Curtis Cup - Day 1 - afternoon four-balls

All square at end of Curtis Cup Day 1

Day 1 of the 39th Curtis Cup match ended with the overall scores level at GB and I 3, United States 3.
The home team had the better of the morning foursomes, leading 2-1 at lunchtime.
The home team extended that lead to 3-1 with some brilliant golf in the opening four-balls tie by Leona Maguire and Bronte Law who were six under par in winning by 4 and 3.
But the Americans had the better of the rest of the four-ball action, winning the second tie by one hole and the third by 2 and 1.
 



 DAY 1 AFTERNOON FOUR-BALLS

Leona Maguire and Bronte Law (GB and I)
v Bethany Wu and Sierra Brooks (USA)
GB and I won by 4 and 3.


Maguire birdied the first to give GB and I an early lead. That advantage went up to two holes with a birdie 2 by Law at the short fourth.
Bronte then produced a third birdie to match the 4 by Wu at the long fifth.
Maguire came into the picture again with a birdie 3 to halve the fourth with Brooks. GB and I two up after six holes.
The seventh was halved in birdie 4s before GB and I drew level at the short eighth with par 3s by both home players to bogeys by the Americans.
Quite heavy rain by now but followed by sunshine.
Maguire and Law reached the turn in a better-ball, five-under-par 32. They produced a sixth birdie, courtesy of Maguire, at the 12th to go four up with six to play.
GB and I went dormie four up with halves at the 13th and 14th. 
A half at the 15th gave Maguire and Law a great win by 4 and 3 with six-under-par figures, Maguire contributing four birdies and Law two. 
This win extended GB and I's lunchtime lead to 3-1 overall.


Olivia Mehaffey and Charlotte Thomas (GB and I)
v Hannah O'Sullivan and Mariel Galdiano (USA)
USA won by one hole.

Mehaffey's birdie 3 at the second matched O'Sullivan's  effort and the par-5 fifth was also halved in birdies by the same pair. All square after five holes. 

The first eight holes were halved as the rain set in to be followed by pleasant sunshine.
All square at the turn as both sides sought to make the breakthrough. Both sides' better-ball two under par. 
Charlotte Thomas pictured.
GB and I broke the deadlock at the 10th with a birdie 3 by Mehaffey.  
United States' O'Sullivan birdied the long 12th to wipe out the home lead. Hannah, the world's No 1 female amateur, showed her class with another birdie at the par-4 12th to put the Americans one up for the first time in the match.
Holes 14 and 15 were halved in pars before the short 16th was halved in birdie 2s by the in-form O'Sullivan and Thomas. 
After a half in pars at the 17th, O'Sullivan holed a birdie putt at the 18th and conceded GB and Ireland their putt, giving the Americans a one-hole lead and chalking up the Americans second point of the day.


Meghan MacLaren and Alice Hewson  (GB and I)
v Bailey Tardy and Monica Vaughn (USA)
USA won by 2 and 1.

Tardy's birdie 3 at the second put the Americans ahead. USA still one up after four holes. The fifth was halved in birdie 4s - by MacLaren and both Americans.

Hewson's birdie 3 at the sixth squared the match as the rain set in to be followed by lovely sunshine.
All square after eight with both sides two under par.
The GB and I pair bogeyed the par-4 ninth to one down for a second time in the match. Both Americans birdied the par-4 10th to double their lead.
MacLaren birdied the long 12th to cut the USA lead to one hole but Vaughn birdied the 13th to restore the American lead to two holes. 
The 15th was halved in bogey 5s. The 16th was halved in birdie 3s by Vaughn and Hewson for GB and I. 
USA two up with three to play which became dormie two after a half in par 3s at the 16th.
Another half, at the 17th, gave the Americans a 2 and 1 lead and tied up the Day 1 scoreline at 3-3.