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Philomena
Garvey
Queen
of the Irish Fairways
Philomena
(“Phil”) Garvey, the slim, fair-haired girl
from the small village of Baltray sadly passed away
this year on the doorstep of her beloved County Louth
Golf Club. Phil dominated ladies’ golf in Ireland
from 1946 to 1970, achieving celebrity status at a time
when golf was mainly a male preserve.
Phil’s golfing
odyssey saw her compete against legendary golfers in
some of the most dramatic matches ever witnessed in
ladies’ golf. Her greatest achievement was winning
the British Ladies’ Amateur Championship at Gleneagles
against the legendary Jessie Valentine in 1957.
The following year,
as reigning champion, Phil controversially refused to
wear the Union Jack as the sole emblem of the Great
Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team. The intransigence
of the Ladies' Golfing Union Executive Council to accommodate
an Irish sportswoman deprived her of a chance to compete
on the world stage.
Henry Cotton described
her as “the finest woman golfer I’ve ever
seen” and aspects of her game were compared to
Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen and Joyce Wethered. Renowned
abilities of concentration and determination took her
to fifteen national titles, five British Ladies’
Amateur Championship finals and representation on the
Curtis Cup team – the ultimate accolade for ladies
amateur golf – on six occasions. This was all achieved
while working in Clerys department store in Dublin.
This is her
story.
Published
by The Liffey Press
- to order your copy
click
here
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