RASH RULES CARLY OUT OF OPENING
CURTIS CUP FOURSOMES

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Comrie’s Carly Booth, at 15 years the babe of the youngest-ever GB&I team selected for a Curtis Cup match, will not play in the opening foursomes on Thursday morning over the Old Course, St Andrews.
And it’s not surprising that skipper Mary McKenna has left the junior Ryder Cup Scot on the sidelines for the time being..
Because Carly revealed on the eve of the 35th match against the United States that she had an itchy rash on most parts of her body.
Booth, one of four Scots in the team for the first time since 1994, missed the Tuesday and Wednesday practice sessions, ostensibly with a sore throat but Carly said it was a bit more serious than that.
“On Monday, I was feeling some aches in my legs and coughing a little. I thought maybe I was just tired.
Monday night I was coughing during the night. So I thought I might get some cough medicine and I’d be fine,” said Carly.
“At breakfast on Tuesday morning, I had a very bad headache. So we decided to go see a doctor. This was at 8.45am and we’re at the doctor’s and I’m sitting there. Then the doctor couldn’t see us until 9.40, so I was kind of falling asleep by then.
“We had noticed at breakfast that I had a little rash on my ankles but we thought that could have been from anything, like from my socks.
“Then Teg (team manager Tegwen Matthews) could see the rash was also on my arms. She woke me up and we could see that the rash was up my arms and all over. But the doctor couldn’t tell me what was causing it..
“So I just rested up The rash kind of went on my face as well and I had really puffy eyes. Wednesday was my worst day for this and I rested all day. I felt fine but the rash was getting really bad
“I thought on Thursday morning I would go out and get some fresh air and play only a few holes because my hands were sore with the rash. But I played all 18 holes. And I felt fine at the end. But the rash is still there and really itchy but I’m trying not to scratch it.”
“I’m ready to play. I’m excited. Very excited about playing in the Curtis Cup for the first time.”
The other Scot who will sit out the opening session is home course player Krystle Caithness, a St Regulus club member, who flew home from the final 72-hole event of the American women’s college circuit at the weekend.
Sally Watson (Elie & Earsferry), only 16 but with an excellent competitive record over the Old Course will partner the big-hitting Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) who won the Scottish women’s amateur title at Lossiemouth a couple of weeks ago. Sally, Carly and Krystle did not play in that tournament because they were still in America at the time.
Michele confirmed that she has been taken under the wing of Paul Lawrie, winner of the 1999 Open at Carnoustie.
“I’m grateful that Paul has included me in his foundation squad where he can give us one-on-one assistance, not only about to play this or that kind of shot in different conditions but how to deal with other things that crop up. I’m raring to go in my first Curtis Cup. The Scottish championship was my first big target of the season. I hit that one. Now to do well and help Great Britain and Ireland win back the Curtis Cup is the top priority for this week.”
The all-England pairing of Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor) and American college student Jodi Ewart (Catterick) will tee off in the opening alternate-shot tie against Stacy Lewis and Irish-born Alison Walshe.
Sally Watson and Michele Thomson will go in next against Mina Harigae and Jennie Lee.
The last morning tie will see Welsh girl Breanne Loucks (Wrexham), who won three points out of three in the 2006 Curtis Cup defeat at Bandon Dunes, Oregon two years ago, partner England’s Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) against the top-ranked American college player, Amanda Blumenherst and Tiffany Joh.
The team captains do not have to name their line-ups for the afternoon four-ball ties until lunch-time.
“I am making no predictions about the final division of the 20pts at stake over the three days,” said Mary McKenna.
“I have said to my team that we’re going to take this on half-days and deal with the first three points in the morning session. Even if the girls are focusing on winning each match, it’s almost as important to get a halved match. All the points add up in the end.
“My girls have given it 100 per cent in the build-up. They’ve worked very hard this week. They’ve been super. They really have and I just hope for their sake that the weather stays like it has been today, warm and not too windy.”
US captain Carol Semple Thompson, who has played in 12 Curtis Cup matches – more than any other player on either side of the Atlantic (Mary McKenna tops the GB&I list with nine), said she acknowledged that on paper the US team had strength in depth but she did not think the first three-day contest in the 76-year history of the Curtis Cup would be one-sided in their favour.
“We’ve had a lot of close matches over the last 10 years, even though the United States ended up winning the Cup most times. The records don’t show how close the ties have been. I don’t expect Great Britain & Ireland to be weak opposition at all.”