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 a 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.
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.
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between European and United States teams. The competition is contested every two years, with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named after the English businessman Samuel Ryder who donated the trophy. The event is jointly administered by the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe, the latter a joint venture of the PGA European Tour (60%), the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (20%), and the PGAs of Europe (20%).
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years by leading male amateur golfers in two teams: United States, and Great Britain and Ireland featuring players from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The official name is the Walker Cup Match. It is organised by The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA). In 1921 the Royal Liverpool Golf Club hosted an unofficial contest which was followed by official annual contests from 1922 through 1924. From 1925 they became biennial, held on even-number years. After World War II they switched to odd-numbered years. From 2026 it will be held in even-numbered years following the switch of the Eisenhower Trophy to odd-numbered years to avoid that event clashing with the Olympic Games. They are held alternately in the U.S., and Ireland or Britain.
The Seve Trophy was a biennial golf tournament between teams of professional male golfers; one team representing Great Britain and Ireland, the other team representing Continental Europe. The tournament was played in years when there is no Ryder Cup. The competition was held eight times from 2000 to 2013.
The 42nd Walker Cup Match was played on September 12 and 13, 2009 at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Team United States won 16½ to 9½ for its third consecutive win.
The 39th Curtis Cup Match was played from 10 to 12 June 2016 at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club near Enniskerry, Ireland. Great Britain and Ireland won 111⁄2 to 81⁄2. Bronte Law became the first golfer from Great Britain and Ireland to win 5 matches in a Curtis Cup match, a feat only previously achieved by Stacy Lewis in 2008.
The 38th Curtis Cup Match was played from June 6 to 8, 2014 at St. Louis Country Club in Ladue, Missouri. The United States won 13 to 7.
The 37th Curtis Cup Match was played from 8 to 10 June 2012 at Nairn Golf Club in Nairn, Scotland. Great Britain and Ireland won 101⁄2 to 91⁄2.
The 36th Curtis Cup Match was played from June 11 to 13, 2010 at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. The United States won 121⁄2 to 71⁄2. The Great Britain and Ireland team led 31⁄2 to 21⁄2 after the first day but the Americans won all 6 matches on the second day and, with the singles matches being shared, won comfortably. The Great Britain and Ireland team included 15-year-old twins, Lisa and Leona Maguire.
The 35th Curtis Cup Match was played from 30 May to 1 June 2008 on the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland. The United States won 13 to 7. This was the first Curtis Cup played over three days, including fourball matches for the first time. Stacy Lewis won all her five matches.
The 34th Curtis Cup Match was played on July 29 and 30, 2006, at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort near Bandon, Oregon. The United States won 111⁄2 to 61⁄2 on the Pacific Dunes course. This was the last two-day Curtis Cup, which expanded to three days in 2008.
The 33rd Curtis Cup Match was played on 12 and 13 June 2004 at Formby Golf Club in Formby, Merseyside, England. The United States won 10 to 8. Great Britain and Ireland won 5 of the 6 foursomes but American dominated in the singles, winning 9 of the 12 matches. Michelle Wie became the youngest ever Curtis Cup player, at the age of 14.
The 1st Curtis Cup Match was played on 21 May 1932 at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. The United States won 51⁄2 to 31⁄2.
The 40th Curtis Cup Match was played from June 8–10, 2018 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, Scarsdale, New York. The United States dominated the match, winning by 17 matches to 3 including all 8 of the singles matches.
The 41st Curtis Cup Match was played from 26–28 August 2021 at Conwy Golf Club near Conwy, Wales. It was originally scheduled for 12–14 June 2020 but was postponed to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elsie Alice Corlett was an English amateur golfer. She reached the final of the Womens Amateur Championship in 1938 and was a semi-finalist in 1934 and 1937. She won the English Women's Amateur Championship in 1938 was the losing finalist in 1926 and 1935. She played in the 1932 and 1938 Curtis Cup matches and was the non-playing captain in the 1964 event.
The 42nd Curtis Cup Match was played from June 10–12, 2022 at Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pennsylvania. It was played less than a year after the previous contest, at Conwy Golf Club in 2021, which had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The USA team retained the Curtis Cup by a score of 151⁄2 to 41⁄2.
Tegwen Matthews is a Welsh amateur golfer. She played in four successive Curtis Cup matches from 1974 to 1980, the first Welsh woman to compete in the event.
Elaine Ratcliffe is an English amateur golfer. She won the 1998 English Women's Amateur Championship. She played in the Curtis Cup in 1996 and 1998 and was the non-playing captain in 2021 and 2022.
Kim Andrew is an English amateur golfer. She won the 1997 English Women's Amateur Championship and the 1998 Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship. She played in the Curtis Cup in 1998 and 2000.
The 43rd Curtis Cup Match was played from 30 August to 1 September 2024 on the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club near Sunningdale, Berkshire, England. Great Britain and Ireland won 101⁄2 to 91⁄2.
Great Britain & 
Ireland
2024 Curtis Cup 
