Joyce Wethered – From Piccadilly to Pebble Beach

Thousands of articles and column inches have been written and continue to be written about Joyce Wethered, almost exclusively concentrating on her championship years (1920-1929).

This article, Joyce Wethered – From Piccadilly to Pebble Beach, complements the journalistic critical mass by primarily focusing on her post-championship years (1930-1935), particularly her unprecedented tour of North America, during which she cemented her standing as the greatest woman golfer in the world.

I hope you enjoy reading Joyce Wethered’s extraordinary golfing story as it unfolds …

Great Triumfeminate

The opening chapter is an abridged commentary about the Roaring Twenties from a golfing perspective, intended for Golfing Herald readers who may not be familiar with Joyce Wethered’s championship years.

In my opinion, the Great Triumfeminate of women’s amateur golf refers to Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and Cecil Leitch, not only in the 1920s but in any decade or generation … I await comments on this opinion!

Cecil Leitch was the undisputed champion golfer on either side of the First World War. At the start of the 1920 season, she was the defending English Women’s and Women’s Amateur Champion. Joyce Wethered was an unknown 18-year-old who had never dined at the high table of championship golf.

To the surprise of many, Joyce reached the final of the 1920 English Women’s Championship and was up against the hot favourite … Cecil Leitch. The defending champion raced to a 4-hole advantage after 9 holes of the 36-hole final … but from that point, Joyce Wethered started to demonstrate traits that effectively defined her career on the golf links … a never-say-die attitude and incomparable concentration. Over the next round and a half, Joyce gradually chipped away at the deficit, eventually winning 2&1.

To prove this success was no flash in the pan, Joyce Wethered was crowned English Women’s Champion in 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924 … a phenomenal record, winning 33 matches out of 33!

In 1921, Joyce Wethered contested her first Women’s Amateur Championship (previously known as the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship), where she met none other than defending champion Cecil Leitch in the final. This time, though, Joyce was no match for her more experienced rival, who eventually won the (36-hole) final 4&3 … as it transpired, after 1921, Cecil Leitch never again defeated Joyce Wethered. Twelve months later, the tables were turned, and Joyce Wethered emphatically defeated the 3-time champion 9&7. Surprisingly, Joyce Wethered was a losing semi-finalist in 1923, though normal service resumed in 1924 when she won her second Women’s Amateur Championship.

Glenna Collett was the preeminent American woman golfer of the 1920s and the early 1930s. Aged 19, she won the 1922 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. One of her ambitions was to be the first American to win the Women’s Amateur Championship. In 1925, she reached the 3rd round, where she came up against Joyce Wethered. Despite being only 1 over par after 15 holes, Glenna Collett lost 4&3, as Joyce Wethered was an incredible 5 under par! Later that year, Glenna Collett won her second U.S. Women’s Amateur.

The final was another ‘Clash of the Titans’, Joyce Wethered vs. Cecil Leitch, with Joyce winning a titanic contest at the 37th. Shortly afterwards, Joyce Wethered announced her shock retirement at the age of 23. Possibly tongue in cheek, she explained the reason why …

“I have simply exercised a woman’s prerogative of doing something without the slightest regard for what anybody else thinks and because I want to please myself.”

Cecil Leith took full advantage of Joyce Wethered’s retirement, becoming the first four-time Women’s Amateur Champion. Across the Atlantic, Glenna Collett won her third U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in 1928.

The 1929 Women’s Amateur Championship, played at St Andrews Links, attracted a quality field, including Glenna Collett and … Joyce Wethered, who was arrestingly tempted out of retirement by the thought of winning this championship at the Home of Golf. As if written in the golfing stars, Glenna and Joyce met in the 36-hole final. Played in front of a vast gallery, Glenna marched to a 5up lead after 9 but was pegged back to only 2up after the first 18, and then … Joyce won 7 of the next 9 holes to eventually win an epic duel 3&1, to become a 4-time champion and to be crowned by golf journalists as the greatest woman golfer in the world.

Almost immediately, the enigmatic Joyce Wethered retired from (major) championship golf for the second and final time. Glenna Collett went on to win her fourth and fifth U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships in 1929 and 1930, respectively, though her dream of becoming the first American to win the British equivalent was never realised … that honour eventually fell to Babe Zaharias in 1947.

Divided Loyalty!

Away from the pressures and expectations of championship golf, Joyce could devote the early months of 1930 to attending golf tournaments, particularly watching her elder brother Roger’s exploits.

Roger Wethered was one of the best-ever British amateur golfers. At the 1922 Open Championship, he finished T1 with Jock Hutchinson after shooting rounds of 78-75-72-71 for a total of 296. Unfortunately, he lost the 36-hole playoff … if he had won, he would have been the last amateur to have won The Open! The following year, he won the Amateur Championship and, in 1928, was the losing finalist in this Championship. Rather surprisingly, he was not selected for that year’s Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup Team.

However, for the 1930 Walker Cup, Roger Wethered was selected as the (playing) captain of the Great Britain & Ireland team, with Bobby Jones as the (playing) captain for the visiting United States team. Bobby Jones is the most successful amateur golfer in golf history and was Joyce Wethered’s golfing hero! Hypothetically, who would win out for her loyalty … brotherly love or golfing hero?

In the match, Roger Wethered and Bobby Jones won their respective foursomes and were drawn to play one another in the 36-hole singles, which Bobby Jones won 9&8. The United States emphatically retained the Walker Cup by 10 matches to 2.

Historic Year

Most of the United States team, including Bobby Jones, entered that year’s Amateur Championship at St Andrews, which was played a week or so after the Walker Cup. On the eve of the championship, a friendly fourball match was arranged to be played over 18 holes at the Home of Golf, namely …

Roger Wethered and T. A. Bourn (English Amateur Champion) vs Bobby Jones and Joyce Wethered

A large gallery gathered to watch the greatest (man and woman) golfers in the world playing as a team. The match was played on level terms from the men’s tees, using the American points system, which considers the best and worst-scoring balls. For the record, Jones and Wethered won by 5 points, but the real interest was in how Joyce Wethered would fare playing on equal terms against the men from the back tees.

Playing with her golfing hero inspired Joyce rather than hindered her, as her score for the outward nine testified … 444 454 434 = 36. Bobby Jones and T. A. Bourn posted 37, and Roger Wethered matched his sister’s score with a 36.

