The Washington times., 1922-12-24

.~.>~~>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>~~~~~~~~~~~s
fame, which, began reaching out
to the worlds golfing boundaries
seven years back, Bonnie Alexa
IL still on the sunny side OF
twenty-five. Yet In those brief
years Of hers, Mis Stirling was
for five years national champion
of America. She won sectional
titles and important tournaments
by the score, competed in Eng
land and France, and wherever
she went richly increased the
golfing fame Of our country.
She 10 q small girl, this Aexa,
slim but compactly built. and with
extraordinarily powerful wrists. Her
the habit of swapping her club at
the moment of impact, and follows
through we'll 1t II seldom that her
wood shots range under 200 yards.
and her iron shots are crisply
played, with none of the slovenliness
that 10 characteristic OF many WON.
en- In this department. OF play. Her
mashie pitches are unbeatable. and
she can putt a. well as any woman
In the whole Of golfdom.
In short. her game ID perfectly
well rounded, and ~ q bigger In.
gredient in her success-bigger even
than her perfect mastery of the clubs
lis her steady temperament.
SHE HAS TENACITY.
This brown-eyed girl. with the firm.
well-modeled chin has the solid
Scotch habit of tenacity. It was this
tcnacity that kept her practicing
continually when q little girl. 1t was
the characteristic that carried her
through scores and scores Of bitterly
contested championship tits. She
has q charming personality; n pleas
ant and unspoiled by success, but
II 10 more than q mAnsixed Job to
turn her from the course she has
chosen to pursue.
The lordly number Of clubs that
Alsxa carried surprised the English
when she invaded their shores. There
were no fewer than fifteen In her
bag. and she appeared to use them
all. They were not for decorative
but utilitarian purposes.
Though II 10 a. a golfer that Alsxa
Stirling has won her greatest need
Of fame, she has also ssissd . share
az violinist OF extraordinary charm
and splendid technique. And hav.
ing well-grounded Scotch indspsnd-
ence as we'll a. tenacity. she went
into the bond business In Nsw York
and made . success OF that.
Though Alexa has temporarily re-
linQuished her crown--the crown
49, t. ~ -. ~.
0lenna Collett-she still ranks a.
one OF the finest women. golfers in
the world. It would not b surprising
II in some future tournament she
should again resume the srmins that
she wore 20 long and - gracefully.
HER Hardest MATCH.
my hardest matoh." said Miss
stirlins. ''or. perhaps. I should say
the one that took most TO heart.
was my defeat By Marion Hollins at
Hollywood in 1881. 1t cost me the
championship. and probably I felt It
more keenly by reason Of it, unex-
pectedness.
Cecil Leitch was looked upon as
the one woman most likely to beat
me. She had done It in England
and she and Mrs. Latham Hall, an
other Engiishwoman. were. sup
posed, my most dangerous oppo.
nents. When Miss Leitch was elm.
mated by Mrs. Let's. Of Chicago,
and Mrs. Hall was also beaten It
looked az though had . fairly clear
field to the title
Miss HoIlins. by superb golf. had
fought her way to the final round,
and we met in . thirty-six-hole
match. Her terrific wooden shots
and the power Of her irons were
never better. She had four down
at the end Of the first eighteen,
and We played the Afternoon round
under q driving. slashing rain.
started well, winning three out Of
the first four holes, but somehow or
other I couldn't hold the pacs.
IT did my best and ! failed. but Il
10 . hard sight 70 50 champion
ship siippinS away from you and
be unable to grasp Il hack"