CURTIS CUP FIRST DAY WRAP UP

UNITED STATES LEAD 4-2 AT END OF
FIRST DAY OF CURTIS CUP

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

It could have been worse … but it could have been better.

United States lead Great Britain & Ireland 4-2 at the end of the first day of the
35th Curtis Cup, the first to be decided over three days and the first
to be staged over the Old Course, St Andrews.
The Americans, who have not lost this biennial, transatlantic women's
amateur international golf match since Killarney in 1996, won both
sessions of play, the morning foursomes and the afternoon four-balls,
2-1.
With a little bit of luck, skipper Mary McKenna's team would have
shared the post-lunch honours 1 ½-1 ½ and the GB&I team led in two ties
at one stage of the afternoon play.
But it was not to be. After overnight and steady morning rain, the fire
had gone out of the links conditions and the Americans' putting was
simply world-class.
But, to be fair, the home squad hung in there as best they could and
contributed their share of sub-par figures towards the day's all-in
total of one eagle and 26 birdies.
Prince Andrew was among the crowd of 3,000, reduced no doubt by the
miserable weather in the morning.
Sally Watson, 16-year-old Edinburgh girl, was the Day 1 heroine for
Great Britain & Ireland. She played twice, she won twice.
Only two other players on either side could match that – and they were
top two players from the US college golf circuit, Amanda Blumenherst
and Stacy Lewis.
Sally Watson teamed up with new Scottish champion Michele Thomson from
Ellon to win by one hole over Mina Harigate and Jennie Lee.
Then in the afternoon four-ball format, Watson and US college student
Krystle Caithness, brought in to make her Curtis Cup debut, teamed up
well to beat Tiffany Joh and Meghan Bolger 3 and 2.
The young Scots were three under par with a bag of four birdies in
winning by 3 and 2.
The two other Scots in the eight-strong GB&I squad, 15-year-old Carly
Booth from Comrie and Michele Thomson, ran into a barrage of birdies
from former US women's amateur champion – and still a teenager –
Kimberley Kim and Mina Harigae.
The Americans won by 3 and 2 with seven under par figures. Booth and
Thomson had the galling experience of playing out of their skins
themselves – four under par with five birdies – and still losing in 16
holes.
Amanda Blumenherst and Tiffany Joh extended the American lead to 4-2
overall by beating Florentyna Parker and Liz Bennett by 3 and 1.
This was a quality match as well with one eagle and nine birdies and
Amanda and Tiffany were six under par at the finish. Liz Bennett gained
the day's only eagle 3 – at the 514yd fifth where she got home in two
and holed the putt.

United States took a 2-1 lead at the end of a morning of fluctuating
fortunes and late drama in the opening session of foursomes.
Sally Watson and Michele Thomson from Ellon won the No 2 tie by one
hole against Mina Harigae and Jennie Lee. The young Scots surged into a
four-hole lead after only seven holes but then had to keep their nerve
as they fought a rearguard action as the Americans chipped away at the
deficit.
Their win cancelled out a 3 and 1 victory for the United States' Stacy
Lewis and Irish-born Alison Walshe over the all-England pairing of Liz
Bennett and Jodi Ewart in the lead-off tie.
There was a crisis point for the under pressure Watson and Thomson as
they sought to defend a one-hole advantage down the 18th after running
up a 7 to lose the Road Hole 17th.
Thomson's drive landed on the tarmac road that bisects the 18th and
first fairways. It is an integral part of the course and the players
get no relief.
Watson made good contact with her pitching wedge approach shot from an
awkward stance on the tarmac – "I probably wrecked the club but it was
worth it" - but Thomson was left an uphill putt for the pair's third
shot of at least 25ft, maybe longer.
The new Scottish champion was short with her uphill putt but Watson,
with amazing nerves of steel for a 16-year-old, rammed home the
five-footer to halve the hole in par 4s and gave the Scots a one-hole
win.
"There was no way Michele and I were going to lose. We were quite
determined about that coming up the last hole," said 16-year-old Sally.
American's No 1 college player, Amanda Blumenherst, and Tiffany Joh
showed their class with the best scoring of the morning – three under
par 33 for the outward half. That put them four up and apparently in
the driving seat against Breanne Loucks and Florentyna Parker but the
GB&I pair, give them their due, did not throw in the towel and they
gallantly took the match to the 18th.
In fact, had Parker been able to hole a three-footer for a birdie on
the last green, they would have salvaged half-a-point and the morning
session would have ended 1 1/2-1 ½. It was as close as that in the end. _______________________________________________________________________
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