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Matchless: Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the Rise of Women’s Golf
"What we have here is not mere game narrative of major championships, but sportswriting embedded in a larger cultural context." ― The Wall Street "10 Books That Belong on Every Golfer's Bookshelf"
United States Golf Association, 2026 Herbert Warren Wind Award Winner for contribution to golf literature.
Winner of the USGA Herbert Warren Wind Book Award
'Finally – a book that truly captures the inspiring and uniquely gifted women from a largely forgotten golfing age. A wonderful read from start to finish' – Iona Stephen, Sky Sports presenter, commentator and host
From the moment women began hosting championships of their own in 1893, one of golf's burning questions became whether any woman would ever approach the mythical ideal of playing perfect golf. It took three decades of striving – at a time when Suffragettes were stubbornly fighting for women’s rights – before Joyce Wethered and Glenna Collett delivered an unequivocal answer to that question.
From their first meeting at Troon in 1925, through a decade highlighted by their breathtaking match at St Andrews, the Englishwoman and the American brought out in one another golf so sublime that rare was the player, man or woman, who could perform as brilliantly.
The rivalry between Wethered and Collett generated such widespread interest and respect that it paved the way for the birth of a women’s professional tour. Matchless tells the story of these two incomparable golfers – women who personified the ambitions of their age.
United States Golf Association, 2026 Herbert Warren Wind Award Winner for contribution to golf literature.
Winner of the USGA Herbert Warren Wind Book Award
'Finally – a book that truly captures the inspiring and uniquely gifted women from a largely forgotten golfing age. A wonderful read from start to finish' – Iona Stephen, Sky Sports presenter, commentator and host
From the moment women began hosting championships of their own in 1893, one of golf's burning questions became whether any woman would ever approach the mythical ideal of playing perfect golf. It took three decades of striving – at a time when Suffragettes were stubbornly fighting for women’s rights – before Joyce Wethered and Glenna Collett delivered an unequivocal answer to that question.
From their first meeting at Troon in 1925, through a decade highlighted by their breathtaking match at St Andrews, the Englishwoman and the American brought out in one another golf so sublime that rare was the player, man or woman, who could perform as brilliantly.
The rivalry between Wethered and Collett generated such widespread interest and respect that it paved the way for the birth of a women’s professional tour. Matchless tells the story of these two incomparable golfers – women who personified the ambitions of their age.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published December 2, 2025
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January 11, 2026
As with all of Stephen Proctor’s books, this is a very well written and detailed account of the rise of women’s golf in the early 20th century and the impact of two of its brightest stars. Proctor provides detailed chapter notes and a great bibliography to inspire future reading.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review