Bessie Anthony

Bessie Anthony (March 19, 1880 – November 22, 1912) was an American amateur golfer. She was the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1903, and won the Women's Western Amateur tournament in its first three years, 1901, 1902, and 1903.

Bessie Anthony, from a 1903 publication.
Bessie Anthony, from a 1903 publication.

Early life

Anthony was from Evanston, Illinois. Her father Charles E. Anthony was a lawyer in Chicago. Her sister Miriam Anthony also played golf.[1]

Career

Anthony helped to found the Women's Western Golf Association in 1903, and, as a member of the Glenview Golf Club,[2] won the organization's first three annual tournaments, all held at Chicago courses.[3][4][5] In 1901, the New York Times reported that "Miss Anthony fairly electrified the gallery by her dashing play" at a tournament in New Jersey.[6] That year, she also set a new record score for women's play at the Onwentsia golf course.[7]

In 1902, she set a new record score at the Midlothian golf course.[8] Also in 1902, Robert Todd Lincoln presented a sterling silver jewelry box to Anthony, to mark her win at the Chicago Golf Club.[9]

In 1903, after defeating fellow Chicagoan Johnnie Anna Carpenter in the finals, she was the U.S. Women's Amateur champion, the first "western" player to win that title.[10][11][12] By then, she had announced her engagement to marry, and that she would not defend her title in 1904.[13] There were reports that she would have postponed the wedding if she did not win the championship.[14]

Personal life

Bessie Anthony married fellow golfer Bernard S. Horne in late 1903, at the First Presbyterian Church in Evanston.[15][16] They lived in Virginia, where she raised horses.[17] The Hornes had four sons together before she died in 1912, along with her infant daughter, in Keswick, Virginia, aged 32 years.[18][19]

References
  1. "Women's Golf" The World To-day (November 1903): 1399–1400.
  2. "Trophy to Miss Anthony" Chicago Tribune (September 29, 1901): 18. via Newspapers.comopen access
  3. Mary Haferman, "The Women Influencers of Golf" Archived May 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine Generation W.
  4. Tim Cronin, "The Founding of the WWGA" Western Women's Golf Association.
  5. "Miss Anthony, Golf Champion" New York Times (August 31, 1902): 18. via ProQuest
  6. "Women Play Close Golf" New York Times (October 11, 1901): 7. via ProQuest
  7. "Miss Anthony Breaks Record" Chicago Tribune (September 28, 1901): 6. via Newspapers.comopen access
  8. "New Golf Record for Midlothian" Inter Ocean (June 18, 1902): 4. via Newspapers.comopen access
  9. "A Unique Golf Artifact" Golf Tripper.
  10. "Bessie Anthony" Chicago Golf Club website.
  11. "Western Golf Women Win" New York Times (October 3, 1903): 10. via ProQuest
  12. "Miss Anthony Wins At Golf" New York Times (October 4, 1903): 17. via ProQuest
  13. "Many Golf Champions" New York Times (November 8, 1903): 15. via ProQuest
  14. "Cupid Defeats Champion" Indianapolis Journal (October 18, 1903): 8. via Newspapers.comopen access
  15. "Miss Anthony, Leading Lady of the Golf Links, Married" Los Angeles Herald (November 4, 1903): 5. California Digital Newspaper Collectionopen access
  16. "Miss Bessie Anthony Married to Bernarde Horne" Chicago Tribune (November 4, 1903): 13. via Newspapers.comopen access
  17. "First of Horse Shows" Washington Post (May 8, 1909): 7. via Newspapers.comopen access
  18. "Society News" American Photography (February 1913): 123.
  19. "Woman Golf Champion Dead" Chicago Tribune (November 23, 1912): 5. via Newspapers.comopen access
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