TEGWEN MATTHEWS' TEAM PRODUCE THEIR SUNDAY BEST

                

                                        A cup of joy for the Americans! Picture by John Dryburgh

USA WIN CURTIS CUP MATCH 13-7

AFTER GB and I TAKE SINGLES 4.5-3.5

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE USGA

ST. LOUIS – The USA won three singles matches and halved a fourth on Sunday to regain the Curtis Cup, 13-7, and cap a dominant week over Great Britain and Ireland at St. Louis Country Club, Missouri. 

The winning point came courtesy of 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Emma Talley. Playing in the opening singles match, the 20-year-old from Princeton, Kentucky, made a 3ft par putt on the 15th green to defeat Bronte Law, 19, of England, 4 and 3.

“Dreams do come true, that's for sure,” said a jubilant Talley, who went 3-0-1 over the three-day contest.
“This was the best week ever. I'm just happy to play with my friends and to do it for my country is even better.”

“That is the coolest trophy of all the seven that I've ever won,” said a proud USA captain Ellen Port, who has captured six individual USGA championships.
 “That is the most special trophy, always, that I will ever have, and ever have been a part of.”

Talley, a rising third-year student at the University of Alabama, continued the steady play that was the hallmark of the USA team throughout the three days of competition.
After taking a 2-hole lead with consecutive wins at the fourth and fifth holes, Talley maintained the advantage for the remainder of the match.

Talley knew that the honour of leading her team onto the course – and potentially securing the winning point – was not something to be taken lightly.

“It was a privilege that I got to go out first,” said Talley, one of three Curtis Cup players who will compete in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in two weeks.
“I was very happy that I got that opportunity and glad I got to secure the point.”

Ally McDonald, 21, of Fulton, Mississippi., earned the second point for the USA. The 2013 North and South Women’s Amateur champion won the par-4 sixth with a birdie to go 1 up and cruised to a 4-and-3 victory over Annabel Dimmock, 17, of England.

“It was a blessing to have been chosen (for the team), and I just wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and make memories and play the best golf that I could,” said McDonald, who will join Talley and GB and I’s Stephanie Meadow at the US Women’s Open.
“I expected coming in to be a big part of the team and to contribute as much as I could, and I think I played really well.”

GB and I rallied to take four of the remaining six singles matches and reduced the large deficit.

“I’m so proud of the girls for how they rallied all day today,” said GB and I captain Tegwen Matthews, who is now 1-1 as a Curtis Cup team captain after she led her team to victory at Nairn in 2012.
“Especially when they knew the match was gone, and yet they never gave up. That could have put the chins really even further down.

“But no, we won the afternoon singles session. So that's a great way to finish and gives everyone a bit of a boost to say the least from a pretty disastrous two days.”

Georgia Hall, 18, of England, holed out for eagle from the fairway on 15 in her 3-and-2 victory over Kyung Kim, 20, of Chandler, Arizona. The hole-out came after Kim’s approach landed a foot from the hole.

Gemma Dryburgh, 20, of Scotland, lost a 3-hole lead to Ashlan Ramsey, 18, of Milledgeville, Georgia but holed a 30ft putt at the 18th to win by two holes.

The final GB and I  point went to Meadow, 22, of Northern Ireland. The recent University of Alabama graduate rallied from an early deficit to notch a 2-and-1 win over Alison Lee, 19, of Valencia, California.

The 2014 Curtis Cup match was Meadow and Ramsey’s final event as amateurs, as they will turn professional immediately following the event.

Mariah Stackhouse, 20, of Riverdale, Georgia, carried a 1-up lead over Eilidh Briggs, 21, of Scotland, to the 18th. However, Stackhouse’s double bogey after going long over the green halved the match.

The USA’s 9½-2½ lead following the first four sessions was the largest four-round lead since the playing format was expanded to five sessions over three days in 2008, bettering the 2010 USA mark of 8½-3½.

The 2016 Curtis Cup Match will be conducted at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, near Dublin, Ireland.

Christina Lance is the assistant manager of championship communications for the USGA. Email her at clance@usga.org.

SUNDAY RESULTS
Par 71. Yardage 6,190
USA 3 1/2, GB and IRELAND 4 1/2
USA names first
Emma Talley bt Bronte Law 4 and 3.
Ally McDonald bt Annabel Dimmock 4 and 3.
Kyung Kim lost to Georgia Hall 3 and 2.
Ashlan Ramsey lost to Gemma Dryburgh 2 holes.

Erynne Lee lost to Charlotte Thomas 2 holes.
Mariah Stackhouse halved with Eilidh Briggs.
Annie Park bt Gabriella Cowley 5 and 4.

Alison Lee lost to Stephanie Meadow 2 and 1.

DAY-BY-DAY SCOREBOARD
Day 1 - USA 5, GB and Ireland 1.
Day 2 - USA 4 1/2, GB and Ireland 1 1/2
Day 3 - USA 3 1/2, GB and Ireland 4 1/2

FINAL RESULT:
UNITED STATES 13, GB and IRELAND 7