Great Britain and Ireland Sweeps Morning Foursomes
Merseyside, England - The Great Britain and Ireland team swept the morning foursomes matches Saturday to take a 3-0 lead midday way through the first day of play at the 33rd Curtis Cup Match, being played at the par-72, 6,369-yard Formby Golf Club.
USA captain Martha Kirouac, right, offers advice to Annie Thurman during Saturday morning's foursomes matches. Thurman and teammate Sarah Huarte dropped a 1-up decision. (Sam Greenwood/USGA) Shelley McKevitt and Emma Duggelby teamed to give the GB&I its first point of the day with a 3-and-2 victory over the USA's Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., and Jane Park of Beaumont, Calif. Creamer and Park led early, but McKevitt and Duggelby came back to win four consecutive holes, starting at the par-3, 370-yard 13th. The match ended on the par-3, 120-yard 16th hole when Duggelby sank a 4-foot par putt after Creamer missed her par putt from five feet.
The GB&I's second point came from Nicola Timmins and Danielle Masters, who took a 1-up lead against Sarah Huarte of Shingle Springs, Calif., and Annie Thurman of Highland, Utah on the par-4, 384-yard 15th hole. Timmins and Masters were on the green in two and two-putted for par, while Thurman's approach sailed the green into thick grass. Huarte's next shot flew the green in the opposite direction and after a USA two-putt, the GB&I took a lead it never relinquished.
In the morning's third match, Anne Laing of Scotland, and Claire Coughlan, Ireland earned a 1-up victory over Brittany Lang, of McKinney, Texas, and Michelle Wie of Honolulu, Hawaii when Coughlan drained a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4, 380-yard 18th hole.
"The GB&I controlled the greens better than we did," said USA captain Martha Kirouac. "I hope we can come out this afternoon and turn the tables a little bit."
Despite the shaky start, Kirouac remained optimistic about her team's chances.
"It's not the end of the world," Kirouac said. "We're not out of it by any stretch of the imagination."
GB&I captain Ada O'Sullivan agreed.
Prince Andrew , the Duke of York and also the Captain of the Royal and Ancient of St. Andrews, enjoys the action at Formby Golf Club Saturday morning. (Sam Greenwood/USGA) "We know there's a long way to go, and that the Americans will come out with all guns blazing for the afternoon," she said.
Begun in 1932, the Curtis Cup is a biennial match for women's amateur golfers between a team from the United States of America and one from Great Britain and Ireland. Victory in a match scores one point. When a match goes 18 holes without a decision, one-half point is awarded to each team.
Three foursome (alternate shots of partners) matches and six singles matches are played on each of the two days of competition.
The Match is conducted alternately in the USA and Great Britain and Ireland. The team winning the Cup takes custody for the ensuing two years. In case of a tie, the Cup remains with the previous winner. The USA leads the series, 23-6-3.
Merseyside, England - Results of Saturday's foursomes (alternate shot) and pairings for the afternoon's singles matches at the 33 rd Curtis Cup Match at the 6,369-yard, par-72 Formby Golf Club (all times EDT):
Foursomes (alternate shot)
Shelley McKevitt, England and Emma Duggelby, England def. Jane Park, Beaumont, Calif., and Paula Creamer, Pleasanton, Calif., 3 and 2
Nicola Timmins, England, and Danielle Masters, England def. Sarah Huarte, Shingle Springs, Calif., and Annie Thurman, Highland, Utah, 1 up
Anne Laing, Scotland, and Claire Coughlan, Ireland def. Brittany Lang, McKinney, Texas, and Michelle Wie, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1 up
Singles
8:00 a.m. - Liz Janangelo, West Hartford, Conn., vs. Emma Duggelby, England
8:10 a.m. - Erica Blasberg, Corona, Calif., vs. Danielle Masters, England
8:20 a.m. -- Paula Creamer, Pleasanton, Calif., vs. Fame More, England
8:30 a.m. -- Michelle Wie, Honolulu, Hawaii, vs. Anna Highgate, Wales
8:40 a.m. - Jane Park, Beaumont, Calif., vs. Shelley McKevitt, England
8:50 a.m. - Annie Thurman, Highland, Utah vs. Anne Laing, Scotland
