Golf News: - Posted 3rd August 1998

GB & I lose Curtis Cup for first time in eight years

Associated Press

Minneapolis - The United States won the Curtis Cup for the first time in eight years, beating Great Britain & Ireland 10-8 in the two-day competition at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis.

Singles victories by Kellee Booth and Brenda Corrie-Kuehn with four matches to go gave the U.S. team an insurmountable lead in the biennial women's amateur golf event.

"That's no resounding victory, but it was a victory, and that's what we were trying for," said U.S. captain Barbara McIntire, who also led the Americans to a win in the 1976 Curtis Cup. "I'll take any victory at all."

Members of the U.S. team embraced each other after Corrie-Kuehn beat Becky Morgan with a par putt at the 17th hole.

"When it left my club face, I knew it was in," said Corrie-Kuehn. "I was so excited. I felt so privileged to have the opportunity to make the winning shot."

Great Britain & Ireland won three of the last four matches on Sunday, but the rally came after the United States had clinched the Cup.

"Had we won a match or two early on, who knows what would have happened," said Great Britain & Ireland captain Ita Butler. "As usual, it came down to the short game. The U.S. holed some very long putts and we didn't."

Booth and Corrie-Kuehn teamed up for a pair of foursome victories and each won two individual matches, making them the fifth and sixth players to win four times in a single Curtis Cup.

The win completed a reversal for Booth, who was on the U.S. team that lost the Cup in 1996.

"We were pretty down two years ago," Booth said. "This year we came out with a real good attitude and won it."

The Americans, who came into the final day needing four points to win, took a 7½-4½ lead in the morning after winning two of the three foursome matches.

The United States won despite a minimal contribution from Jenny Chuasiriporn. The U.S. Open runner-up and future Duke teammate Beth Bauer were beaten in both of their foursome matches, while Chuasiriporn earned a half-point in her singles match against Rebecca Hudson Saturday.

The win was only the second for the Americans since 1986. They lead the series 21-6-3.

Curtis Cup Team

Official Curtis Cup web site