For most of the inward nine, it looked as if Joyce Wethered would return the lowest score, but probably due to a lack of competitive golf, she 3-putted on the 17th and 18th. Her back nine read 434 454 565 = 40, for a round of 76. Bobby Jones and T. A. Bourn pipped her by a single shot, whilst Roger Wethered struggled on the way home to finish with an 80.

All things being considered, it was an incredible round of golf by Joyce Wethered. After the match, Bobby Jones was reported as saying …

“I have not played golf with anyone, man or woman, amateur or professional, who made me feel so utterly outclassed.”

Bobby Jones went on to win the 1930 Amateur Championship, defeating Roger Wethered 7&6 in the final, followed by winning The Open Championship (in June), the U.S. Open (in July), and the U.S. Amateur (in September), thus becoming the only golfer to win the pre-Masters Grand Slam or all four major championships in the same calendar year!

International Matches

In the men’s game, the Walker Cup (for amateurs) was well established by 1930, and the Ryder Cup (for professionals) had started a few years earlier, in 1927.

In that year, an unofficial match was played at Sunningdale between Britain and a visiting team from the United States. Joyce Wethered declined the offer of being the playing captain of the British team as she was not enamoured with the concept of International Matches for women golfers between Britain and, say, the United States, believing that winning would become more important than playing.

The following year, France hosted an official match against Great Britain & Ireland. This time, albeit reluctantly, Joyce Wethered accepted the role of captain. After winning her foursomes match, Joyce played in the #1 singles match against Simone Thion de la Chaume, the first overseas golfer to win the Women’s Amateur Championship. Joyce ran out a comfortable winner 5&4.

(Trivia #1: Simone Thion de la Chaume married the famous French Tennis player René Lacoste, whose nickname was ‘The Crocodile’. Together, they established the Lacoste sportswear empire, which was made famous by the crocodile logo. Their daughter, Catherine Lacoste, won the 1967 U.S. Women’s Open, the only amateur ever to win this major championship!)

The inaugural Curtis Cup match between Great Britain & Ireland and the United States was played at Wentworth Golf Club on 21st May 1932, and Joyce Wethered accepted the role of playing captain for the home team. In the morning, Joyce Wethered and Wanda Morgan lost 1 down in the top foursomes match against Opal Hill and Glenna Collett-Vare, who was now married to Edwin H. Vare Jr. In the afternoon, Joyce and Glenna renewed their rivalry in the top singles match, which Joyce convincingly won 6&4. This was the third and final time that the best two women players met in a singles match, but as you will read (later in this article), their golfing paths would cross several times three years later.

Golf Advisor

Joyce Wethered was born into a wealthy family of independent means. Her father, Herbert Newton Wethered, was a prolific non-fiction author who inherited substantially from his father’s business interests, such as coal mining.

Following the Wall Street Crash, the value of the Wethered family’s various stock market investments started to fall alarmingly. Not long after the Curtis Cup match, Joyce realised that her family could no longer support her life as an amateur golfer, so she started searching for paid employment.

This search ended successfully at the world-famous department store Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly, London, when she was appointed as the store’s Golf Advisor, starting February 20th 1933, on a salary of £600 per annum.

(Trivia #2: William Fortnum was a footman serving Her Majesty Queen Anne. One of his daily duties was to place new candles in the Buckingham Palace candelabras. He then sold, for a healthy profit, the partially burnt candles. Hugh Mason had a small shop, and William Fortnum rented the spare room in his house. When William Fortnum retired, he used what remained of the ‘candle wax profit’ to become a business partner of Hugh Mason, and they opened a grocery store in 1707 … and the rest is history!)

Hold the Front Page

Several British newspapers published an unauthorised account of Joyce Wethered’s appointment at Fortnum & Mason as their lead article.

To address the speculation surrounding her appointment, the Chairman (Colonel Wyld) released a statement to confirm that …

“Miss Wethered’s engagement, which begins on February 20th, will be purely advisory, and she will not demonstrate or teach in any way whatsoever.”

Director Mr W. Thornton-Smith further added that …

“Joyce will be present every day during the usual opening hours to advise on the selection of golf clubs and the clothes to wear. She will also have a private office to discuss golfing matters with customers.”

The one question they struggled to answer was whether this paid position would impact Joyce’s amateur status. At the time, the Royal & Ancient rule governing a woman’s amateur status stated that …

An amateur golfer is one who, after attaining the age of sixteen, has not, because of her skill as a golfer, received a salary or remuneration, either directly or indirectly, from any firm dealing in goods relating to the playing of the game after December 31st, 1932.

Interviewed by the press on her first day at work, Joyce was unequivocal about possibly losing her amateur status, saying …

“I want it clearly understood that I am not demonstrating or teaching. I am here only to advise. In any case, I have decided, and nothing will alter my decision, that now I have gone into business, I have given up competitive golf for good. Any question of amateur status only arises if I enter competitive golf, and as I have irrevocably decided not to, the question can never arise.”

Amateur Status

Joyce thoroughly enjoyed her newfound freedom and position at Fortnum & Mason, and she found this period of her life extremely liberating. In late spring of 1933, she signed a royalties-based contract for golf clubs, designed by her and branded with her name, to be marketed globally (apart from the United States) by Kinghorne’s and sold in the Fortnum & Mason department store. A few months later, with the full support of the Fortnum & Mason Board, she signed a deal with Walter Hagen’s publicist for her branded golf clubs to be sold in the United States.

Much later than expected, the Ladies Golf Union contacted the Royal & Ancient for ratification of Joyce Wethered’s amateur status. It was no surprise that the decision was that she would not be considered an amateur golfer on or after 5th March 1934.

Twenty years later, Joyce received notification, without any explanation, that her amateur status had been reinstated. For the record, Joyce never requested to be reinstated!

Synchronicity

Over the years, Bobby Jones, Glenna Collet-Vare, and other golfing legends encouraged Joyce to tour the United States and play some (exhibition) matches. At the height of her amateur career, this idea was not a flyer. After retiring, Joyce thought her golfing form had dipped and thus continued to resist the concept of an American tour.

