DELIGHTFUL sunshine at Killarney yesterday created a holiday atmosphere for everyone but the opposing teams, when Britain and Ireland opened up a 6-3 lead at the halfway stage of the 29th Curtis Cup. Significantly, it was the same margin as four years ago, when current possession of the trophy was ultimately secured at Hoylake.
Against a background of Walker Cup and Ryder Cup triumphs last autumn, it is no longer a surprise to witness admirable competitive qualities in teams from this side of the Atlantic. Even the most optimistic expectations among the attendance of 7,000 were surpassed, however, by the extent of British and Irish dominance of the afternoon's singles.
Small wonder that the home skipper, Ita Butler, enthused afterwards: "Absolutely brilliant: I'm so proud of the girls." She went on: "If you'd offered me that result at the start I would definitely have taken it. The Curtis Cup is a huge experience so I'm particularly proud of the new players."
Yet, a tight battle looked very much in prospect after the three morning foursomes had ended at one and a half points each. Indeed, there was cause for some concern in the home camp at the manner in which Julie Hall and Lisa Educate went from two up after 10 in the top match to cover the next seven holes in six over par for a shock 2 and 1 defeat.
Later, the Americans achieved a splendid climax to the morning battle. Cristie Kerr and Carol Semple Thompson appeared to be in trouble at one down with two to play against the formidable Scottish partnership of Janice Moodie and Mhairi McKay. But the visitors drew level with a par at the 17th where Moodie hit an overzealous first putt, sending the ball nine feet past the target.
At the 18th, both sides missed the green, the Americans to the left and the home team to the right. Thompson chipped to 12 feet short of the flag but McKay played an exquisite effort which finished less than two feet past the target. Then Kerr gained an improbable halved match when her left to right downhill putt, hit the right lip, spun over to the left, and appeared to hang there before dropping. Its overall impact was to make lunch appreciably tastier for the Americans.
From a position of renewed optimism, however, the visiting captain, Martha Lang, made a decidedly curious decision in naming her singles line up. National champion Kelli Kuehne was dropped while 47 year old Thompson was retained.
As things turned out, Thompson lost to an old adversary, Moodie, while the Americans crashed to a three point deficit. All of which came as a considerable shock to Lang, who effectively admitted that she had blundered. Was it not odd to omit 18 year old Kuehne and include a veteran who was obviously not going to play in all four matches? "Yes, I am not disagreeing with that," she replied.
The situation was confused somewhat by the fact that Kuehne is hampered by recurring problems to her right foot, arising from a childhood injury. It forces her to wear specially designed golf shoes with the flexibility of sneakers.
"Kelli has had a few foot problems, but I don't think they would have been a concern," added Lang. "It doesn't look as if it was a good decision this minute. I had to rest two and I also rested Ellen Port, who is also a very good player." Kuehne said: "She (Lang) chose to stand me down. I have no problem with my foot." Then she added: "I've got a long day tomorrow."
Ironically, leaving the Kuehne controversy aside, the conditions should have given the Americans a decided edge. Crucial in this regard was the pace of the greens which became decidedly slick, through a second cut at lunchtime, allied to a fresh, warm breeze. Yet the home players extracted a far greater dividend with the blade.
Notable in this context was the performance of Alison Rose. In the foursomes, her confidence on the greens was boosted by a 10 foot birdie putt at the seventh and a formidable, 30 foot effort to save par at the short 10th. In fact she and partner Lisa Dermott produced the only two birdies from either side in 52 holes of foursomes play.
Then, in the afternoon, Rose opened up a four hole lead after 11 on Brenda Corrie Kuehn. The Scot lost the 12th to a par but, crucially, she immediately won the hole back, sinking a brave, 12 footer for par at the treacherous 13th, where both players missed the green on the left.
The overall performance of this player, who went on to win by 5 and 4, has a particular significance for Irish observers. When the team was announced, it was felt that the eighth position rested between the Scot and Eileen Rose Power. If that were the case, it could has been reasonably argued that the nod might have gone to the Irish girl, given that the event
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