Joyce Wethered
Encyclopedia
Joyce Wethered, Lady Heathcoat-Amory (17 November 1901 in Surrey
, England
— 18 November 1997, London
) was a golfer widely regarded as the greatest British
woman player of all time.
Joyce and her brother Roger
, who tied for the British Open
title in 1921 but lost the play-off, learned the game as children. She won the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship
four times (1922, 1924, 1925, and 1929) and the English Ladies' champion for five consecutive years (1920–24).
She married Sir John Heathcoat-Amory
in 1924, and became Lady Heathcoat-Amory. Her play and swing were greatly admired by Bobby Jones
, the American champion of the same era. Jones, who played several exhibition rounds with her, had a very high regard for her game. She essentially retired from competitive play by 1930.
She played most of her golf at (and was a member of) Worplesdon
Golf Club in Surrey
. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
in 1975.
An exhibition of memorabilia can be seen at Knightshayes Court
in Devon
, where she lived.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
— 18 November 1997, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) was a golfer widely regarded as the greatest British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
woman player of all time.
Joyce and her brother Roger
Roger Wethered
Roger H. Wethered was an English amateur golfer who was the brother of Joyce Wethered, one of the finest female golfers of the pre-war era....
, who tied for the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
title in 1921 but lost the play-off, learned the game as children. She won the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship
British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship
The British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship was founded in 1893 by the Ladies' Golf Union of Great Britain. Until the dawn of the professional era in 1976, it was the most important golf tournament for women in Great Britain and would eventually begin to draw golfers from continental Europe...
four times (1922, 1924, 1925, and 1929) and the English Ladies' champion for five consecutive years (1920–24).
She married Sir John Heathcoat-Amory
Heathcoat-Amory Baronets
The Heathcoat-Amory Baronetcy, of Knightshayes Court in Tiverton in the County of Devon, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 21 March 1874 for the businessman and Liberal politician John Heathcoat-Amory. Born John Amory, he was the maternal grandson of John...
in 1924, and became Lady Heathcoat-Amory. Her play and swing were greatly admired by Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
, the American champion of the same era. Jones, who played several exhibition rounds with her, had a very high regard for her game. She essentially retired from competitive play by 1930.
She played most of her golf at (and was a member of) Worplesdon
Worplesdon
Worplesdon is a village in Surrey, England, located three miles north of Guildford. Worplesdon is also the name of the parish that also includes the settlements of Fairlands, Jacobs Well, Perry Hill, and Wood Street Village. Nearby villages include Pirbright and Deepcut, with significant military...
Golf Club in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
in 1975.
An exhibition of memorabilia can be seen at Knightshayes Court
Knightshayes Court
Knightshayes Court is a Victorian country house in Tiverton, Devon, England, designed by William Burges for the Heathcoat-Amory family. Nikolaus Pevsner describes it as "an eloquent expression of High Victorian ideals in a country house of moderate size." The house is Grade I listed as of 12 May...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, where she lived.
External links
- Articles on and by Joyce Wethered
- Joyce Wethered - The greatest Golfer ever?
- Electronic Resources From SoHG Archives
- Joyce Wethered Swing Sequences From SoHG Master Classes