Opening Golf to the World
Curtis Cup
Great Britain and Ireland two points down after day one of Curtis Cup
7 mins
Great Britain and Ireland trail 4-2 following the opening day of the 44th Curtis Cup, with the United States of America narrowly getting the better of two absorbing sessions at Bel-Air Country Club.
Catriona Matthew’s side, who need ten points out of 20 this week to retain the trophy they so memorably secured at Sunningdale two years ago, battled hard on a sweltering hot day in Los Angeles. There was a morning fourball win for Patience Rhodes and Sophia Fullbrook, while Beth Coulter and Isla McDonald-O’Brien, who sat out the opening session, claimed the first point of the afternoon foursomes as they took down world number one Kiara Romero and Asterisk Talley. However, the other four matches went in favour of the hosts, with last year’s Women’s Amateur Championship runner-up Farah O’Keefe leading the way. O’Keefe was the only player to finish day one with a maximum two-point haul, as she followed a fourball victory alongside Jasmine Koo by partnering Avery Weed to success over Rhodes and Fullbrook in the alternate-shot format. The two sides will again play three fourball and three foursomes matches on Saturday, before eight Sunday singles contests round out the match. You can follow live scoring throughout the weekend here.Rhodes and Fullbrook start in style
Grey skies greeted the opening tee shots at 7:30am local time, but the early gloom rapidly burned away to reveal clear blue overheads for the rest of the day. And there was the hottest of starts from Rhodes and Fullbrook, who followed an eagle at the first hole with birdies at the next two before moving five up inside seven holes.
Sophia Fullbrook and Patience Rhodes converted a superb start into victory on the first morning
Opponents Anna Davis and Kelly Xu fought back admirably, applying real pressure to the English pair as they reduced their deficit to one with three holes to play.
Yet a bogey from the Americans on the par-3 16th gave Fullbrook and Rhodes welcome breathing space before a par from the latter sealed a 2&1 victory on the 17th.
“It was maybe a bit more stressful than we would have liked, but we’re really happy,” said Fullbrook.
Lily Hirst and Davina Xanh unquestionably ran into the form pairing of the morning as they went down 4&2 to Romero and Talley.
The in-form American duo, who each shone at last week’s US Women’s Open, were eight-under-par for the first 11 holes and secured the first point of the match at the 16th despite Hirst and Xanh fighting back with wins at the 12th and 14th.
The final match of the morning went all the way to the 18th, with O’Keefe and Koo holding off a determined comeback from Nellie Ong and Charlotte Naughton.
O’Keefe and Koo were three up after seven but soon found themselves pegged back to all-square, before crucially nosing ahead again on the par-5 14th.
Ong was agonisingly close to converting a lengthy birdie putt on the 18th that would have really dialled up the tension. The ball slipped by, however, and O’Keefe then holed a putt of her own to earn a two up win and a 2-1 session score in favour of Meghan Stasi’s home team.
Coulter and O’Brien impress but US extend lead
All three afternoon contests shared a similar pattern; in each case a tense and evenly fought front nine was followed by one pairing seizing command after the turn. The top match tilted emphatically in favour of McDonald-O’Brien and Coulter, who along with Rhodes was part of GB&I’s victorious team in 2024.
Isla McDonald-O'Brien had reason to smile as she and Beth Coulter won their foursomes match
Romero and Talley were one up through six, all-square after nine and forged ahead again when a par proved enough to win the 12th hole.
Yet McDonald-O’Brien and Coulter won every hole thereafter to triumph 3&2, as their opponents – so impressive throughout the day up until that point – faltered with four successive bogeys.
“To take down Kiara and Asterisk is pretty cool,” said Coulter. “It was really sweet. We just gelled so well.
“Obviously pars are so good on the back nine, and we didn't play (in the morning), so we had a little extra energy.”
McDonald-O’Brien added: “It's great to be able to play two of the best in the game right now. It was great fun. And doing it with Beth by my side is great.”
That victory for Matthew’s side left the match score tied at 2-2, but by that point the USA had taken control of the other two foursomes contests.
Davis and Xu won three holes in a row at the start of the back nine on their way to a 4&3 victory over Ong and Naughton, while O’Keefe and Weed, who had been two down after five against Rhodes and Fullbrook, came on strong to triumph 3&2.