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.

Curtis Cup

Tournament information
Location	2024: Sunningdale, Berkshire, England
Established	1932
Course(s)	2024: Sunningdale Golf Club
Format	Match play
Current champion
Great Britain &  Ireland
2024 Curtis Cup

History

In 1905 an informal match had been played at Royal Cromer Golf Club between teams of American and British golfers, 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 Elinor Nevile.^[2]

Harriot and Margaret Curtis later donated a trophy for an regular series of matches between teams from America and Britain, wanting to promote the international friendships in the world of women's golf. The cup was inscribed, "To stimulate friendly rivalry among the women golfers of many lands." 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 participate, but that never happened, the French and British teams playing each other in a separate match, first played in 1931.^[3]

An unofficial match between America and Britain was played at Sunningdale Golf Club on 1 May 1930 but was not organised by the USGA and LGU. There were five foursomes matches followed by ten singles matches in the afternoon.^[4] 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.^[5]

The first match organised by the USGA and LGU was played in May 1932 at the Wentworth Club in England, and was won by the American team. This first match was not actually played for the Curtis Cup, since the LGU initially declined to accept the cup for the contest. André Vagliano, a French golfer and official, had offered the LGU a trophy for the match between France and Britain. The LGU had declined that offer and thus felt unable to accept the offer of the Curtis Cup.^[6] It was not until November 1932 that the LGU changed their minds and accepted both trophies.^[7][8] Even though the Curtis Cup was not actually played for in 1932, this match is accepted as the first match in the series.

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,^[9] 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 from 1950 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
2024	Sunningdale Golf Club (Sunningdale, Berkshire, England)	Great Britain &  Ireland	101⁄2	91⁄2	United States	Meghan Stasi  Catriona Matthew
2022	Merion Golf Club (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)	United States	151⁄2	41⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Sarah LeBrun Ingram  Elaine Ratcliffe
2021	Conwy Golf Club (Conwy, Wales)	United States	121⁄2	71⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Sarah LeBrun Ingram  Elaine Ratcliffe
2018	Quaker Ridge Golf Club (Scarsdale, New York)	United States	17	3	Great Britain &  Ireland	Virginia Derby Grimes  Elaine Farquharson-Black
2016	Dun Laoghaire Golf Club (Enniskerry, Ireland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	111⁄2	81⁄2	United States	Robin Burke  Elaine Farquharson-Black
2014	St. Louis Country Club (Ladue, Missouri)	United States	13	7	Great Britain &  Ireland	Ellen Port  Tegwen Matthews
2012	Nairn Golf Club (Nairn, Scotland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	101⁄2	91⁄2	United States	Pat Cornett  Tegwen Matthews
2010	Essex County Club (Manchester, Massachusetts)	United States	121⁄2	71⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Noreen Mohler  Mary McKenna
2008	St Andrews Links (St Andrews, Fife, Scotland)	United States	13	7	Great Britain &  Ireland	Carol Semple Thompson  Mary McKenna
2006	Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon, Oregon)	United States	111⁄2	61⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Carol Semple Thompson  Ada O'Sullivan
2004	Formby Golf Club (Merseyside, England)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland	Martha Kirouac  Ada O'Sullivan
2002	Fox Chapel Golf Club (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)	United States	11	7	Great Britain &  Ireland	Mary Budke  Pam Benka
2000	Ganton Golf Club (Ganton, England)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland	Jane Bastanchury Booth  Claire Dowling
1998	The Minikahda Club (Minneapolis, Minnesota)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland	Barbara McIntire  Ita Butler
1996	Killarney Golf & Fishing Club (Killarney, Ireland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	111⁄2	61⁄2	United States	Martha Lang  Ita Butler
1994	Honors Course (Chattanooga, Tennessee)	Great Britain &  Ireland	9	9	United States	Lancy Smith  Elizabeth Boatman
1992	Royal Liverpool Golf Club (Hoylake, England)	Great Britain &  Ireland	10	8	United States	Judy Oliver  Elizabeth Boatman
1990	Somerset Hills Country Club (Bernardsville, New Jersey)	United States	14	4	Great Britain &  Ireland	Leslie Shannon  Jill Thornhill
1988	Royal St George's Golf Club (Sandwich, Kent, England)	Great Britain &  Ireland	11	7	United States	Judy Bell  Diane Bailey
1986	Prairie Dunes Country Club (Hutchinson, Kansas)	Great Britain &  Ireland	13	5	United States	Judy Bell  Diane Bailey
1984	Muirfield (Scotland)	United States	91⁄2	81⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Phyllis Preuss  Diane Bailey
1982	Denver Country Club (Denver, Colorado)	United States	141⁄2	31⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Betty Probasco  Maire O'Donnell
1980	St Pierre Golf & Country Club (Chepstow, Wales)	United States	13	5	Great Britain &  Ireland	Nancy Roth Syms  Carol Comboy
1978	Apawamis Club (Rye, New York)	United States	12	6	Great Britain &  Ireland	Helen Sigel Wilson  Carol Comboy
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	Sis Choate  Belle Robertson
1972	Western Gailes Golf Club (Ayrshire, Scotland)	United States	10	8	Great Britain &  Ireland	Jean Ashley Crawford  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	Evelynn Monsted  Zara Bolton
1966	The Homestead (Hot Springs, Virginia)	United States	13	5	Great Britain &  Ireland	Dorothy Germain Porter  Zara Bolton
1964	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club (Porthcawl, South Wales)	United States	101⁄2	71⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Helen Hawes  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	Mildred Prunaret  Maureen Garrett
1958	Brae Burn Country Club (West Newton, Massachusetts)	Great Britain &  Ireland	41⁄2	41⁄2	United States	Virginia Dennehy  Daisy Ferguson
1956	Prince's Golf Club (Sandwich, Kent, England)	Great Britain &  Ireland	5	4	United States	Edith Flippin  Zara Bolton
1954	Merion Golf Club (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)	United States	6	3	Great Britain &  Ireland	Edith Flippin  Dorothy Beck
1952	Muirfield (Scotland)	Great Britain &  Ireland	5	4	United States	Aniela Goldthwaite  Katharine Cairns
1950	Country Club of Buffalo (Williamsville, New York)	United States	71⁄2	11⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Glenna Collett Vare  Diana Critchley
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	Essex County Club (Manchester, Massachusetts)	United States	51⁄2	31⁄2	Great Britain &  Ireland	Frances Stebbins  Margaret Wallace-Williamson
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 43 contests through 2024, USA have won 31 matches, Great Britain and Ireland have won 9 with 3 matches tied (1936, 1958 and 1994).

