Curtis Cup Starts Today

The 36th Curtis Cup Match began Friday at Essex County Club in Manchester, Mass. The biennial event pits the top American women amateurs against the best from Great Britain and Ireland.

The U.S. won in 2008, extending its overall lead to 26 wins to six, with three ties. The captain for the American squad is Noreen Mohler of Bethlehem, Pa., while the GB&I team is led by Mary McKenna, who will be making her 10th appearance in the Curtis Cup.

Mohler has a very talented team and plans to let her players do their thing. "As far as being their captain, they don't need me to tell them how to play golf," she said. "They know how to play golf and they know how to prepare for golf matches, so I've let them do their own preparing. And we talked a little bit about strategy last night and who might be paired with whom and did a little of that."

McKenna played the first of her nine straight Curtis Cup matches (1970-86) at Brae Burn CC in West Newton and is enjoying her return to Massachusetts. "I started my Curtis Cup career in Boston and now I'll be finishing it in Boston, so it's kind of ironic that I have come full circle," she said. "For me, this is very special and I'm delighted to be captain."

History to be Made in 2010

Essex County Club was the home club of the sisters - Margaret and Harriot Curtis - who originated the Curtis Cup Match. Between them, the sisters won four U.S. Women's Amateur titles, later forming the competition and donating the perpetual Curtis Cup trophy.

In previous Curtis Cups, there have been mothers and daughters representing their countries, but no sisters have played in the same event. This year, 15-year-old twins Leona and Lisa Maguire of County Cavan, Ireland, are making history as the first sisters to play on the same Curtis Cup team.

The Maguires are also the youngest-ever to represent Great Britain and Ireland, surpassing Carly Booth, who was 16 in the 2008 match. The USA's Michelle Wie remains the youngest-ever competitor. The Hawaii native and current LPGA Tour star was 14 when she represented the Americans in 2004 at Formby.

U.S. Team

The American team is one of the youngest ever, with three 20-year-olds being the eldest on the squad, which includes:

Cydney Clanton, 20, of Concord, N.C.
Jennifer Johnson, 18, of La Quinta, Calif.
Kimberly Kim, 18, Pahoa, Hawaii
Stephanie Kono, 20, of Honolulu, Hawaii
Jessica Korda, 17, of Bradenton, Fla.
Tiffany Lua, 19, of Rowland Heights, Calif.
Jennifer Song, 20, of Ann Arbor, Mich.
Alexis Thompson, 15, of Coral Springs, Fla.

GB&I Team

The squad from Great Britain and Ireland is also young, with 22-year-old Danielle McVeigh of Ireland the most senior player in the 2010 Curtis Cup Match. Here's the GB&I team:

Hannah Barwood, 19, of England
Holly Clyburn, 19, of England
Rachel Jennings, 21, of England
Leona Maguire, 15, of Ireland
Lisa Maguire, 15, of Ireland
Pamela Pretswell, 20, Scotland
Danielle McVeigh, 22, of Ireland
Sally Watson, 18, of Scotland

Tournament Format

Friday, June 11, and Saturday, June 12: Three foursomes (alternate shot) and three four-ball (best-ball) matches.
Sunday, June 13: eight singles matches (18 holes each).

Starting Times:

Friday: 9 a.m. for foursomes; 2 p.m. for four-balls
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. for foursomes; 2:15 p.m. for four-balls
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. for singles

Television

The 2010 Curtis Cup Match will be shown on the Golf Channel at the following times (all EDT):

Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sunday: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Live Scoring & More Information

For more details about the Curtis Cup Match, along with live scoring, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventSite.aspx?id=17179869201.

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