TEGWEN'S STORMTROOPERS SCALE THE CURTIS CUP HEIGHTS

                            TEGWEN'S TROOPERS SCALED THE HEIGHTS TODAY
                                              Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com
I was there at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club in 1996 when Great Britain and Ireland last beat the United States to win the Curtis Cup. And I was at The Nairn Golf Club today to see Tegwen's Troopers - the 2012 GB and I squad under the captaincy of Tegwen Matthews - scale the heights to end 16 years of playing second fiddle to the Americans.
It was a terrific performance in1996 but, hand on heart, I have to say that today's performance - and the comeback really started late Saturday by winning the last two four-ball matches - topped it.
I cannot recall when last I have been so caught up in golfing events unfolding in front of me that I was genuinely excited by it all. Maybe young Lauren Taylor's victory in last year's British women's open amateur championship but that was a one-girl show ... at Nairn this was a team effort with a capital "T."
And I was not alone in my excitement. Apart from the record 3,600 spectators out there on the links, even hard-bitten golf writers in the Media Centre were besides themselves with glee that they had decided to come to Nairn - unlike their English, Welsh and Irish counterparts who all stayed at home - and been rewarded with a performance it was a pleasure for them to write about and recall many years from now with the proud boast ... "I was there at Nairn in 2012!"

The essence of it all was that a Great Britain and Ireland team, written off by many when they lost Friday's opening foursomes 3-0, staged a comeback of which Lazarus would have been proud - a brilliant last-day surge to win back the Curtis Cup. They finished victors by 10 1/2pt to 8 1/2, having won the final set of eight singles by a 5-3 margin.

Trailing by 1pt going into the final day, thanks to a 2-1 capture of Saturday's four-ball programme, captain Tegwen Matthews' team notched individual wins by Kelly Tidy, who was three down after six holes,

Amy Boulden, Holly Clyburn, Charley Hull and the clincher from Stephanie Meadow.

The last time GB and I beat the Americans was at Killarney in 1996. The US were bidding to win the Curtis Cup for an eighth straight occasion in the biennial fixture.

This is believed to be the first time since 1956 that the United States have lost a Curtis Cup match after leading into the final set of singles.

The Ryder Cup, Walker Cup, Solheim Cup and now the Curtis Cup all now rest on this side of the Atlantic.

English amateur champion Kelly Tidy came back from three down after six to put the first point of final day on the board at around 1pm.

The English champion's 2 and 1 victory over Austin Ernst in the lead-off singles squared the match overall at 6 1/2pt each.

GB and I's overall points total rose to 8 1/2 with wins by Holly Clyburn (3 and 2 over Erica Popson) and Amy Boulden (3 and 1 over Emily Tubert).

The United States advanced their overnight points total of 6 1/2 by one with Lisa McCloskey beat Scotland's Pamela Pretswell 4 and 3.

Charley Hull played sub-par golf to beat Lindy Duncan 5 and 3 - GB and I now on 9 1/2pt to United States' 7 1/2

The Americans' total moved up to 8 1/2 with Brooke Pancake registering a 6 and 5 win over Leona Maguire in the eighth singles.

Stephanie Meadow produced the clinching point by beating Amy Anderson 4 and 2. Stephanie's figures of four under par were the best of the day, surpassing Charley Hull#s earlier three-under-par effort.

The Olympic Torch (unlit) was on the first tee. Perhaps it lit the flame of fighting spirit among Tegwen's Troopers.

It was a dull, overcast morning, no sunshine but no rain and relatively no wind.

MATCH ONE

Kelly Tidy (GB and I) bt Austin Ernst (US) 2 and 1.

All square at the turn, which represented quite a fightback by Kelly Tidy who was three down after six. Austin Ernst won the second with a birdie, the fifth with a birdie and the GB and I player conceded the sixth. Tidy got her first birdie at the seventh to win that and par 4s at the eighth and ninth by Kelly were good enough for her to win both and square the match.

Tidy and Ernst were playing at a brisk pace. The English girl went one up for the first time when the American bogeyed the 12th.

Ernst was by no means finished. She squared it at the 14th with a par but the American bogeyed the 16th to allow Tidy to go one up at a vital stage.

Tidy capped her brilliant comeback with a birdie 3 at the 17th for a 2 and 1 victory - achieved in round 3 hours: great golf at the gallop! Tidy was roughly level par for the round.

MATCH TWO

Amy Boulden (GB and I) v Emily Tubert (US) by 3 and 1

Three birdies over the first five holes helped Tubert go two up with successes at the first and fifth. Boulden was able to halve the long second in 4s.

The Welsh champion fought her way back into the picture by winning three holes in a row - a birdie at the ninth, a birdie at the 10th and a par at the 11th put Boulden one up for the first time.

