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Great Britain & Ireland captured the 1996 Curtis Cup Match
by defeating the United States, 11 ½- 6 ½ at Ireland's Killarney
Golf and Fishing Club, June 21- 22.
Although the United States leads in the series, 20-6-3,
this was the third victory in the last four meetings for the
GB&I team. The United States won in 1990 but has since lost
three straight encounters, twice on foreign soil and once
at home, losing the 1994 Math by virtue of a 9-9 tie at The
Honors Course, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The 1996 Match marked an American individual record for
veteran Carol Semple Thompson of Sewickley, Pa. Thompson was
making her record ninth appearance on the U.S. team, having
also competed in 1974, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1992,
and 1994. It turned out to be, however, a dubious honor as
Thompson went winless for the first time in 20 years. She
did manage to halve two matches to clinch one point for the
U.S.
Alison Rose of Stirling, Scotland, became only the second
GB&I player to go 4-0 in the Match. She tied the record set
by Trish Johnson in 1986.
GB&I took the lead midway through the first day, although
the U.S. staged something of a comeback in the morning matches.
At one time, the U.S. trailed in all three foursomes matches,
but Americans Ellen Port and Kelli Kuehne finally jumped ahead
and won, 2 and 1, while Cristie Kerr and Thompson managed
to tie their foursomes encounter for a half point.
GB&I jumped out to a 6-3 lead at the end of the first day's
singles matches, winning 4 ½ points in the afternoon. Rose,
Karen Stupples, Mhairi McKay, and Janice Moodie all won their
matches, while Elaine Ratcliffe tied her match against American
Marla Jemsek for a half point. Only Sarah Ingram won a point
for the U.S., defeating Julie Hall, 4 and 2.
GB&I got off to a quick start in foursomes the morning of
the second day. Moodie and McKay defeated Ingram and Kellee
Booth, while Rose and Lisa Dermont edged Jemsek and Brenda
Corrie- Kuehn, 2 and 1. The American team of Port and Kelli
Kuehne defeated Hall and Lisa Educate, 1 up, but GB&I led,
8-4, going into the afternoon singles matches.
The outcome of the Match was decided in the fourth singles
encounter, when Rose halved the 13th hole in her match with
Ellen Port to win, 6 and 5, and capture the winning point.
Kellee Booth, a junior from Arizona State University, won
her second singles match to earn a point for the American
side. Her mother, Jane Bastanchury Booth, played for the United
States in 1970, 1972, and 1974.
Hall, of GB&I, in her fifth and final Curtis Cup Match,
went winless in four matches.
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