Great Britain and Ireland battled to a 3-3 draw against the USA following an impressive opening day in the 43rd Curtis Cup.
In glorious conditions at Sunningdale Golf Club in front of the grand galleries, Meghan Stasi's visiting side opened up a 2-1 lead following the morning foursome.
But a chip-in from 15 yards by Ireland's Sara Byrne on 17th they won 2&1 through Lottie Woad through Catherine Park and Zoe Campos to draw level, as Catriona Matthew's side won four balls in the afternoon in the same fashion 2-1.
Three sets of foursomes and fourballs will resume tomorrow before eight singles matches on Sunday. GB&I is bidding to win the Curtis Cup for the first time since 2016.
AFTERNOON FOUR BALLS
In high-quality play, Jasmine Koo and 15-year-old Asterisk Talley also carded nine birdies in a stunning 5&4 victory over Mimi Rhodes and Lorna McClymont to give the USA their first point of the afternoon and a 3-1 lead .
The pair were up after six holes before a battle from their GB&I opponents to a half-eighth deficit.th. But the 2023 American Junior Solheim Cup duo made birdies on the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th to seal the victory.
The other two matches were very tight and full of outstanding golf. Hannah Darling and Aine Donegan recorded six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 2n.d as they cruised to a one-hole victory over Anna Davis and Megan Schofill, with the pair coming out of the cellar at 9.th with an eagle as the knot breaks and flows.
There was more drama in the final match of the day as England's Byrne and Woad, the top player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), took a bold victory. Woad was in fine form as the pair chipped in with eight birdies over Park and Campos, the USA's world number four, before Byrne finally got the better of him.
Off the green on the 17ththByrne entered the winning bird competition in the biggest crowd of the day.
MORNING CHILDREN
In the next morning's foursomes, the USA took a one-point advantage with wins over Melanie Green and Rachel Kuehn followed by two impressive semis.
Women's Amateur Champion Green and three-time Curtis Cup winner Kuehn cruised to a 6&4 victory over her sisters Patience and Mimi Rhodes in the first game, aided by some impressive play from the greens.
The Rhodes brothers had several chances of their own but their putts didn't fall, allowing their American rivals to put the first point on the board.
While that tournament wrapped up on the 14th green, there was more drama in the second and third games.
Irish pair Beth Coulter and Donegan won the 18th to secure a crucial half point in a topsy-turvy match against Koo and Campos, which saw both sides take the lead three times.
The final foursomes saw both teams struggle before finishing all over the place. Woad and Byrne were three down on the back nine from Park and Talley but then won five of the next six holes – birdieing four of them – to move surprisingly two up with three holes to play.
An exciting run from the GB&I pair featured a near ace for Woad on the 15th, when his tee shot came to rest a foot in the hole. However, Park and Talley then responded with a stunning battle of their own, winning both the 17th and 18th to salvage an unexpected half-point and ensure the USA ended the session with a point lead.
“COME BACK”
GB& I captain Catriona Matthew said: “I'm really excited. At one point this morning it looked like we were going to be beaten three times but we had a good comeback.
“I know that Lottie and Sara are a little disappointed with their finish but they went out and won their point again this afternoon.
“The standard of golf was amazing. The Americans made a lot of birdies, we made a lot of birdies and it was fun out there on the four balls.
“It was nice to finish those games. I can see in the team that their confidence is growing since the end of the afternoon.”
Source link
