grave it well might be.
the grave of the vanity OF men. Even
Dick Haight. who holds the Belleclaire
record OF 6s. was sceptical when he
heard OF such a shot but there was
Peter Lees again with the spot all
marked. ready to show him the very
nick In the turf made by the British
girls mashie on the chip shot which
laid her rubber-core on the green.
It Is quite possible that even Miss
Leitch was startled when given the
measurements Of that drive, for on top
of II all she took three puts. This time
Mrs. Hucknall could not even hAlvc.
How hopeless her task must have ap-
peared as Miss Leitch unlimbered the
heavy artillery OF that stroke. In reply
Mrs. Hucknall topped. and topped, and
topped. and topped. not all of 1t at the
one hole. but sporadically right along
from this point to the ninth. where she
arrived down.
Reaches Tenth with Brassie.
And still Miss Leltch was lashing out
like Ted Ray. the sting Of the wind on
her cheeks reminding her of Turnberry
and Hoylake and Silloth and acting like
a tonic. On the tenth. ass yards. with
the wind behind. she was up on the
plateau green with brassie shot that
urel fo,. IN min lila yifla hulief Tho