CAPTAINS DON’T WANT UNITED
STATES v EUROPE CURTIS CUP

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
United States won the biennial Curtis Cup women’s amateur international contest for the sixth time in a row over the Old Course, St Andrews on Sunday.
But neither of the team captains, Mary McKenna abd Carol Semple Thompson, wants a Ryder Cup-style change to make it a USA v Europe contest.
It is acknowledged by most students of the game that the majority of the leading female amateur golfers in Europe at the moment are from Continent.

In last year’s Vagliano Trophy match at St Andrews Bay, the Continentals beat GB&I by a record margin. In the recent NCAA Division 1 women's college championship in America, something like six of the top 10 finishers were Continental Europeans.

Some pundits see the Curtis Cup at the same one-sided stage as the Ryder Cup was a decade or two before it became a Europe, not a GB&I team that took on the States.

I have to admit that I am on the side of those who would like to see Continentals of the world-class quality of Carlota Ciganda (Spain), pictured above, and Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) - who contested last year's BRITISH women's open amateur championship at Leeds - playing in the Curtis Cup and making a 13-7 margin of victory for the United States less likely in future.

But the team captains of this past week's Curtis Cup contest would certainly not like to see its format follow the Ryder Cup line.
“I don’t think a Europe v United States Curtis Cup match would have the same impact. It’s very important that we keep it the way it is, especially for GB&I because it gives the girls something to focus on, something to strive for selection to,” said Mary McKenna.
“The Curtis Cup is a stepping stone for the future. It is difficult to be selected for the GB&I team. So personally I would hope it would never change.”
Carol Semple Thompson, who has played or been team captain in more Curtis Cup matches than any other player on both sides of the Atlantic, said:
“I like the tradition of playing against Great Britain & Ireland. I can understand they might be a little frustrated at this point since the States have now won six matches in a row but even though I think our level of play was fantastic, all the games over the last three days have been well-fought.
“There’s plenty of talent on both sides to make it a good match. So I would definitely cast my vote on the status quo.”

Perhaps the European Golf Association should take the lead and make a direct approach to the United States Golf Association to introduce a United States v Europe or Continental Europe match in alternate years to the Curtis Cup.

OK, so that would mean a rival for the Vagliano Trophy in the same year. But that would be a minor problem, surely.