Curtis Cup

Highlights: Great Britain and Ireland win Curtis Cup on dramatic final day

The R&A

01 Sep 24

3 mins

Great Britain and Ireland produced a magnificent display to secure the Curtis Cup for the first time since 2016, completing a 10.5-9.5 win over the United States of America in glorious sunshine at Sunningdale.

Singles victories for the undefeated Sara Byrne, Patience Rhodes and Lorna McClymont, together with a vital half-point from Mimi Rhodes, ensured the hosts converted a 7-5 overnight advantage into a thrilling triumph, delighting a record crowd that included European Ryder Cup hero Justin Rose.

McClymont seals win

The home side’s success was confirmed as McClymont completed a 3&2 win over Megan Schofill at virtually the same time as Mimi Rhodes holed a par putt against Melanie Green on the 17^th that guaranteed at least a half, taking GB&I to the 10.5 points they required. Rhodes, who had been three down through seven holes against Women’s Amateur Champion Melanie Green, lost the 18^thto ensure that contest finished all-square, but it mattered little with Catriona Matthew’s side having already done enough to prevail. Having famously led Europe to back-to-back Solheim Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2021, the much-decorated Matthew can now celebrate overseeing GB&I’s ninth success in the Curtis Cup, a competition she also won as a player. “They're a fantastic team," said a delighted Matthew. "I'm so proud of them. They really dug in every day and in every session. It didn't look as though it was perhaps going our way today but they really toughed it out. It's just been a fantastic experience for me getting to know them and they were great. “My hat's off to the Americans as well. There was some fantastic golf on all three days and it just made it a spectacle for women's golf. The golf this week really was quite amazing. I think the future of women's golf is in good hands."

Strong US side

The American line-up included four of the top-10 players on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) and Meghan Stasi’s team applied plenty of pressure on Sunday morning, at one stage opening up leads in six of the eight matches. There was a phenomenal win for the 15-year-old Asterisk Talley, who beat world number one Lottie Woad 3&2 in the top match, while Anna Davis, Jasmine Koo and Rachel Kuehn also secured respective victories over Hannah Darling, Beth Coulter and Aine Donegan. Yet GB&I had numerous heroes of their own, not least the brilliant Byrne, who put the perfect seal on her amateur career.

A day of high drama

The USA’s Talley earned the first point of the day in sensational style, recording five birdies and an eagle at the 10^th on her way to beating Woad. It was a first loss in five matches this week for the talented Surrey player. However, Patience Rhodes picked the perfect day to deliver her first point of the week, easing to a 6&5 victory over Zoe Campos that ended with a glorious tee shot from the English player at the par-3 13^th. Byrne secured an impressive 3&2 triumph against Catherine Park – the irrepressible Irishwoman taking her tally to three-and-a-half points from five at Sunningdale – before Davis replied with a 3&2 win over the previously unbeaten Darling. That left four matches on the course amid rising levels of tension, with a thrilling contest still poised to go either way. All eyes turned to McClymont, a two-time R&A Student Tour Series Order of Merit winner, in a pivotal meeting with 2023 US Women’s Amateur Champion Megan Schofill in the penultimate match. That battle was all-square through eight before the Scot made the decisive move, birdieing four of the next five holes and winning three of them to take a commanding lead that she would not relinquish.

Rhodes to victory

At the same time, Mimi Rhodes was mounting the gutsiest of comebacks against Green, taking the 8^th, 11^th, 13^th and 14^th holes to flip a three-hole deficit into a one-hole lead. Rhodes then held firm down the stretch and jubilantly celebrated her key par putt at the 17^th, before the battling Green won the 18^th to avoid individual defeat. McClymont’s success and the half-point for Mimi Rhodes meant convincing victories for Koo and three-time Curtis Cup player Kuehn – against Beth Coulter and Aine Donegan respectively – were not enough for the USA. There were joyous scenes on the final green as the match between Green and Rhodes was completed, with the latter swamped by her ecstatic team-mates. “Honestly, coming into this week if I was told I was going to go undefeated, I probably wouldn't have believed you to be honest," said a jubilant Byrne. "It's a really special feeling to end my amateur career just like that. It’s pretty special.”

Stasi reflects on loss

“I’m really proud of them,” added Stasi, the USA Captain. "We had a lot of new players so to represent the USA for the first time in a Curtis Cup, it’s pretty amazing what they accomplished. “Honestly, I think just every match from day one we just had a few missed putts here and there. They (Great Britain and Ireland) made some absolutely incredible up-and-downs and they made a few longer putts. I think that was really about it." A record crowd for a Curtis Cup enjoyed the three-day match, totalling 16,680. Rose – runner-up at The 152^nd Open at Royal Troon in July – Charley Hull and Colin Montgomerie were among the onlookers this week as Sunningdale hosted the Curtis Cup for the first time. Great Britain and Ireland join a Sunningdale champions board that incudes Judy Rankin, Nancy Lopez, Karrie Webb, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo, the 1987 USA Walker Cup team and Karen Stupples, a member of Matthew’s backroom team this week. The 44^th Curtis Cup will be played at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles from 12–14 June 2026.

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