But then, in March 1935 …. Joyce Wethered, in partnership with (the famous golf course architect) John Stanton Fleming Morrison, won the historic Sunningdale Foursomes. While Joyce was, in her mind, regaining form, the Fortnum & Mason Board received a written proposal from Alex Findlay, the golfing missionary (as he was sometimes referred to in the press), who was attached to the John Wanamaker Store in Philadelphia. The proposal was for Joyce to play several exhibition matches in the United States with a who’s who of American golf … professionals, amateurs, men, and women.

It was an offer that Joyce Wethered could not refuse, and with the blessing of Fortnum & Mason, which agreed to pay her salary while she was away on tour, she accepted. A couple of days before the opening match of the tour, Joyce confirmed that she had no intention of playing professional golf in England once the tour was over and instead would resume her role as Golf Advisor at the Fortnum & Mason store.

Itinerary and Remuneration

The original itinerary was for the tour to commence at the end of May 1935, last about 9 to 10 weeks, and comprise 20 exhibition matches. However, the itinerary continued to change due to the publicity in advance of and throughout the tour, and accommodating as many golfing fans as possible who wished to watch the great Joyce Wethered.

For example, a unique head-to-head match was organised at very short notice (more on this later), a California swing was assimilated, resulting in 8 extra matches, and several more matches were played in the Canadian Provinces!

In the end, the tour started on 30th May 1935 in Long Island and ended on 15th September 1935 in Montreal. It involved over 50 matches plus a handful of friendlies, played in twelve American States and three Canadian Provinces! However, this article only features a selection of those matches.

Newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic widely reported that Joyce Wethered would receive $200 per match (equivalent to £40, as the exchange rate in 1935 was circa. 5 to 1), plus 40% of the profits from gate receipts, though spectators were only to be charged a nominal entry fee. Not so widely reported was that just before the opening match, Mr George Hinston, a representative of the John Wanamaker store, was quoted as saying …

“Miss Wethered’s remuneration has been revised. She will now receive the equivalent of £60 for each match ($300), with the privilege of taking 50% of the gross gate receipts. This is the highest offer ever made to any visiting golfer.”

Mission Impossible

As part of her final preparations for the tour, Joyce was invited to play in the annual Women vs Men match at Stoke Park in Stoke Poges. After winning her foursomes match, she played in the top singles against Jack McLean, the Scottish Amateur Champion who played in the 1934 and 1936 Walker Cups.

The match was played from the men’s tees, and Joyce, like all the other women, received 9 strokes … mission impossible for Jack! When the contest ended on the 14th, both players were 1 under fours … and that was before deducting the strokes Joyce received!

Afterwards, a rueful Jack McLean said …

“In my opinion, no amateur golfer can give Miss Wethered anything in a match.”

(Trivia #3: Stoke Park was used as the location for the golf match in the James Bond film Goldfinger!)

Southampton to New York

Preparation complete, Joyce Wethered sailed for the United States on the Norddeutscher Lloyd Line SS Bremen, departing from Southampton on 22nd May and via Cherbourg, arriving in New York on 27th May. She travelled first class, listing her occupation as a professional golfer on the manifest.

After completing the usual landing formalities, Joyce Wethered was transported to City Hall, where Fiorello La Guardia, the Mayor of New York, welcomed her to the United States. She stayed in Long Island as a guest of Mr & Mrs Knapp, and with the opening match of the tour only three days away, she spent the time resting and playing a practice round at the Fresh Meadow Country Club.

This practice round was watched by a sizeable gallery, who were amazed at the terrific power of her drives and her overall ability. However, at times, she appeared to struggle with her putting due to the slowness of the greens. Ernest Jones, who coached Virginia Van Wie (U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion in 1932, 1933, and 1934), played in this practice round and commented …

“She is as fine a golfer as I have seen, man or woman.”

Format

Except for three matches, all matches on the tour were 4BBB (Fourball Better Ball) match play … the exceptions were all head-to-head match play. As a variation to normal match play, all the players completed all 18 holes so that the spectators and people reading about the tour in newspaper reports could see how each player had fared, particularly Joyce Wethered, against one another.

Pinboard

When reading about the tour matches selected for this article, try to remember the following, as they reinforce why Joyce Wethered was viewed as the best woman golfer in the world before, during and after the tour …

1. She had never played on any of the courses before, most of which were championship courses.
2. Apart from a single match, she did not play any practice rounds to familiarise herself with a course.
3. All matches were played from the men’s tees.
4. Unless otherwise stated, all matches were played on level terms (no strokes received).
5. She had never played competitively with the larger-sized American golf ball, though the matches in Canada reverted to the smaller-sized golf ball.
6. Recent comparative and statistical modelling suggests that a player of Joyce’s calibre would score circa. 6 to 7 shots less per round, with today’s golf equipment, balls, clothing, fitness, etc.
7. Newspaper reports about the tour highlighted that Joyce broke numerous course records. In this article, the term course record refers to the best score recorded by a woman on that course, which is even more impressive, as the previous best scores had been set from the ladies’ tees.

Selected Tour Matches (Part I)

Let’s tee off at the opening match of the tour, where Joyce Wethered made her long-awaited professional debut.

Match #1, 30th May, Glen Head

The opening match was much anticipated, and what a fourball to open the tour: Joyce Wethered and Bobby Jones vs Glenna Collett-Vare and Gene Sarazen. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, two days before the match, Bobby Jones suffered from an attack of appendicitis at his home in Atlanta. His condition was not serious, and there was no immediate need for an operation. However, under strict orders from his doctor, he wired the organisers to say he could not travel and compete. At the eleventh hour, Johnny Dawson, known as the ‘businessman amateur’, agreed to step in and play following a brief telephone call from the organisers!

Joyce’s debut did not disappoint … yes, she shot a 78 (which included a triple bogey on a par 3), but after starting nervously, the gallery of 1500 was enthralled by the length and accuracy of her iron play and her method of stroke execution and judgement. At times, though, she struggled with the pace of the greens and the American-style bunkers.

The thrilling match finished all square after Gene Sarazen, who became the first golfer to achieve the Career Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Masters at Augusta National a few weeks earlier, won the 18th with a brilliant up-and-down from a greenside bunker.

(Trivia #4: The yardages for each hole at Augusta National are exactly divisible by 5!)

