Great Britain and Ireland produced an undefeated afternoon fourballs display to secure a two-point lead going into the final day of the 43rd Curtis Cup.
Over Sunningdale’s Old Course, Catriona Matthew’s side were full of belief to build a 7-5 advantage ahead of eight singles ties tomorrow.
GB&I are bidding to win the Curtis Cup for the first time since 2016, with the USA having won 11 of the last 13 contests. Matthew’s team need to reach 10½ points to win the trophy on Sunday.
With the scores level at 3-3 overnight, the morning foursomes were halved before the home side produced an emphatic afternoon display against Meghan Stasi’s USA team to win two-and-half points from three.
England’s Lottie Woad, the number one amateur in the world, continued to deliver on the big stage. Woad and Ireland’s Sara Byrne have played all four sessions together and are the first Curtis Cup pairing to go undefeated since a format change to three days of competition in 2008.
Afternoon fourballs
Scotland’s Hannah Darling and Mimi Rhodes from England set the tone for GB&I by securing the first point of the afternoon. The pair gelled to record nine birdies and secure a 3&2 victory over Jasmine Koo and 15-year-old Asterisk Talley.
Rhodes claimed a first point of the week with the success, while Darling followed up her morning foursomes victory with Aine Donegan of Ireland.
Beth Coulter and Lorna McClymont then combined for a fine 2&1 win against Anna Davis and Melanie Green. McClymont, who lost The Women’s Amateur Final to Green at Portmarnock in June, claimed an element of redemption as she and Coulter registered eight birdies. Coulter’s stunning approach to four feet at the 16th for a winning birdie proved crucial.
Woad and Byrne then halved a titanic match with Rachel Kuehn and Megan Schofill as the USA avoided an afternoon of three straight losses. There was never more than a one-hole advantage for either team in a compelling contest, with Woad’s 30-feet putt at the 12th for birdie particularly memorable before the US replied in style at the 17th when Schofill holed out from 20 feet.
Morning foursomes
On an overcast day in Berkshire, the match was perfectly poised after a tense session of morning foursomes. For the first time since the match changed in 2008 to five sessions, the teams were tied halfway through day two on 4½ points apiece.
There was never more than a hole between the pairs in the top match, which saw Woad and Byrne finish all-square against Green and Kuehn. Woad and Byrne repeatedly edged ahead but then found themselves behind for the first time when they bogeyed the 16th and 17th.
Green then had a five-foot putt to win the match for the USA on the 18th, but it slipped by the edge of the hole to give Woad the chance to salvage a crucial half-point.
The USA did claim a full point courtesy of Catherine Park and Zoe Campos, who won a high-quality contest against Patience Rhodes and Coulter. Park and Campos made seven birdies to GB&I’s six and closed out a 2&1 victory having led since the 3rd.
Yet Darling and Donegan ensured the morning ended with the teams level once again, the former holing a clutch putt on the final green to seal a one-hole win over Davis and Schofill.
“There’s still a long way to go”
Catriona Matthew said: “They’re a fantastic bunch of girls. It’s been a pleasure being their captain. They really dug in today. 1.5-0.5 this morning and the display this afternoon was unbelievable really.
“No lead is ever big enough. In any kind of sport you’d rather be going in 7-5 up than being 7-5 down. There’s still a long way to go. The Americans are going to come out fighting tomorrow. We’ve had a great day today, enjoyed today, but we’ll be ready for tomorrow.”
Hannah Darling added: “I’m pretty pleased. I’ve played well the last two days and just really happy to get three points on the board now. It’s my third Curtis Cup so I kind of have a bit of experience to bring to it.
“With the last two being losses for Great Britain & Ireland, I want this more than ever for the team. We have such a good time and a group of really, really good girls with a great captain and vice captains too. This is just for everyone and we want this really bad.”
