www.globalgolfpost.com
JUNE 11, 2012
GB&I Rallies To Edge U.S. In Curtis Cup
NAIRN, SCOTLAND | For the first
time ever, all four of the Ryder,
Walker, Solheim and Curtis Cups
are in European or GB&I hands
after GB&I staged an extraordinary
comeback to win the Curtis Cup at
Nairn by 10½ points to 9½. Though
Tegwen Matthews, the winning cap-
tain, had spoken, lightly, of wanting
to slit her wrists after her team lost
all three of the opening foursomes,
she described the final result as
“the best thing in my life.”
Pat Cornett, the American captain
who had broken her leg in a buggy
accident on Friday, balanced pre-
cariously on her crutches to clap
Stephanie Meadow as the Irish
player chipped exquisitely at the 16th
to put the finishing touches to what
was the first GB&I victory since 1996.
“GB&I played great,” said Cornett, who admitted that such a result
was good for the game – and that
she had been busy reminding her
downcast troops that the Curtis Cup
was just a game.
With the score-line on Saturday
night reading US 6½ to GB&I’s 5½,
a crowd of 3,600 arrived to watch
the denouement. It seemed that
all roads, along with the coastal
footpath, led to the club where GB&I
won the 1999 Walker Cup.
Sandra Ross, a former shot put
champion, was standing beside the
first tee with the replica of the Olympic Torch she had carried on its final
leg in Inverness the night before,
while the weather was exhorting
everyone to take off down the course.
Yet it was not too long before
there was a collective sinking of
hearts as the Americans did as
they had done on Friday in getting
off to the faster start. An hour into
the start of play, the home side
were down in four of the first five
matches and level in one. Actually,
it was worse than that. Kelly Tidy,
in her top game with Austin Ernst,
was 3 down after six.
Yet, this great-hearted little golfer
was back to level after nine, with her
grandfather proudly proclaiming that
that was typical. She went ahead
with a winning par at the 12th and
from that point – it was one which
both captains saw as key – the good
news came thick and fast.
Lewine Mair
Kelly Tidy celebrates her winning
putt against Austin Ernst on Sunday.
