Kitty MacCann

{{short description|Irish amateur golfer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Kitty MacCann | image = | imagesize =  | caption = | fullname = Catherine MacCann | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|2|20|df=y}} | birth_place = Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland | death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|4|29|1922|2|20|df=y}} | death_place = Birr, County Offaly, Ireland | height =  | weight = | nationality = {{IRL}} | spouse = | children = | college = | status = Amateur | yearpro =  | retired =  | awardssection =  }} '''Catherine MacCann''' ({{nee}} Smye, 20 February 1922 – 29 April 2010) was an Irish amateur golfer. She won the British Ladies Amateur in 1951, the Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship in 1949 and 1961 and was a member of the 1952 Curtis Cup team.

== Golf career == Irish women's golf after World War II was dominated by Philomena Garvey. Garvey won the Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship 14 times between 1946 and 1963. Garvey missed two events, in 1956 and 1961, and was only beaten twice in that period in 1949 and 1952, both times in the second round.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hm5RAAAAIBAJ&pg=3054%2C3781175 |title=Miss Garvey loses Irish title |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=2 |date=21 June 1949}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8kxAAAAAIBAJ&pg=5953%2C2028252 |title=Irish surprises |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=9 |date=21 May 1952}}</ref> MacCann played in the event in 1946, losing at the quarter-final stage.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph/136690929 |title=Irish women's golf |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |page=3 |date=6 June 1946 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1947 she reached the final but lost to Garvey.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FBM1AAAAIBAJ&pg=4734%2C1375141 |title=Miss Garvey retains Irish title |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=6 |date=23 May 1947}}</ref> She lost in the quarter-finals in 1948 but in 1949 took advantage of Garvey's early exit to win the title, beating Dorothy Beck in the final.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph/136715271/|title=Miss Garvey in final |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |page=3 |date=13 May 1948 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iG5RAAAAIBAJ&pg=6059%2C4089874 |title=Irish champion |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=7 |date=24 June 1949}}</ref> MacCann won for a second time in 1961 but lost further finals to Garvey in 1957 and 1960 and to Dorothy Forster in 1952.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9ExAAAAAIBAJ&pg=2279%2C2247053 |title=Miss Forster Irish champion |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=2 |date=23 May 1952}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YH5AAAAAIBAJ&pg=2184%2C4875040 |title=Irish finalists |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=4 |date=7 June 1957}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HXhAAAAAIBAJ&pg=2275%2C6731333 |title=Irish ladies' title |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=5 |date=18 June 1960}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-journal/136633861 |title=Mrs McCann wins Irish golf title |newspaper=The Guardian Journal |page=3 |date=17 June 1961 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

MacCann first played in the Women's Home Internationals in 1947, after reaching the final of the Irish championship.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L2hAAAAAIBAJ&pg=4683%2C2324454 |title=Strong Scots challenge for women's golf title |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=2 |date=9 June 1947}}</ref> She played again in 1948 and 1949. These events were played on the Friday and Saturday before the start of the British Ladies Amateur at the same venue on the following Monday. However it seems that MacCann did not play in the British Ladies Amateur until 1950.<ref name=IGA/> She did play in the event in 1950, losing in the third round to Jessie Valentine.<ref name=IGA/> In 1951 at Broadstone she beat Moira Paterson in the quarter-finals and then Jeanne Bisgood in the semis, both matches going to extra holes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uC01AAAAIBAJ&pg=4323%2C3216878 |title=English-Irish women's final |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=7 May 1951 |page=7}}</ref> In the final she beat Frances Stephens 4&3 in the 36-hole final, to become the first Irish winner since 1907.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M0tAAAAAIBAJ&pg=5677%2C3311613 |title=First Irish success in 40 years |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=8 May 1951 |page=7}}</ref>

MacCann was selected for the 1952 Curtis Cup team at Muirfield.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WVBAAAAAIBAJ&pg=3946%2C3370101 |title=Curtis Cup selection |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=7 |date=5 April 1952}}</ref> MacCann was not selected for the foursomes, the British team taking a 2–1 lead on the first day,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AU1AAAAAIBAJ&pg=5411%2C3681026 |title=Britain lead in Curtis Cup foursomes |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=6 |date=7 June 1952}}</ref> MacCann was also not selected for the singles. However Elizabeth Price was not well in the morning and might have been replaced. However MacCann was also ill and so Price played her singles match. Price beat Grace DeMoss 3&2 and, with the singles matches tied 3–3, the British Isles won their first Curtis Cup.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-post/136759050 |title=First Curtis Cup win for Britain |newspaper=The Birmingham Post |page=7 |date=9 June 1952 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

==Personal life== MacCann was born Catherine Smye in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland on 20 February 1922. Her father and brothers were amateur golfers.<ref name=IGA/> She married Pat MacCann on 16 February 1950.<ref name=IGA/> She died on 29 April 2010 at the age of 88.<ref name=IGA>{{cite web |title=MacCann (née Smye), Catherine (Kitty) 1922-2010 |url=https://irishgolfarchive.com/maccann-nee-smye-catherine-kitty-1922-2010 |website=Irish Golf Archive |access-date=13 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Irish legend Kitty MacCann dies at 88 |url=http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/2010/05/irish-legend-kitty-maccann-dies-at-88.html |website=Kirkwood Golf |date=4 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MacCann, Catherine : Death |url=https://notices.irishtimes.com/death/maccann-catherine/3939290 |website=The Irish Times family notices |access-date=13 December 2023}}</ref>

==Team appearances== *Curtis Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1952 *Women's Home Internationals (representing Ireland): 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacCann, Kitty}} Category:Irish female golfers Category:Amateur golfers Category:1922 births Category:2010 deaths Category:20th-century Irish sportswomen