Match #2, 1st June, Winged Foot Golf Club

Winged Foot Golf Club was the venue for the second match of the tour. This time, Joyce Wethered partnered Glenna Collet-Vare in a match against Gene Sarazen and Jesse Sweetser, the first American golfer to win the British Amateur Championship.

Over 2500 spectators watched Glenna and Joyce, who both received six strokes, lose a hard-fought and exciting match 2&1. This match highlighted that Joyce Wethered’s game had not yet settled in the United States. According to newspaper reports, her driving was erratic, with a tendency to slice into frequent trouble, but her magnificent iron shots enabled her to make several excellent recoveries. And as per the opening match, her putting was far from certain.

Helping Hands

Help was needed to resolve Joyce Wethered’s challenges with the greens and bunkers, and Bobby Cruikshank and Gene Sarazen, respectively, provided a helping hand to Joyce.

Scottish-born Bobby Cruickshank turned professional in 1921 and, not long after, moved to the United States. He became an outstanding golfer during the 1920s and 1930s. He advised Joyce to adopt the reverse overlap grip for her putting, as this was the universal putting grip used by golfers in the States.

Joyce acquired a new sand iron from Gene Sarazen, who designed the forerunner of what we today call the sand wedge. This slightly heavier sand iron gave Joyce increased confidence in her bunker play.

Thanks to Bobby Cruikshank and Gene Sarazen’s unconditional support, Joyce no longer struggled with the greens and bunkers!

Selected Tour Matches (Part II)

Match #6, 8th June, Merion Golf Club

Hitherto, the East Course at the historic Merion Golf Club has hosted the U.S. Open on five occasions, and this was the venue for the sixth match of the tour. To say that Joyce Wethered played brilliantly would be an understatement!

George Sayers, the famous Merion professional, partnered with Joyce Wethered. They were up against Glenna Collett-Vare and Max Marston, the 1923 U.S. Amateur Champion who represented the United States four times in the Walker Cup.

The golfers faced a steady downpour, which did not relent until after the 15th, but this did not prevent the most exciting match to date. The weather conditions were so poor that of the several hundred spectators who braved the elements at the start, only about 150 watched until the very end … and they gave Joyce Wethered an ovation for her sensational golf on the back nine.

Following a sparkling 38 on the outward nine by Glenna, she and Max were 2 up at the turn … but then Joyce parred 7 holes on the back nine to claim victory at the 18th. Her score of 76 (40+36) from the men’s tees on this demanding championship course was truly phenomenal, but it could not be classified as a course record as Glenna Collet-Vare had previously recorded a 73 from the ladies’ tees.

Other scores … Glenna Collett-Vare 84 (she struggled on the back nine), Max Marston 77 and George Sayers 81.

Match #10, 14th June, Philmont Country Club

Willie Park Jr. designed the historic North Course at Philmont Country Club, the venue for Match #10. His father, Willie Park Sr., won The Open Championship four times, including the inaugural Open in 1860, whilst Willie Park Jr. was The Open champion in 1887 and 1889. He was also a world-renowned golf course designer, with the Old Course at Sunningdale probably his most famous course design.

It is a pure coincidence that Glenna Collett-Vare has been involved in all the selected matches on the tour to date. Philmont Country Club was her last appearance on the tour until Atlantic City … more about that match and Glenna Collett-Vare later. This match saw Joyce Wethered and Leo Diegel up against Ed Dudley and Glenna-Collett Vare.

Leo Diegel won the 1928 and 1929 PGA Championships and represented the United States in the first four Ryder Cups. After cutting back his playing schedule on the PGA Tour, he became the club pro at the Philmont Country Club, a position he held from 1934 to 1945. Ed Dudley won fifteen times on the PGA Tour and was the first head golf professional at Augusta National, a role he held for twenty-five years.

The large gallery was not disappointed. Joyce Wethered and Leo Diegel returned a better ball of 66 (4 under par) to secure a 2-up success. Joyce’s stunning 73 (36+37) established a new course record, shattering by six strokes the record set some years previous by Glenna Collett-Vare.

Joyce Wethered had a very high opinion of the North Course, as captured by The Philadelphia Inquirer …

“She liked the Philmont greens better than any she had played so far in the United States, as she could go boldly for the cup with every assurance that the ball would roll truly.”

A dinner-dance reception was held later that evening. In recognition of her course record, Joyce Wethered was made an honorary life member of the Philmont Country Club. Also, Mr Ellis Gimbel, one of the club’s founders in 1906, presented Joyce Wethered and Glenna Collett-Vare with commemorative medals.

Match #13, 18th June, East Lake Country Club

East Lake Golf Club is the oldest golf course in Atlanta, Georgia and where Bobby Jones learned the game. As you have read, he had to withdraw from the opening match due to an attack of appendicitis, but there was no way he would miss a second opportunity to meet Joyce Wethered in a match.

Played on the famous Number 1 Course, Joyce Wethered and Bobby Jones were partnered by Charlie Yates and Dorothy Kirby, respectively.

The previous year, Charlie Yates, representing Georgia Tech, won the prestigious NCAA Collegiate Championship. In recent times, golfers such as Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Bryson DeChambeau have also won this championship. Charlie would go on to win the 1938 British Amateur Championship, captain the United States Walker Cup team, and become the secretary of the Augusta National Golf Club.

Dorothy Kirby was a golfing prodigy. At age 13, she won the 1933 Georgia Women’s Amateur Championship. She went on to win several major amateur championships, including the U.S. Women’s Amateur, in 1951. One can only imagine the incredible experience (the 15-year-old) Dorothy had, playing in this match with Bobby Jones, Joyce Wethered and Charlie Yates!

Arguably, this was the most exciting match of the tour, effectively becoming a breathtaking clash between Joyce Wethered and Bobby Jones.

Bobby Jones won the first two holes, but Joyce Wethered birdied the 3rd and the 5th to level the match. Bobby Jones’ response was immediate, with birdies at the 7th and the 8th to restore the 2-hole advantage … the lead was reduced to 1 when Joyce Wethered birdied the 9th!

Joyce’s par at the 10th was good enough for her and Charlie to level the match once again. Bobby Jones won the 14th, so he and Dorothy were 1up with four to play. Charlie Yates then won the 17th … all square, playing the last.

