USA, GB&I Halve Saturday Morning Foursomes Matches

St. Andrews, Scotland – Stacy Lewis and Alison Walshe remained undefeated to help the USA maintain its two-point lead over the team from the Great Britain and Ireland, 5½ - 3½, after the second round of foursomes (alternate-shot) matches Saturday at the 2008 Curtis Cup Match, being played on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Lewis, of The Woodlands, Texas, and Walshe, of Westford, Mass., never trailed against Scottish teenagers Sally Watson and Michele Thomson. The American pair was the equivalent of 3 under par for the match.

For Lewis, who is 3-0 after three matches, and Walshe (2-0), the partnership has proved successful due to similar games and a shared sense of patience.

“You’re going to win some holes and lose some holes, and there’s so much golf left,” said Walshe. “And playing with a teammate helps a lot because of the camaraderie. You’re cheering each other on and helping each other with advice.”

Amanda Blumenherst tees off during her second-round foursomes match Saturday morning. Blumenherst and Tiffany Joh paired to win a half-point for the Americans. (Matthew Harris/USGA)

Also remaining undefeated was Amanda Blumenherst of Scottsdale, Ariz., who paired with Tiffany Joh of San Diego, Calif., to earn a half-point against England’s Liz Bennett and Scotland’s Jodi Ewart. Blumenherst and Joh held a 2-up advantage after 13 holes but three-putted the next three to trail 1 down after 16.

But disaster struck for the GB&I team on the 17th tee, when Bennett hit her tee shot out of bounds.

Blumenherst, a member of the victorious 2006 USA Curtis Cup team, wasn’t surprised to see the wayward tee shot.

“Seventeen is one of the only fairways where you actually have to be kind of precise. On the other fairways you can hit it right and left and you’re usually okay. There are a few bunkers but you can get away with a mis-hit shot, but I think that by 17 rolls around a lot of times you think you can just swing at it, where you still really do have to focus.”

The USA won the hole, bringing the match to No. 18, where thousands of spectators gathered to watch the final hole. Joh was unable to capitalize on Blumenherst’s brilliant approach shot, just missing the 15-foot birdie putt. Bennett made a 4-footer for par and the two sides halved the match.

Blumenherst, now 2-0-1 at the 2008 Curtis Cup, was disappointed not to win the match, but happy to earn a half-point for the Americans.

“Every half-point counts and it really does matter, especially with this extended format,” said Blumenherst, the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur runner-up. “We definitely would have like to have gotten a whole point and I know Tiffany is really disappointed, and so am I, but we did come back.”

The GB&I team earned another point by Scotland’s Carly Booth and Breanna Loucks of Wales, who defeated Kimberly Kim of Hilo, Hawaii and Jennie Lee of Henderson, Nev., 3 and 2. The 15-year-old Booth is the youngest member of the GB&I squad.

The 2008 Curtis Cup Match continues with the second round of four-ball (best-ball) matches Saturday afternoon and concludes Sunday with eight singles matches. The USA needs 10 points to retain the Curtis Cup for a sixth consecutive Match, while GB&I must attain 10 ½ points to regain the Cup for the first time since 1996.

The Curtis Cup Match is a women’s amateur team competition played every other year, with one squad from the USA and the other representing England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales.

Beth Murrison is a manager in media relations for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at bmurrison@usga.org.

Results

St. Andrews, Scotland – Results of the second round of foursomes (alternate shot) at the 2008 Curtis Cup Match, played Saturday morning at the par-72, 6,638-yard Old Course at St. Andrews.

Foursomes

Match 1

Carly Booth, Comrie, Scotland, and Breanne Loucks, Wrexham, Wales (GB&I) def. Kimberly Kim, Hilo, Hawaii and Jennie Lee, Henderson, Nev. (USA), 3 and 2

Match 2

Alison Walshe, Westford, Mass., and Stacy Lewis, The Woodlands, Texas (USA) def. Sally Watson, Elie, Scotland, and Michele Thomson, Ellon, Scotland (GB&), 5 and 4

Match 3

Liz Bennett, Sway, England and Jodi Ewart, Middleham, England (GB&) halved with Amanda Blumenherst, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Tiffany Joh, San Diego, Calif. (USA)

Pairings

St. Andrews, Scotland – Pairings for the second round of four-ball (best-ball) matches to be played Saturday afternoon at the par-72, 6,638-yard Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland (times are EDT):

8 a.m. – Carly Booth, Comrie, Scotland, and Breanne Loucks, Wrexham, Wales (GB&I) vs. Kimberly Kim, Hilo, Hawaii and Mina Harigae, Monterey, Calif., (USA)

8:15 a.m. – Sally Watson, Elie, Scotland, and Krystle Caithness, Cellardyke, Scotland (GB&) vs. Amanda Blumenherst, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Meghan Bolger, Oakland Park, Fla. (USA)

8:30 a.m. – Liz Bennett, Sway, England and Florentyna Parker, Southport, England, (GB&) vs. Alison Walshe, Westford, Mass., and Stacy Lewis, The Woodlands, Texas (USA)