Curtis Cup

Curtis Cup

Tournament information
Location	2021: Conwy, Wales
Established	1932
Course(s)	2021: Conwy Golf Club
Format	Match play
Current champion
United States
2021 Curtis Cup

The Curtis Cup is the best known team trophy for women amateur golfers, awarded in the biennial Curtis Cup Match. It is co-organised by the United States Golf Association and The R&A and is contested by teams representing the United States and "Great Britain and Ireland". The same two teams originally contested the Ryder Cup, but unlike that competition, the Curtis Cup has not widened the Great Britain and Ireland team to include all Europeans (nor has the analogous event for amateur men, the Walker Cup). Many women who have gone on to become stars of women's professional golf have played in the Curtis Cup.

History[]

The first Curtis Cup Match was played in 1932 at the Wentworth Club in England, and was won by the American team. The trophy, a silver bowl of Paul Revere design, was donated by Harriot Curtis (who had won the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1906) and her sister Margaret (who had won it in 1907, 1911, and 1912). In 1905 the Curtis sisters had competed in an informal match between teams of American and British golfers, and they wanted to promote the international friendships in the world of women's golf. The cup is inscribed, "To stimulate friendly rivalry among the women golfers of many lands."

The 1905 match was played at Royal Cromer Golf Club before the British Ladies Amateur Championship. The Amateur Championship started on Tuesday 30 May and it was originally planned to play the match on Monday 29 May,^[1] with a triangular competition between England, Scotland and Ireland being held from 25 to 27 May. Eventually the Britain/America match was played on 25 May with the triangular matches played on 26 and 27 May.^[2] The Britain/America match followed the same format as the triangular matches and involved seven 18-hole singles matches with extra holes played if necessary. The match resulted in a 6–1 win for the British team. Georgianna Bishop was the only American winner, beating Lottie Dod in the first match at the 20th hole. Margaret Curtis lost to May Hezlet while Harriot Curtis lost to .^[2]

An unofficial match was played at Sunningdale Golf Club on 1 May 1930. There were five foursomes matches followed by ten singles matches in the afternoon.^[3] The match was level after the foursomes, with each team winning two matches and one match halved. Britain won six of the ten singles matches to win the contest.^[4]

Discussions between various golf associations had been underway since 1924—the Curtis sisters had originally donated the trophy in 1927 to help these discussions along—but it was not until 1931 that the USGA and LGU agreed to co-sponsor the event. It was hoped that the French Golf Union would eventually participate, but that never occurred.^[5] The Curtis Cup Match is played every two years in even numbered years, alternating between the two sides of the Atlantic.

In 2004, then fourteen-year-old Michelle Wie played for the U.S. becoming the youngest player in Curtis Cup history. She won both of her singles matches. In 2010 Leona Maguire became the youngest player to represent Great Britain & Ireland when she played at the age of 15. In 2008 Stacy Lewis won all her five matches,^[6] a feat equalled by Bronte Law in 2016 and Kristen Gillman in 2018. The scheduled 2020 event was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format[]

The competition involves various match play matches between players selected from the two teams of 8, either singles, foursomes, or (starting in 2008) fourball. The winner of each match scores a point for their team, with 1⁄2 a point each for any match that is tied after 18 holes. If the entire Match is tied, the previously current holder retains the Cup.

A foursomes match is a competition between two teams of two golfers. The golfers on the same team take alternate shots throughout the match, with the same ball. Each hole is won by the team that completes the hole in the fewest shots. A fourball match is a competition between two teams of two golfers. All four golfers play their own ball throughout the round. Each hole is won by the team whose individual golfer had the lowest score. A singles match is a standard match play competition between two golfers.

The original format was to have three foursomes matches and six singles matches for a total of nine points. In 1932 and 1936 these were played in a single day but generally they were over two days. The early matches were played over 18 holes but some later matches were over 36 holes. 1964, the format was changed, with three foursomes and six singles matches each day, a total of 18 points. In 2008, the format changed to a three-day competition, with three foursomes and three fourball matches on each of the first two days, and eight singles matches on the final day, a total of 20 points. All matches since 1964 have been over 18 holes.