Back in 1935, the closing hole on the Number 1 Course was a 200-yard par 3 across a lake to a green perched on a hilltop. Playing first, Joyce Wethered’s tee shot finished 18 feet from the hole, while Bobby Jones’ shot was away to the right of the green. He then pitched to 16 feet from the hole. Joyce’s putt for a birdie, and the win, shaved the cup … Bobby then sank his 16-foot putt to halve the match!

The scorecard below is a priceless artefact … Joyce’s exceptional score of 74 equalled the woman’s course record (and if the rumours are to be believed, large wagers had been placed on Joyce not breaking 80!).

The following day, Bobby Jones was admitted to the hospital for his appendix operation. He had delayed the operation not to disappoint Joyce Wethered and the gallery, which had assembled to watch the two greatest golfers. In the words of Joyce Wethered …

“The finest sporting gesture I have never known.”

U.S. Open

The 1935 U.S. Open was held from 6th June to 8th June at the Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. The championship was played in extremely difficult weather conditions, and local club professional Sam Parks Jr. posted a winning score of 299. It was his only major title and his only success on the PGA Tour.

To capitalise on his (shock) success, Sam Parks Jr. mapped out a series of exhibition matches for the remainder of the 1935 season. One of the first of these matches was to be played at Riverside Golf, Cambridge Springs, a fortnight after his triumph in the U.S. Open, and his opponent in a specially arranged 18-hole head-to-head match was to be … Joyce Wethered. A perfect example of the fluidity of Joyce’s tour itinerary! This was the only match of the entire tour when Joyce Wethered played a practice round … in fact, she played a couple of practice rounds. Though Sam Parks Jr. knew the course very well from his days as an amateur.

(Trivia #5: Edward Stimpson Sr. was a spectator at the 1935 U.S. Open, and he was certain that the greens were too fast and ultimately unfair. To prove what he had witnessed, he invented a simple wooden device to measure the speed of greens … the Stimpmeter!)

Selected Tour Matches (Part III)

Match #16, 25th June, Riverside Golf, Cambridge Springs

Established in 1915, Riverside Golf has a proud history of staging exhibition matches. Golfing legends such as Gene Sarazen, Harry ‘Lighthorse’ Copper, and Ken Venturi played at this course on multiple occasions. However, this match, between the greatest woman player in the world and the reigning U.S. Open Champion, was an unsurpassable exhibition match, watched by about 1000 spectators.

The advertising poster for this match billed the contest as …

Miss Joyce Wethered of England vs Sam Parks Jr., U.S. Open Champion

… whilst The Erie Daily Times viewed the match (which I have paraphrased) as …

“Miss Wethered is a beautiful driver and almost unbeatable when playing the ball up to the pin … against Sam Parks Jr., a steady, workmanlike type of linksman.”

Sam Parks Jr. took an early lead at the 2nd, but then, at the 165-yard par-3 3rd, Joyce Wethered levelled the match, thrilling the gallery by hitting the pin with her tee shot, the ball hanging agonisingly on the lip of the hole. As extracted from an article written by Sam Parks Jr. a few days after the match …

“At the third hole, she played one of the finest shots anybody has ever seen, manoeuvring the ball from left to right, as the pin was positioned dangerously close to the right side of the green … so close that my tee shot ended up in the bunker on the right side.”

Joyce Wethered also won the 6th, but she found trouble on the 9th, so at the turn, the match was all square.

On the back nine, the gallery could see Joyce struggling due to the hot conditions and the rain-soaked course. Sam Parks Jr. won the 11th, 12th, 15th, and 16th to win 4&2 … though Joyce lost absolutely nothing in defeat against the U.S. Open champion (and remembering the Pinboard from earlier in this article, the match was played from the men’s tees on level terms). For the record …

• Joyce Wethered 552 444 545 (38) 445 346 565 (42) =80
• Sam Parks Jr. 544 445 544 (39) 434 345 444 (34) =73

In the same article, Sam Parks Jr. paid the following compliment to Joyce Wethered …

“I had the privilege of playing with one of the world’s greatest champions, and she is such a refreshingly modest and likeable student of the game that everyone who meets her is immediately her admiring friend.”

Match #20, 4th July, Red Run Country Club

Founded in 1914, Red Run Country Club, located in Royal Oak, Michigan, is another course originally designed by Willie Park Jr. In celebration of Independence Day, Joyce Wethered was partnered by Walter Hagen in a match against local professionals Mortie Dutra and Al Watrous.

Walter Hagen is one of the greatest golfers of all time. His eleven majors place him third on the all-time list behind Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger Woods (15). Even though his best playing days occurred in the 1910s and 1920s, he was still a star attraction wherever he played.

Joyce Wethered kept pace with Hagen, Dutra and Waltrous from the tee but surprisingly found trouble with her iron shots. Although she and Walter Hagen shot a better ball score of 70, they were no match for their less illustrious opponents, who clinched the match at the 15th when Al Watrous sunk a 25-foot birdie putt.

Despite the loss, Walter Hagen held a very high opinion of her, based on this performance and what he had previously witnessed, saying …

“When she is playing only mediocre golf, she can still give strokes to any woman player in the world … when she is at the top of her game, there is not a woman player in the same class.”

A few days after this match, it was announced that Walter Hagen had been selected to captain the United States in the 1935 Ryder Cup. This was the sixth consecutive time he captained the team, but the first time in a non-playing capacity.

Al Watrous went on to win the PGA Seniors Championship in 1950, 1951 and 1957 and was crowned World Seniors Champion in 1957. Mortie Dutra also went on to win the PGA Seniors Championship in 1955.

Match #24, 11th July, Interlachen Country Club

Seven days later, Interlachen Country Club, Minnesota, was the venue for a match which saw Joyce Wethered re-united with Johnny Dawson (remember him from the opening match of the tour) against Willie Kidd and Jock Hendry.

Both Willie Kidd and Jock Hendry were born in Monifieth, Scotland, before emigrating to the United States. Willie Kidd became the club professional at Interlachen in 1920, a post he held for an astonishing 37 years. He was succeeded by his son, Bill Kidd, who held the position for 36 years … an unbelievable 73 years of loyal service between father and son! Jock Hendry was an assistant to Willie Kidd at Interlachen before moving in 1925 to become the Head Professional at the Town and Country Club, Saint Paul, Minnesota … where he worked until 1960!