Future sites

• 2026 – Bel-Air Country Club, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California^[10]
• 2028 – Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland^[11]
• 2030 – National Golf Links of America, Southampton, New York^[12]
• 2034 – Pine Valley Golf Club, Pine Valley, New Jersey^[13]
• 2038 – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon^[14]

See also

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

Notes and references

1. "Ladies international golf". The Times. 20 May 1905. p. 13.
2. "American ladies v British ladies". The Times. 26 May 1905. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "2008 Curtis Cup Match History". Curtis Cup. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
4. "British v American women". The Glasgow Herald. 1 May 1930. p. 2.
5. "American women defeated". The Glasgow Herald. 2 May 1930. p. 16.
6. "Ladies' Golf Union and a trophy". Liverpool Daily Post. 13 February 1932. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "British Ladies' Golf Championship". Liverpool Daily Post. 19 November 1932. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Ladies' Golf Union accepts Curtis trophy for international play". Hartford Courant. 9 December 1932. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "NCAA stars help U.S. win Curtis Cup at St. Andrews". PGA Tour. Associated Press. 1 June 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
10. "Bel-Air Chosen to Host Three USGA Championships". USGA. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
11. "Royal Dornoch to host the Curtis Cup in 2028". The R&A. 26 August 2024.
12. Pine, Julia (25 May 2022). "NGLA Selected to Host 2030 Curtis Cup Match". USGA. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
13. "Pine Valley, the No. 1 course in the U.S., to host an elite competition for just the third time in its history". Retrieved 5 July 2023.
14. "Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to Host 13 Future USGA Championships". Retrieved 5 July 2023.

External links

• Official site