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.
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'A generational "life and times" of women's golf. What we have here is not mere game narrative of major championships, but sportswriting embedded in a larger cultural contest'
" - Wall Street Journal, 10 Books that Belong on Every Golfer’s Shelf
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'An eye-opening treatment of the world's greatest women golfers, of their early struggles for equal treatment and of the truly matchless golf they played. Impressive, humbling and a joy to read'
" - The Golf
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'Stephen’s work as an author is exceptional — meticulously researched and told with a compelling narrative thread. Matchless is no exception'
" - The Cookie Jar Golf Podcast
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'Matchless is an exceptional read but it will also serve as a superb reference work that will grace any library of those with an interest in golfing history... the level of scholarly research is exceptional'
" - Golfshake.com
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'Matchless is a stunning piece of work . . . Elegantly written and painstakingly researched, it deserves every award it will surely win'
" - Bunkered Magazine