In the match, Joyce Wethered set a course record (2 over par) 75 on virtually the same course layout as Bobby Jones’ victory in the 1930 U.S. Open. She and Johnny Dawson won the match 3&2.

About six weeks later, Interlachen hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. At the time, the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression, but this championship offered much-needed respite. A thrilling final between Glenna Collett-Vare and (17-year-old sensation) Patty Berg saw Glenna win her sixth U.S. Women’s Amateur, a record that will never be surpassed.

The following is a (rephrased) extract from an article published after Joyce’s tour match but before the championship …

“It is safe to say that no player in the field for the Women’s Championship will better the score posted by Joyce Wethered, even playing from the front tees that will be used for the Championship.”

The article proved to be spot on!

Match #28, 17th July, Scioto Country Club

Joyce Wethered had now reached the halfway point of her epic North American tour. The opening tour match of the ‘second half’ was played in Columbus, Ohio, at the Scioto Country Club.

Designed by Donald Ross, Scioto has an unbelievable history. Jack Nicklaus learned to play the game at Scioto in the early 1950s, and it is one of only five clubs in the United States that has hosted five different major events, namely …

• U.S. Open (1926)
• Ryder Cup (1931)
• PGA Championship (1950)
• U.S. Amateur (1968)
• U.S. Senior Open (1986 and 2016)

In this match, Joyce Wethered and Charlie Lorms were up against Mrs Linton Fallis and P.O. Hart. Charlie Lorms was the club professional at the Columbus Country Club from 1922 until 1959. Mrs Linton Fallis (Helen Tillotson before her marriage) was an Ohio State Champion, and P.O. Hart was the club professional at Scioto.

Although the match was halved, over 1000 spectators witnessed a Joyce Wethered golfing masterclass on the challenging trap-studded Scioto course. Her game was almost perfect … out in 36 (level par) and back in 37 (one over par), her score of 73, equalling her best to date on the tour, broke the course record.

An unusual aspect of this match was that on selected par 4s and par 5s, white lines were painted on the fairways, 250 yards from the respective tees, so that the watching galley could gauge how far Joyce Wethered was hitting her tee shots. Newspaper reports confirmed that she crossed the white lines and stayed on the fairway on more than one occasion!

Match #30, 21st July, Atlantic City Country Club

The Atlantic City Country Club hosted a match to give a couple of promising junior golfers the unique opportunity to showcase their golfing potential.

Joyce Wethered teamed up with 16-year-old Clarence Hackney Jr. to defeat Glenna Collett-Vare and 18-year-old James Emerson ‘Sonny’ Fraser by one hole. The players faced challenging conditions, particularly a strong crosswind, with Joyce posting the lowest score of 78.

James Fraser led an incredible life before he tragically died at the age of 34 from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma …

• At age 5, he played golf with Warren Gamaliel Harding, the 29th President of the United States, using cut-down golf clubs.
• He was a fine amateur golfer, with peers such as Francis Ouimet and Bobby Jones.
• He entered politics in his early twenties and became a New Jersey State assemblyman and Head of the State Legislature … in this role, legislation was passed to create the Atlantic City Race Track and to legalise gambling in South Jersey.

Clarence Hackney Jr. was the son of Clarence Hackney Sr., the Head Professional at the Atlantic City Country Club. Clarence Hackney Sr. won seven PGA events and the 1923 Canadian Open.

Match #32, 27th July, St Andrews Golf Club

After nearly nine weeks on the road in the United States, Joyce Wethered travelled to Toronto to play the first tour match on Canadian soil.

Ross Somerville, Ada Mackenzie, and Bud Donavan are three of the finest amateur golfers in the history of Canadian golf. In this match, Ross Somerville, the first Canadian to win the U.S. Amateur Championship, partnered with Joyce Wethered to a convincing victory by 7 points … an interesting, better ball variation, where on each hole, 1 point is awarded for the best ball, and 1 point is awarded for the lowest aggregate.

On the demanding par 70 St Andrews Course, which sadly no longer exists, Joyce Wethered shot a 75, the lowest score of the 4 players. Her round included 11 pars and 2 birdies. It was such a shame that she found trouble at the 6th, which resulted in a triple-bogey 7! Incredibly, that was her first 7 of the tour … after 32 matches!

Match #33, 28th July, Brook-Lea Country Club

One can only imagine how exhausted Joyce Wethered must have been when she stood on the first tee at Brook-Lea Country Club, Rochester, New York, the day after playing in Toronto.

The par 73 course at Brook-Lea provided a very stern challenge, particularly for a woman playing from the men’s tees. Undeterred by her obvious tiredness and the difficulty of the 18 holes that lay ahead, Joyce shattered the course record by a staggering nine strokes, scoring 77 in a four-ball match with William C. ‘Bill’ Chapin, Peggy Wattles, and Jack Tucker. Remarkably, her record-breaking score included a 7 on the 10th … her second 7 of the tour, the day after the first!

The Chapin family is synonymous with the historic Oak Hill Golf Club. The driveway to Oak Hill is called Chapin Way, named after Louis Chapin, a founding father of the club, and his son Bill, who in the mid-1950s was President of Oak Hill and, along with his friend Bobby Jones, persuaded the USGA to play the 1956 U.S. Open at Oak Hill.

Peggy Wattles was a fine amateur golfer who, for whatever reason, never quite reached the top … having said that, Glenna Collett-Vare was a huge fan, encouraging her to travel to Britain to play in the Women’s Amateur Championship. Outside of golf, she became a founding member of The Magic Shop, a gift shop which assisted veterans returning home after the Second World War.

In the early 1930s, Jack Tucker was the dominant player in the Rochester District, winning the championship in 1931, 32, 33 & 34. He was surprisingly knocked out of the 1935 championship a couple of days before this match … meaning he would not miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience! After the match, Jack Tucker wrote a very interesting article about Joyce, particularly with this unexpected answer to one of his many questions …

“I was awfully nervous when I started my American tour. I may not look that way. People often remark how perfectly calm and collected I seem to be. But it took time to cultivate the proper golf poise, and even now, I get shaky.”

