Unflustered Victory

Prime golfing axiom is that a medalist rarely wins a tournament. Last year in the U. S. Women's Championship at Summit, N. J., Medalist Mrs. Estelle Lawson Page, according to everybody's expectations, did not survive the third round. This year at Memphis, again medalist in the women's national tournament. Mrs. Page refused to be flustered, stayed calm even through such matches as one in which her opponent after a lusty swing lost her skirt. So last week Mrs. Page met 19-year-old Patty Berg, runner-up to Mrs. Glenna Collett Vare in the national tournament two years ago, in the final.

After the morning round it was apparent that Patty Berg, favorite with sportswriters because of her snub nose, would be only runner-up again. Playing in a faded blue jersey and battered felt hat with tees stuck in the hatband. Mrs. Page was 3 up at the end of 18 holes. Imperturbable, one-putting on green after green. Mrs. Page was 7 up at the end of 27 holes, ended the match three holes later. "It was just my day, I guess," she said.

Most women golfers good enough to try for the U. S. championship are persistent matrons like Mrs. Opal Hill of Kansas City, who was playing in her 13th national tournament last week, or enthusiastic youngsters like Patty Berg. Mrs. Page, 29, is neither. Wife of an accountant in Greensboro. N. C. she first took up golf for her health, has played only six years.

Memphis society was reported disgusted with the visiting golfers, found them too preoccupied with golf for cocktails and dinner parties. The U. S. Golf Association was disgusted for another reason. Southern golf addicts willing to pay $2.20 to see able women golfers eliminate each other had been disappointingly few. It seemed probable last week that the first women's national championship to be held in the South would also be the last for a long time.

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