UNITED STATES CLINCH 26th
CURTIS CUP TRIUMPH

United States won the 35th Curtis Cup competition for the 26th time in
the history of the biennial transatlantic women's amateur golf
international contest.
In a historic match – the first to be staged over the Old Course, St
Andrews and the first to be played over three days – the Americans
triumphed easily in the end by a 13 points to seven margin.
Skipper Carol Semple Thompson's team started the final day with a
three-point lead (7 ½-4 1/2) with the home captain Mary McKenna still
cherishing hopes that the Great Britain & Ireland team, which had been
hanging on to the Americans' coat-tails over the first two days, would
come good in the eight singles climax to the match.
After two warm almost summer-like days, the Sunday weather certainly
turned in favour of the home team … much colder, windier and
occasionally wet.
But the writing was soon on the scoreboard, if not on the wall, for
hopes of a seven Great Britain & Ireland victory in the series which
began at Wentworth in 1932.
The Brits were soon trailing in the top four singles and things did not
get much better although, to be fair, the home tail did wag with wins
by Florentyna Parker (Royal Birkdale) by 6 and 4 over Meghan Bolger and
by home-course girl Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) by 2 and 1 over Mina
Harigae.
And Scottish champion Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) gained a
creditable half with Jennie Lee.
Another Scot, Sally Watson (Elie & Earslferry), came back from two down
against Irish-born Alison Walshe in the final singles to be all square
with five holes to play. But she lost the 16th and went down by one
hole.
Watson, only 16, and 19-year-old Caithness were the top points
producers for Great Britain with three points each. Watson played in
every session of play while Caithness, home for the summer from Georgia
University, and playing over her home course, won all three ties in
which she was played.
For the Americans, Stacy Lewis was the MVP with five wins out of five.
Galway-born Alison Walshe, whose family emigrated to Boston when she
was a youngster, was the second most successful player in the American
squad she won all four of her ties.
Carly Booth (Comrie), at 15 the youngest GB&I player ever to be chosen
for a Curtis Cup match – this was the youngest-ever GB&I team, had a
nightmare last day. She went down by 6 and 5 to Tiffany Joh despite
winning the first two holes.
"I just couldn't buy a putt of any length today," said Carly. "But I
have great memories from my first Curtis Cup and I'm sure there will be
more."
Breanne Loucks (Wrexham), winner of all three of her Curtis Cup ties at
Bandon Dunes two years ago, could win only one of four outings over the
Old Course. Given the honour of playing in the lead-off singles tie,
the Welsh girl lost by 3 and 1 to former US amateur champion, and still
only 16, Kimberly Kim from Hawaii.
Jodi Ewart (Catterick), who plays on the US college circuit as a
student at Texas A&M University, was drawn to play the top-ranked
American player, Amanda Blumenherst and did well to take her to the
17th green before going down 2 and 1.
Liz Bennett (Brokenhurst Manor), at 25 the oldest player in the home
team, went down by 3 and 2 to Stacy Lewis, the No 2 ranked US college
player, by 3 and 2.
The Sunday attendance was 4,800, not a bad figure considering the
inclement weather, which gave a three-day total of 13,600.

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