Match #35, 31st July, Pittsfield Country Club

Interestingly, the teams for the match at the Pittsfield Country Club were decided by tossing a coin just before play commenced! Following this rather novel approach, Joyce Wethered was partnered with W. Prince Smith, a high-class amateur golfer at Pittsfield. They were drawn against Deborah Verry, Massachusetts Amateur Champion, and Dan England Jr., a former Yale captain who, like W. Prince Smith, was a fine amateur golfer at Pittsfield.

Over 400 spectators were awed after Joyce Wethered birdied the first two holes. She found trouble at the 8th hole when her over-hit second shot found trouble on an adjoining road, resulting in a double bogey 6. Joyce carded a 36 (1 over par) for the outward nine, and she and W. Prince Smith were 1 hole to the good.

On the inward nine, Joyce almost holed her second shot at the 400-yard par 4 15th to record an easy birdie to get back to level par. Standing on the tee at the par 4 18th, Joyce needed a birdie to break 70. After outdriving the other three players on the closing hole, Joyce played a superb approach shot, the ball finishing 7 feet from the flag, but her birdie putt agonisingly lipped out.

A round of 70 (level par) smashed the course record by 8 strokes, which had only been set the previous week by Florence Gladwin (from the ladies’ tees). Miss Gladwin was ‘1 of the 400’ watching Joyce Wethered play sublime golf and break her course record! As for the match, Joyce and W. Prince Smith won by 1 hole.

Before this match, several commentators had written that Joyce’s score and overall game at the Scioto Country Club (Match #28) would not be bettered on this tour. Joyce had obviously not read any of those articles!

(Trivia #6: Deborah Verry became a pioneering woman in the field of American espionage after joining the CIA in 1948 and being assigned to the Center for the Study of Intelligence … most of her work will always remain classified!)

Match #44, 18th August, Pebble Beach Golf Links

The teams for the match at Pebble Beach were announced in early August … Joyce Wethered and Willie Goggin, who had just won the Northern Californian Open, up against the Puget brothers, Cam and Henry. Cam Puget was the Head Professional at Pebble Beach, and his brother Henry was the Head Professional at Cypress Point.

Joyce was relatively disappointed with her score of 82 (39+43), and it was the first time on tour that she did not break the women’s par (81) from the men’s tees. However, the newspaper reports about the match, in which the Pugets won 2&1, all thought her back nine of 43 was phenomenal, considering that the back tees were used.

She told reporters that Pebble Beach was one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world and a true test of championship golf and that she would love to play the course again … her wish came true a few days later. There was a gap in the hectic tour schedule, which was filled by a hastily arranged friendly, which also involved Marion Hollins, the 1921 U.S. Amateur Champion and 1932 Curtis Cup Captain, and Tyrus Raymond Cobb, one of the all-time greats of American Major League Baseball.

Joyce shot an 81, a slight improvement. The tour moved on, and regrettably, Joyce never returned to these historic links. However, there were still more chapters to write in her unforgettable golfing story, ‘From Piccadilly to Pebble Beach’.

Radio Star

From April 1935 to June 1937, the NBC radio series Shell Chateau could be heard every Saturday night. On August 31st 1935, the master of ceremonies, Al Jolson, introduced an eclectic mix of guests, including Hollywood legend Boris Karloff and George Jessel, who was known as the Toastmaster General of the United States … but the first guest on this variety show was England’s Joyce Wethered!

Al Jolson introduced her as the greatest golfer ever, though he quickly pointed out that those were Bobby Jones’ words. You can listen to the broadcast, albeit very crackly, via Shell Chateau – Joyce Wethered. The (surreal) interview with Joyce starts about 6 minutes and 25 seconds into the show and lasts about 5 minutes (apologies if the link does not work).

Selected Tour Matches (Part IV)

Match #47, 1st September, Wilshire Country Club

The following day, the tour’s California swing ended at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. Despite teaming up with Olin Dutra, Wilshire’s Head Professional and two-time major winner, whose brother Mortie played in the earlier tour match at Red Run Country Club, Joyce and Olin were defeated 3&2 … maybe a Hollywood Hangover for Joyce!

Match #51, 11th September, St. Charles Country Club

The final five tour matches were played in Canada. In the first of these matches, Joyce shot a course record 75 at Oak Bay Golf Club, British Columbia … the following day, she broke another course record with a brilliant 73 (one over par) at Jericho Golf Club, also in British Columbia.

Upon her arrival in Winnipeg for the match at the St. Charles Country Club, Joyce Wethered was asked by a local reporter …

“What does it feel like to be the greatest woman golfer in the world?”

… to which she modestly replied …

“That’s something I can’t very well talk about.”

Eric Bannister, the professional at St. Charles, had the honour of partnering with Joyce for their much-awaited match against Bobby Reith and Dan Kennedy, two of the finest Canadian amateur golfers.

The golf played by Eric Bannister (75), Dan Kennedy (74) and Bobby Reith (74) against a par of 73 was of the highest standard, but Joyce Wethered stole the limelight as the huge gallery marvelled and applauded her full array of shots in posting a brilliant 74, matching the medal scores of Reith and Kennedy … and the match rightly finished all square.

Match #52, 14th September, Rivermead Golf Club

When Joyce Wethered arrived at Rivermead Golf Club, Aylmer, Ottawa, for the penultimate match, the Canadian Press had started to call her the ‘Eighth Wonder’ … not only for the incomparable (in a must-be-seen-to-be-believed sort of way) standard of her golf but also for how she conducted herself on and off the links.

Frank Corrigan, Ottawa’s #1 amateur golfer, had the honour of partnering with Joyce Wethered against Jack Littler, the assistant pro at Rivermead Golf Club and Mrs W.G. Fraser of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. In those long-forgotten distant days, a married woman golfer was known by her husband’s initials and surname. In this case, the husband was Doctor Wilbert G. Fraser, and before her marriage, the golfer in question was none other than Alexa Stirling, U.S. Amateur Champion in 1916, 1919 and 1920.

Also, when there were no tournaments in 1917 and 1918 due to the First World War, Alexa Stirling was one of the ‘Dixie Kids’, a group of golfers who gave golf exhibitions throughout the United States to raise money for the Red Cross. One of the other ‘Dixie Kids’ was Bobby Jones, whom Alexa knew from a very early age when they were coached at the East Lake Golf Club.

