Championships - Curtis Cup 2008
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Liz Bennett (GB & I) tees off this morning
30.05.2008
United States lead 4-2 after day one of Curtis Cup
United States lead Great Britain & Ireland 4-2 at the end of the first day of the 35th Curtis Cup, the first to be decided over three days and the first to be staged over the Old Course, St Andrews.
The Americans, who have not lost this biennial, transatlantic women's
amateur international golf match since Killarney in 1996, won both
sessions of play, the morning foursomes and the afternoon four-balls,
2-1.
With a little bit of luck, skipper Mary McKenna's team would have
shared the post-lunch honours 1 ½-1 ½ and the GB&I team led in two ties
at one stage of the afternoon play.
But it was not to be. After overnight and steady morning rain, the fire
had gone out of the links conditions and the Americans' putting was
simply world-class.
But, to be fair, the home squad hung in there as best they could and
contributed their share of sub-par figures towards the day's all-in
total of one eagle and 26 birdies.
Prince Andrew was among the crowd of 3,000, reduced no doubt by the
miserable weather in the morning.
Sally Watson, 16-year-old Edinburgh girl, was the Day 1 heroine for Great Britain & Ireland. She played twice, she won twice.
Only two other players on either side could match that – and they were top two players from the US college golf circuit, Amanda Blumenherst and Stacy Lewis.
Sally Watson teamed up with new Scottish champion Michele Thomson from Ellon to win by one hole over Mina Harigate and Jennie Lee.
Then in the afternoon four-ball format, Watson and US college student Krystle Caithness, brought in to make her Curtis Cup debut, teamed up well to beat Tiffany Joh and Meghan Bolger 3 and 2.
The young Scots were three under par with a bag of four birdies in winning by 3 and 2. The two other Scots in the eight-strong GB&I squad, 15-year-old Carly Booth from Comrie and Michele Thomson, ran into a barrage of birdies from former US women’s amateur champion – and still a teenager – Kimberley Kim and Mina Harigae.
The Americans won by 3 and 2 with seven under par figures. Booth and Thomson had the galling experience of playing out of their skins themselves – four under par with five birdies – and still losing in 16 holes.
Amanda Blumenherst and Tiffany Joh extended the American lead to 4-2 overall by beating Florentyna Parker and Liz Bennett by 3 and 1.
This was a quality match as well with one eagle and nine birdies and Amanda and Tiffany were six under par at the finish. Liz Bennett gained the day’s only eagle 3 – at the 514yd fifth where she got home in two and holed the putt.
For full round up of scores and Day Two pairings please click here
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