It was the kind of uphill task that would’ve required breathing apparatus and a Sherpa and, in the end, GB&I’s hopes of a final day miracle in the Curtis Cup didn’t materialise as the USA swiftly put the tin lid on a dominant display in the biennial battle at Quaker Ridge with a record-breaking 17-3 win.
The visitors, with just one win on American soil in the event’s long history, had a mountain to climb after finding themselves 9-3 down heading into the final session of eight singles matches. The USA, meanwhile, required just one-and-a-half points to recapture the cup they lost in Ireland two years ago.
Those points duly arrived as the hosts romped to victory. The United States’ points total was the highest recorded by any team in the event since they defeated GB&I 14½-3½ at Denver Country Club in 1982. The winning margin of 14 points also surpassed the record of eleven points set in that same match.
Sophia Schubert got the hosts off to a winning start in the top match with Olivia Mehaffey and claimed a 2&1 win to edge the US closer to their target. Further down the order, things were looking decidedly grim for the visitors and when the highly impressive Kristen Gillman moved five holes up on Annabell Fuller with just five to play, the celebrations could essentially begin. Fuller completed a 5&4 win to post a record of five wins from five over the three-day event.
“We’re obviously very disappointed with the scoreline and all you can do is congratulate the United States on their win and the very high standard of golf they have played this week,” said GB&I skipper Elaine Farquharson-Black. “We have played good golf in spells, particularly on the first day, but at this level you have to have more consistency and at times we’ve just not performed as well as we would have liked. We have a very young team and the players will have learned lots from this experience which will stand them in good stead for the future. They have given it their all this in this match and I’m very proud of them.”
The US romp now means the Curtis Cup, the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and the Walker Cup are all in American hands.
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