Results[]

Year	Venue	Winning team	Score		Losing team	Captains
2021	Conwy Golf Club (Conwy, Wales)	United States	121⁄2	71⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Sarah LeBrun Ingram
2018	Quaker Ridge Golf Club (Scarsdale, New York)	United States	17	3	Great Britain &  Ireland
2016	(Enniskerry, Ireland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	111⁄2	81⁄2	United States
2014	St. Louis Country Club (Ladue, Missouri)	United States	13	7	Great Britain &  Ireland
2012	Nairn Golf Club (Nairn, Scotland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	101⁄2	91⁄2	United States
2010	(Manchester, Massachusetts)	United States	121⁄2	71⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland
2008	St Andrews Links (St Andrews, Fife, Scotland)	United States	13	7	Great Britain &  Ireland	Carol Semple Thompson
2006	Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon, Oregon)	United States	111⁄2	61⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Carol Semple Thompson
2004	Formby Golf Club (Merseyside, England)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland
2002	(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)	United States	11	7	Great Britain &  Ireland
2000	Ganton Golf Club (Ganton, England)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland
1998	The Minikahda Club (Minneapolis, Minnesota)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland	Barbara McIntire
1996	Killarney Golf & Fishing Club (Killarney, Ireland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	111⁄2	61⁄2	United States
1994	(Chattanooga, Tennessee)	Great Britain &  Ireland	9	9	United States
1992	Royal Liverpool Golf Club (Hoylake, England)	Great Britain &  Ireland	10	8	United States
1990	(Bernardsville, New Jersey)	United States	14	4	Great Britain &  Ireland
1988	Royal St George's Golf Club (Sandwich, Kent, England)	Great Britain &  Ireland	11	7	United States	Judy Bell
1986	Prairie Dunes Country Club (Hutchinson, Kansas)	Great Britain &  Ireland	13	5	United States	Judy Bell
1984	Muirfield (Scotland)	United States	91⁄2	81⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Phyllis Preuss
1982	(Denver, Colorado)	United States	141⁄2	31⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland
1980	St Pierre Golf & Country Club (Chepstow, Wales)	United States	13	5	Great Britain &  Ireland
1978	Apawamis Club (Rye, New York)	United States	12	6	Great Britain &  Ireland
1976	Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club (Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England)	United States	111⁄2	61⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Barbara McIntire  Belle Robertson
1974	San Francisco Golf Club (San Francisco, California)	United States	13	5	Great Britain &  Ireland	Belle Robertson
1972	(Ayrshire, Scotland)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland	Frances Smith
1970	Brae Burn Country Club (West Newton, Massachusetts)	United States	111⁄2	61⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Carolyn Cudone  Jeanne Bisgood
1968	Royal County Down Golf Club (Newcastle, Northern Ireland)	United States	101⁄2	71⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland
1966	The Homestead (Hot Springs, Virginia)	United States	13	5	Great Britain &  Ireland	Dorothy Germain Porter
1964	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club (Porthcawl, South Wales)	United States	101⁄2	71⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Elsie Corlett
1962	Broadmoor Golf Club (Colorado Springs, Colorado)	United States	8	1	Great Britain &  Ireland	Polly Riley  Frances Smith
1960	Lindrick Golf Club (Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England)	United States	61⁄2	21⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Maureen Garrett
1958	Brae Burn Country Club (West Newton, Massachusetts)	Great Britain &  Ireland	41⁄2	41⁄2	United States
1956	Prince's Golf Club (Sandwich, Kent, England)	Great Britain &  Ireland	5	4	United States
1954	Merion Golf Club (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)	United States	6	3	Great Britain &  Ireland
1952	Muirfield (Scotland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	5	4	United States	Katharine Cairns
1950	Country Club of Buffalo (Williamsville, New York)	United States	71⁄2	11⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Glenna Collett Vare
1948	Royal Birkdale Golf Club (Southport, England)	United States	61⁄2	21⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Glenna Collett Vare  Doris Chambers
1940–1946: Not played due to World War II
1938	(Manchester, Massachusetts)	United States	51⁄2	31⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland
1936	King's Course (Gleneagles, Scotland)	United States	41⁄2	41⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Glenna Collett Vare  Doris Chambers
1934	Chevy Chase Club (Chevy Chase, Maryland)	United States	61⁄2	21⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Glenna Collett Vare  Doris Chambers
1932	Wentworth Club (Wentworth, England)	United States	51⁄2	31⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Marion Hollins  Joyce Wethered

Of the 41 contests through 2020 (played in 2021 due to COVID-19), USA have won 30 matches, Great Britain and Ireland have won 8 with 3 matches tied (1936, 1958 and 1994).

Future sites[]

• 2022 – Merion Golf Club, (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)^[7]
• 2026 – Bel-Air Country Club, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California)^[8]
• 2038 – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon

See also[]

• List of American Curtis Cup golfers
• List of Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup golfers

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Official site