As for the match, Joyce Wethered did not disappoint the spectators who braved the (British-like) elements, carding a one-over-par 73, the lowest score of the four players. She and Frank Corrigan easily won the match by 15 points (the same points system that had been used at St Andrews Golf Club for Match #32 … one point for the lowest individual score on each hole and one point for the lowest team aggregate on each hole).

(Trivia #7: Rivermead was the venue for the 1921 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Alexa Stirling lost in the semi-finals to Cecil Leitch, one of the Great Triumfeminate. In the 36-hole final, Cecil Leitch emphatically defeated Molly McBride 17&15, which even today is the biggest winning margin of any major amateur final)

Match #53, 15th September, Marlborough Golf Club

The following day, the final match of this never-to-be-forgotten tour was held at Marlborough Golf Club, Montreal.

The course was designed by Canadian Stanley Thompson, a renowned golf course architect and amateur golfer who co-founded the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Other co-founders included Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Donald Ross. Sadly, Marlborough Golf Club no longer exists.

Despite the cold and wet conditions, Joyce Wethered finished the tour on a high in front of over 2000 golfing enthusiasts, returning a 75, which yet again was the lowest score of the four players, and winning the match 3&2.

Summation

Excluding friendly matches, here are some astonishing facts and figures about the North American tour …

1. 53 matches over 109 days … an average of 1 match every 2.05 days!
2. A stroke average of 76.9, adjusted to a range of 69.9 to 70.9, as per the modelling proposition in the earlier Pinboard.
3. Somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 miles travelling … by train, car, and plane.
4. Course records (the best score recorded at a course by a woman, as per the earlier Pinboard) were achieved in 34 matches, or approximately 64% of matches played.
5. Remuneration: 53x$300 = $15,900 plus 50% profits (unknown amount), for an estimated total of $20,000, plus her pro-rata Fortnum & Mason salary. The tour organisers covered all her travel and accommodation expenses.
6. The largest gallery was 4,000 … Match #22 at Oak Park Country Club, Chicago.

The tour was an unqualified success, with Joyce Wethered confirming that she was still the greatest woman golfer in the world. Today, she is arguably the greatest amateur golfer, man or woman, of all time.

Quebec to Southampton

As you would expect, Joyce Wethered was absolutely exhausted after the completion of the last match of the tour in Montreal. To relax and recharge before returning home, Joyce travelled to Boston to spend a fortnight with friends. She then returned to Canada to set sail from the port of Quebec on the Canadian Pacific Steamship Line’s Empress of Britain.

Travelling first class, Joyce waved goodbye to Quebec on 28th September and arrived in Southampton on 3rd October. True to her word, the manifest listed her occupation as a sports advisor, not as a professional golfer, and her residence as 182 Piccadilly, London, the Fortnum & Mason shop front.

Lady Heathcoat-Amory

Joyce Wethered never returned to Championship or professional golf following her unparalleled tour of North America. The rumoured return tour never materialised, nor did a proposed tour of Australia with Gene Sarazen. Still, this article would be incomplete without some words about her life upon returning to England.

She continued to find working at Fortnum & Mason incredibly rewarding, whilst her golf was primarily social with a sprinkling of exhibition matches until, in 1936, she met and fell in love with Sir John Heathcoat-Amory. The following year, they married, and Joyce Wethered became Joyce, Lady Heathcoat-Amory. Following his father’s death in 1931, Sir John inherited Knighthayes Court, near Tiverton, England, and the neighbouring estate, so Knighthayes became their marital home.

Their joint passion was gardening. Over several decades, Sir John and Joyce’s passion transformed the walled garden and the various gardens at Knighthayes, for which they were awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour. When Sir John died in 1972, the National Trust took over the property, which today is truly stunning, as seen via Knighthayes. Visitors can also see a room commemorating Joyce’s unique golfing story, though it is very understated and modest, as Joyce requested.

After her husband’s death, Joyce continued to live at Knighthayes, spending endless days in the gardens and watching golf on Television!

In 1975, Joyce Wethered and Glenna Collett-Vare, the best golfers of their generation, indeed, of any generation, were inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Joyce Wethered celebrated her 96th birthday on November 17th 1997 … but sadly, on the following day, she died peacefully at her beloved Knighthayes.

Eulogy

Of all the eulogies, this is my favourite, and I would like to share it with you as the closing chapter.

Charlie Yates, who played in the historic match at East Lake Golf Club, was conversing with award-winning writer Ron Sirak. During their chat, Charlie was made aware of the recent passing of Joyce Wethered. Despite being in his mid-80s, Charlie Yates’ immediate reaction was …

“I am sad to hear of her passing, but she had a full life … and oh my, she could play.”

Casting his mind back to the match in 1935, he recalled …

“It was Joyce, Bob (Jones), me, and a girl named Dorothy Kirby. Joyce was my partner, and she outdrove Bob and me several times. I didn’t help her until the 15th hole, and we tied the match.”

Charlie readily acknowledged that Joyce’s grace and game had made a lasting impression. He then informed Ron Sirak that …

“A couple of years ago, I found out that she was in a nursing home, and I wrote her a letter about the match … I got the sweetest letter back about that game and her admiration for Bob.”

Told that his letter must have meant a lot to Joyce, he replied …

“It meant more to me.”

Acknowledgements

And finally, a massive thanks to …

• Margaret McLaren, Historian at Club de Golf Rivermead, Ottawa
• Jeremy J. Ball & Zack Hale, co-owners of Riverside Golf, Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania
• Chris Wegner, PGA, General Manager at Philmont Country Club, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
• Dave Purdie, Director of Operations & COO at East Lake Golf Club
• Mario V Gatti, General Manager and COO at Brook-Lea Country Club, Rochester, New York
• Joe Falardeau, PGA, Head Golf Professional, Scioto Country Club,  Columbus, Ohio
• Cheryl Selph, Communications Director, Red Run Golf Club, Royal Oak, Michigan
• Mathieu Perron, B.A.A, PGA, Directeur général at Club de Golf Rivermead, Ottawa
• Nick Borro, PGA, CMAA, General Manager at the Ottinger Golf Group, Northfield, New Jersey
• St Andrews Links Trust

… for their respective input to and support of this article.