After her great run Boulden bogeyed both the 12th and 13th, losing the 12th to be pulled back to all square but halving the next.

Boulden was back in the driving seat when she won the 14th with a par 3, halved the next in birdie 3s and was then conceded the 16th to be two up with three to play.

Boulden clinched victory with a par at the 17th for a 3 and 1 victory margin. The Welsh player was roughly level par at the finish.

MATCH THREE

Holly Clyburn (GB and I) bt Erica Popson (US) 3 and 2.

An eagle by Holly Clyburn at the long seventh put her one up for the second time in the match. The long second had been halved in birdies but Popson bogeyed the third to fall one behind. A birdie by the Amerian at the fifth squared it before Clyburn's winning 3 at the par-5 seventh.

Popson squared matters with a par at the eighth and that was the position as they turned for home. Clyburn, who has played in all five sessions since Friday morning, went one up at the 12th which Popson bogeyed.

Clyburn made it three successes in a row by taking the 13th and 14th with par figures to go three up. Popson hit back with a birdie 3 to win the 15th and be two down with three to play.

Clyburn birdied the 16th for a 3 and 2 victory. The GB and I player was approximately one under par for the holes played.

MATCH FOUR

Lisa McCloskey (US) bt Pamela Pretswell (GB and I) 4 and 3.

Pamela Pretswell conceded the second and bogeyed the third to be two down on the fourth tee.

Lisa McCloskey birdied the long seventh to go three up. Pretswell scored her first success with a birdie 3 at the eighth but went back to three down when the American birdied the ninth.

McCloskey went four up on the Scot who conceded the 10th. Pretswell needed to get a winning run going and she perhaps started it by winning the short 11th.

However, the Scot went back to four down by losing the 12th.

A string of halves ended the match in favour of McCloskey by 4 and 3. The American was roughly one under par for the holes played.

MATCH FIVE

Tiffany Lua (US) bt Bronte Law (GB and I) by two holes.

Bronte Law went one up with a birdie at the long second but Tiffany Lua squared matters with a birdie 2 at the short fourth. Law showed ahead again with a par at the seventh but bogeyed the eighth to be pulled back to level and that was how they stood at the turn.

The 10th was halved in bogey 6s before Lua went ahead with a 2 at the short 11th and then doubled her lead when conceded the 12th.

Law got one back with a birdie at the 15th and was one down with two to play after a half in par at the 16th.

With news coming through from behind that Stephanie Meadow had clinched overall victory for GB and I, the last hole was concered to Lua for a two-hole victory.

MATCH SIX

Charley Hull (GB and I) bt Lindy Duncan (US) 5 and 3.

Charley Hull was two under par after four holes. The long second was halved in birdies before Hull birdied the third to edge ahead. Lindy Duncan conceded the short fourth, where she hooked her tee shot on to the beach, to fall two behind.

Hull won the short sixth with a par and birdied the long seventh to go three up. The seventh and eighth holes were halved in pars, leaving Hull threbee up on the 10th tee.

Charley stepped up a gear to win the 11th with a birdie 2 and the 12th and 13th with pars to go a commanding five holes up. Duncan won back the 14th but she was onl delaying the inevitable. Hull won the 15th and the match on a concession. Charley winner by 5 and 3 with roughly three under par figures - the best of the final day.

MATCH SEVEN

Stephanie Meadow (GB and I) bt Amy Anderson (US) 4 and 2.

Stephanie Meadow went one up at the third with a par and also took the fourth where the American got her second bogey in a row. Anderson got into her stride with a birdie to win the fifth and a par 3 at the next put the American level.

Meadow bounced back with an eagle 3 at the long seventh to go one up again.

Stephanie lost the eighth with a bogey but birdied the ninth to turn for home with a one-hole advantage.

Meadow birdied the 10th to go one up and although she lost the 12th to a birdie, the momentum was with the Alabama University student. She won the 13th on a concession, the 15th with a birdie and clinched a notable 4 and 2 win at the 16th.

Stephanie's figures of four under par were the best by anyone on the final day.

MATCH EIGHT

Brooke Pancake (US) bt Leona Maguire (GB and I) by 6 and 5.

Leona Maguire birdied the long second but still went one down at this par-5 hole - Brooke Pancake holed her putt for an eagle 3. The American went three up by winning the fourth and fifth with pars before Maguire scored her first success of the morning with a par 3 at the short sixth.

Pancake went back to three up with a winning par at the eighth.

At the ninth the American increased her lead to four and went five up at the par-5 10th, with a double-bogey 7 to Maguire's triple 8. Halves in par at the 11th and 12th ended the match.

Pancake was roughly two over par for the holes played.

                    FILLING THE CURTIS UP OF JOY ... CHEERS!
                                Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency