Irish eyes are smiling as Mary McKenna's team share last-day honours

LEONA, LISA MAGUIREAND DANIELLE McVEIGH

United States win 12 1/2-7 1/2 but G B and I regain
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their pride with four singles wins

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The Curtis Cup remains in the possession of the United States after the 36th match in the series - at its ancestral home of Essex County Club, Massachusetts - ended with a scoreline of United States 12 1/2-Great Britain and Ireland 7 1/2.
But skipper Mary McKenna's team regained their pride over the final day’s eight singles in which the honours were shared with four wins to either side.
Not a bad performance at all against the all-star American line-up, of whom at least two will become tour professionals within a week or two.
The 15-year-old Irish twins Leona and Lisa Maguire both scored great wins today under pressure and G B and I's other winners on the last day were Danielle McVeigh, also Ireland, and England’s Holly Clyburn, pictured right.

The damage was done to GB and I hopes on Black Saturday when a 6-0 whitewash by the United States over two sessions of four-ball and foursomes eclipsed what had been an enouraging opening day lead established against the odds by GB and I.

United States have now won seven Curtis Cup matches in a row, boosting their overall total of wins to 27.
Great Britain and Ireland have six wins and three matches have been drawn.
GB and I’s last win was in 1996 at Killarney.
This was the second match match in the series to be played under a three-day format with singles being played only on the final day.
Two years ago over the Old Course, St Andrews, the United States won 13-7. Today, the 2010 GB and I side managed to improve on that by half a point.
But there are reasons for those of us on this side of the Atlantic to be cheerful.
The Maguire twins are going to be even better by the time the 2012 Curtis Cup match is played at Nairn on June 8 to 10!
Mary McKenna was upbeat at the close of the three days.
"Today's results were superb and the girls were very upbeat this morning, knowing we had to practically win the full eight," said GB&I captain. "They went out and played their hearts out and to share singles with the US team is absolutely superb. We certainly performed in the positive and we will rise again."

Danielle McVeigh from Northern Ireland, a 22-year-old who is expected to turn pro after she completes her course at the University of Ireland Maynooth, was a bright spot all weekend for Great Britain. The tallest (over 6ft) and the oldest in Mary McKenna's squad, she was probably the outstanding visiting player over the three days. She beat Jthe highly-rated Jennifer Song 3 and 2 in the lead-off singles match. Lisa and Leona Maguire, 15-year-old twin sisters from Ireland, also played well for the visitors. Lisa beat another US top-notcher, Kimberly Kim, by one hole and Leona Maguire topped Tiffany Lua 2 and 1.
"I had a great week," said McVeigh. "I came here to play well and I'm glad I did. I went out to play well against a great opponent. I tried my best but there's no I in team."
Here's how the GB and I players fared over the three days:
Danielle McVeigh: DW LL W= 2.5pt out of 5.
Lisa Maguire: -W L- W = 2pt out of 3.
Holly Clyburn: D- -L W = 1.5pt out of 3.
Leona Maguire: D LL W = 1.5pt out of 5.
Sally Watson: DW LL L =1.5pt out of 5.
Pamela Pretswell: -W L- L = 1pt out of 3.
Hannah Barwood: D- -L L = 0.5pt out of 3.
Rachel Jennings: DL LL L = 0.5pt out of 5.
The Americans had the MVP of the tournament in Alexis Thompson who won four of her five matches and halved the other. Here are their records:
Alexis Thompson: 4.5pt out of 5.
Jennifer Johnson: 3.5pt out of 4.
Jessica Korda: 3.5 out of 5.
Jennifer Song: 2.5pt out of 5.
Cydney Clanton: 2.5pt out of 3.
Stephanie Kono: 2.5pt out of 4.
Kimberly Kim: 1pt out of 3.
Tiffany Lua: 1pt out of 3  

HOW THE MATCH UNFOLDED
Day 1: US 2 1/2, GB and I 3 1/2
Day 2: US 6, GB and I 0.
Day 3: US 4, GB and I 4
TOTAL: US 12 1/2, GB and I 7 1/2SUMMARY OF THE DAY 3 SINGLES
American names first
Jennifer Song lost to Danielle McVeigh 3 and 2.
Great Britain and Ireland made a good start to the final day with a 3 and 2 win by Danielle McVeigh over Jennifer Song in the lead-off singles.
Danielle was level par to her opponent’s three-over-par figures for the 16 holes.
McVeigh went ahead with an eagle 3 to her opponent’s birdie 4 at the fifth and never looked back.
She won the eighth with a birdie 3 and the ninth with a bogey 5 to be three up at the turn.
Song won back the 10th with a par but McVeigh won the 12th and 13th with pars to go four up.
Song cut her deficit to three with a birdie 3 at the 15th but it was too little too late.
A half in par 4s at the 16th ended the match in GB and I’s favour.
Overall: United States 8 1/2, GB and I 4 ½
Alexis Thompson bt Sally Watson 6 and 5.
Alexis was two under par while Sally was four over the card for the 13 holes.
Thompson took a stranglehold on the outcome by winning the first, fourth, fifth and sixth to be three up, the Scot had a double bogey and two bogeys over these holes, not to mention a birdie which won her the third hole.
It was to prove the only hole Watson was able to win.
She went four down with another bogey at the eighth but did stem the tide by halving the ninth birdie 3s
Another bogey from the Scot saw her fall five down at the 10th and that became a six-hole deficit when Thompson birdied the 12th.
A half in par 4s ended the match on the 13th green.
Overall: United States 9 ½, GB and I 4 ½.
Jennifer Johnson bt Rachel Jennings 5 and 4.
Jennifer Johnson’s one-over-par figures were good enough to end the match on the 14th green. Rachel Jennings was an approximate six over par at that point.
The English player did win the first hole with a par 4 but lost the second to a birdie and the third to a par. The American went two up with a birdie 4 at the fifth and then doubled her lead to four holes when Jennings bogeyed the eighth and ninth.
Jennings’ run of bogeys extended to four in a row over the 10th and 11th. She got a half at the 10th but went five down at the 11th.
Johnson bogeyed the 12th to have her lead cut to four holes but she finished the match with a par 3 at the 14th.
That was the point that gave the United States an overall winning lead.
Overall: United States 10 ½, GB and I 4 ½
Cydney Clanton bt Hannah Barwood 4 and 3.
Cydney Clanton went ahead to stay with a birdie 4 at the third hole. She increased her lead with par figures at the sixth, ninth, 10th and 12th to be five holes up.
Hannah Barwood scored her only success of the match with a par 4 at the 13th to be four down. Halves in par figures at the 14th and 15th ended the match.
Clanton was two over par for the holes played, Barwood five over par.
Overall: United States 11 ½, GB and I 4 ½.

Jessica Korda bt Pamela Pretswell 4 and 3.
Pamela Pretswell produced three birdies, despite being two over par at the finish, but won only one hole late in the match and that was with a bogey. Jessica Korda went ahead with a par at the third and then birdied three holes in a row from the fifth. The Scot was able to halve the fifth and sixth but went two down to the American’s birdie 2 at the shot seventh.
A bogey by the GB and I player at the eighth saw her fall three down. The ninth was halved in bogeys but Pretswell’s birdie at the 10th was not enough to win it! Korda had an eagle 2 there to go four up.
The 10th was halved in bogey 4s before Korda went three up with her fourth birdie of the round at the 12th. Pretswell. was able to score her only success at the 14th with a bogey but a half in pars ended the match at the 15th. Korda’s double bogey at the 14th dropped her to two under par for the holes played. Pamela was approximately two over par.
Overall: United States 12 ½, GB and I  4 ½.

Kimberly Kim lost to Lisa Maguire 1 hole.
There was never more than a hole in it either way with Lisa Maguire one up at the fifth, which she birdied. Kimberly Kim replied with a birdie 2 to square the match at the shorth seventh.
The American then went one up with a par at the 10th but after the 11th was halved in bogey 4s, Maguire’s par at the 12th was good enough to put her back on level terms. The short 14th was halved in bogey 4s and Kim also bogeyed the 15th to go one down.
Lisa closed out the match for a one-hole win with halves in par figures at the last three holes.
She was four over par at the finish to her opponent’s five over par figures.
Overall: United States 12 ½, GB and I   5 ½

Tiffany Lua lost to Leona Maguire 2 and 1.
Leona Maguire matched her 15-year-old win sister’s winning performance on the final day with a gritty performance. Tiffany Lua bogeyed the second and third holes to allow Leona to take up a lead she would never relinquish.
The American’s par at the fourth cut her deficit to one but the Irish girl biged the ninth to be two and also birdied the 11th to go three holes ahead.
Leona bogeyed the 14th to lose that and have her lead cut to two but she kept her nerve with halves in par at the last four holes to complete a famous day for the Maguire family.
Leona was level par for the round, her opponent two over par.
Overall: United States 12 ½, GB and I  6 ½
Stephanie Kono lost to Holly Clyburn 2 and 1.
Holly Clyburn’s victory in the last match to finish enabled Great Britain and Ireland to share the honours in the final day’s singles – four wins to either side.
Clyburn made a superb start with winning birdies at the first two holes but she was pulled back to all square by Stephanie Kono after five holes.
Holly was not to be denied and promptly won the sixth and seventh (with a birdie) 2 to regain a two-hole lead.
Then Clyburn’s fortunes changed for the rose. She had a double bogey 6 at the eighth and a bogey at the ninth to be pulled back to all square.
Then, after the 10th was halved in bogey 5s, Kono birdied the short 12th to take the lead for the first time.
Clyburn was not done yet though, She won threee holes in a row from the 13th with a par-birdie-par run that put her two up with three to play. Halves in par at the 16th and 17th ended the contest in GB and I’s favour.
Clyburn was one over par at the finish, her opponent three over.
Overall: United States 12 1/2, GB and I 7  1/2