Curtis Cup

Martin Dempster reports from a victorious afternoon at Sunningdale.

Transcript

00:00Hello, it's Martin Dempster, the Scotsman Golf Correspondent here coming to you from

00:07Sunningdale in Berkshire at the end of an incredible 43rd Curtis Cup. GB&I led 7-5 heading

00:20into the last day singles needing just 3.5 points to claim a first victory over the United

00:27States since 2016. For most of the session it didn't look as though that target was going

00:35to be achieved. The Americans, as home captain Katrina Matthew had warned, came out with

00:42all guns firing. England's Lottie Ward, the world number one, she lost the top match to

00:4815-year-old Asterix Talley and she's certainly an aim to look out for in the coming few years.

00:57A fantastic young player and she really gets on with it which is really refreshing to see. Hannah

01:04Darling, Scotland's number one, she then lost in the third match to Anna Davis, the 2022 Augusta

01:12National Women's Amateur Champion. It really did look as though GB&I would struggle to overcome

01:20those two big blows at the top of the order. However, we were all proved wrong in thinking

01:27that another American win was on the cards because boy did the home players dig deep.

01:32Sarah Byrne, Ireland's Sarah Byrne, she won the second match and in doing so finished the three

01:40days unbeaten in five matches, the staff of the home side undoubtedly. Patience Rhodes, she also

01:47won her match and that meant it really came down to two matches, one involving Scotland's Lorna

01:53McClymont making her debut in the event. The Milngavie player came up with the goods for Katrina

02:00Matthew. She won against Megan Schofield three and two and in doing so that guaranteed at least a

02:07draw for Great Britain and Ireland. However, they got over the line thanks to Mimi Rhodes, Patience's

02:14sister. She was involved in a real tussle in the decider against Megan Green, winner of the

02:23Women's Amateur Championship at Port Marnock early in the year. Rhodes made a great par save at the

02:2917th and that meant that GB and I were over the line. For Katrina Matthew, it's a third victory

02:37as a captain having already led Europe to two Solheim Cup successes. A fantastic event here at

02:44Sunningdale, a great event, great venue and what a fantastic achievement yet again by Katrina

02:52Matthew. To keep up to date with everything in the golf world, log on to scottsman.com or buy the

02:58Scotsman.