It was an appalling day of hail, wind and rain, Lily Gordon took out the Australian Ladies’ Championship at the Royal Adelaide Club in 1923.
It was an appalling day of hail, wind and rain. It was also day one of the Australian Ladies’ Championship held at the Royal Adelaide Club in 1923.
Not to be deterred by the howling weather blowing across the open Seaton fairways, however, Lily Gordon played an extraordinary round of golf, finishing the day with a massive 10 stroke lead.
She had scored a round of 81, while most of her interstate opponents – including leading Australian players – finished the first day in the 90s.
The size of that lead allowed her to withstand the attacks coming at her over the following days.
Lily Gordon, more than 100 years later, remains only one of two women from South Australia to have won the Australian Ladies Amateur Golf title. Anne-Marie Knight is the other.
Such was the rarity of this SA victory that it was at the centre of a joke at the end-of-tournament dinner for “associates”.
A high-profile official from interstate proposed a toast to the new Australian champion, prefacing her congratulations by stating “accidents will happen”.
But Lily Gordon ensured it was no accident. She also took out the handicap event (the Australian Challenge Bowl) and a small replica of Lily Gordon’s trophy is still housed at the Royal Adelaide Club.
Lily Gordon also was selected for SA to compete in interstate competitions through the 1930s. She died in 1971.
