Great Britain & Ireland claimed a historic 10½-9½ victory over the USA in the 43rd Curtis Cup after a thrilling final day at Sunningdale.
GB&I Captain Catriona Matthew, who famously led Europe to back-to-back Solheim Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2021, savoured another famous team success against Meghan Stasi’s USA team.
The decorated Scot led GB&I to their first win in the Curtis Cup since 2016 and sealed only a ninth triumph overall in the history of the contest.
With the hosts leading 7-5 overnight, GB&I needed 3.5 points from the eight singles matches to triumph. Ireland’s Sara Byrne, Patience Rhodes from England and Scotland’s Lorna McClymont were all victorious, with Rhodes’ sister, Mimi, securing the precious half-point.
EBB & FLOW
On a tense final day, which ebbed and flowed in glorious sunshine over the Old Course at the Berkshire venue, the USA began the singles in dominant fashion helped by the team featuring four of the top-ten players in the amateur rankings.
At one stage the visitors were ahead in six matches, but GB&I staged a stunning fightback to turn the tide and celebrate in style as each member of Matthew’s team delivered at least a point across the match.
A record crowd for a Curtis Cup enjoyed the three-day match, totalling 16,680. Justin Rose, Charley Hull and Colin Montgomerie were among the onlookers this week as Sunningdale hosted the Curtis Cup for the first time.
Asterisk Talley, aged only 15, put the first point on the board for the USA in the opening match, recording five birdies and an eagle at the 10th in a superb victory over Lottie Woad. It was a first defeat in five matches this week for the world’s number one amateur.
RHODES FAR FROM PATIENT!
Patience Rhodes picked the perfect day to deliver her first point of the week, easing to a 6&5 win over Zoe Campos which ended with a glorious tee shot from the English player at the par-3 13th.
Byrne secured an impressive 3&2 triumph against Catherine Park – the Irishwoman taking her tally to three-and-a-half points from five in an unbeaten display – before Anna Davis replied with a 3&2 win over Hannah Darling.
With four ties left on the course, it was 9-7 to the hosts and delicately poised. Jasmine Koo closed the deficit to just a point after wrapping up a 4&3 success against Beth Coulter, helped by back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th.
All eyes turned to McClymont, a two-time R&A Student Tour Series Order of Merit winner, in a pivotal meeting with 2023 US Women’s Amateur Champion Megan Schofill in the penultimate match.
That battle was all-square through eight holes before the Scot made the decisive move, birdieing four of the next five holes and winning three of them to take a commanding lead that she would not relinquish.
At the same time, Mimi Rhodes mounted the gutsiest of comebacks against Melanie Green, winning 8, 11, 13 and 14 to turn a three-hole deficit into a one-hole lead.
Rhodes then held firm down the stretch and jubilantly celebrated her key par putt at 17, before the battling Green won 18 to avoid individual defeat.
McClymont’s success and the half-point for Mimi Rhodes meant convincing victories for Koo and three-time Curtis Cup player Rachel Kuehn against Aine Donegan were not enough for the USA.
JOYOUS SCENES
There were joyous scenes on the final green as the match between Green and Rhodes was completed, with the latter swamped by her ecstatic teammates.
Catriona Matthew, Captain of Great Britain and Ireland, said: “They’re a fantastic team. I’m so proud of them. They really dug in every day and in every session. It didn’t look as though it was perhaps going our way today but they really toughed it out.
“It’s just been a fantastic experience for me getting to know them and they were great.
“My hat’s off to the Americans as well. There was some fantastic golf on all three days and it just made it a spectacle for women’s golf. The golf this week really was quite amazing. I think the future of women’s golf is in good hands.”