At Peabody

With the U. S. men’s title in Canada and the Canadian women’s title returned there after six years in the U. S., and with Enid Wilson, who had whipped the pick of the U. S. for the British women’s title in May, on hand vowing to do as Bobby Jones had done, the leading links ladies of the U. S. assembled last week at Peabody, Mass. with a chore cut out for them: to keep at least one major amateur golf title in their country. The chore looked harder when chunky Helen Hicks, the defending U. S. champion, failed to qualify with a miserable 89. British Champion Wilson had a neat 79, only two over ladies’ par and the tied first-place scores of Maureen Orcutt of New Jersey and Virginia Van Wie of Illinois. (Miss Orcutt won the play-off.)

Angular Enid Wilson won her first two matches smoothly, moved into the quarterfinals. Her next opponent was Charlotte Glutting, a 22-year-old from South Orange, N. J. who has played tournament golf only two years, never before in a national championship. It looked easy. Playing along quietly, Enid Wilson was two up at the turn. By the 13th hole, however, Miss Glutting’s splendid iron shots had put her one up. At the 14th she holed a chip shot for a half. And at the 18th came a curious thing. Miss Wilson, still one down, had an easy chip & putt to even the match, carry her young opponent to a nerve-wracking extra hole. Enid Wilson boggled the chip, missed the putt, conceded her opponent a two-foot sidehill putt for the hole & match.

Thus far the. tournament’s heroine, Charlotte Glutting soon saw her fun ended. Smiling, pert-nosed Virginia (“Gino”) Van Wie (to rhyme with “tee”) was too much for her (4 & 3) and the final gallery gathered around to watch a match often played before. Miss Van Wie v. cool, collected Glenna Collett Vare. five times the champion, twice Miss Van Wie’s mistress in national finals.

Age has not withered nor marriage staled the crisp, brainy golf of Glenna Collett. But this was Van Wie day. Men’s par over the short, tricky Salem Country Club course is 72. In the morning Virginia Van Wie shot a 73, putting Mrs. Vare’s perfectly respectable 83 eight down. In the afternoon at the 22nd Miss Van Wie sank an eagle 3. At the 27th Mrs. Vare was still nine down. At the 28th, when Mrs. Vare’s chip stopped ten feet short and she missed the putt, she conceded Miss Van Wie two putts from four-feet for hole, match & title, 10 & 8, the worst trouncing in a women’s national final since the 1928 Vare-Van Wie match which ended 13 & 12.