Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., June 11 — So much for a U.S. bashing of the Great Britain and Ireland team, as many pundits had predicted for this week’s Curtis Cup golf matches.
Halved. Instead, all three of Friday morning’s foursome (alternate-shot) contests ended all square heading into the afternoon’s four-ball competition. Indeed, the U.S. team would have to be pleased with a tie, after one of its two marquee matchups — Jennifer Song and Jennifer Johnson vs. GB&I’s Sally Watson and Rachel Jennings — had to come back from 2-down to halve the match on the 18th green.
Tight matches. “It’s a little tighter than I had hoped, but they’re good matches,” U.S. captain Noreen Mohler told New England Golf Monthly as GB&I’s Watson and Jennings enjoyed a 1-up advantage after 12 holes Friday morning.
At two-down, Johnson’s clutch birdie putt on 17 extended the match. The GB&I team whiffed on a chip shot up the slope to a crowned pin placement, ending up farther down the hill and on the cuff between apron and rough.
A fairway medal up the hill was too little, too late, when Song made par to halve the hole.
Four-balls this afternoon. Next up: Four-ball matches that pit Song and Kimberly Kim, both of whom will play in next month’s U.S. Women’s Open, vs. GB&I’s Danielle McVeigh and Pamela Pretswell. Thompson and Johnson will take on Rachel Jennings and Leona Maguire, while the U.S. unit of Jessica Korda and Tiffany Lua tee off against Watson and Leona’s twin, Lisa Maguire.
In biennial Curtis Cup competition, two teams of eight women amateur golfers from the U.S. play against their counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland. The U.S. has won the last six contests and needs 10 points to keep the cup on home soil.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly and writes Boston Golf Examiner as well.)
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- Essex County Club Hosting 2010 Curtis Cup June 11-13th
- Curtis Cup kicks off Massachusetts 2010 summer golf competition
- Curtis Cup golfers earn bids to U.S. Women
- Curtis Cup golf: World Cup soccer not the only U.S.-England rivalry this week
- Industry Hills Golf Club Earns 2010 National Golf Course of the Year
