FOR the first time since 1990 Ireland will not have a representative in the Curtis Cup team to defend the trophy against the US at Killarney on June 21st and 22nd.
However, Elm Park's Ita Butler, who will captain the side, expressed complete satisfaction last night at the overall quality of a line up which she is confident will maintain recent supremacy.
The first staging of the biennial event in the Republic of Ireland will be on a testing, Killeen Course measuring 6,267 yards for a par of 73. And the indications are that it will be a sell out for a maximum of 12,000 spectators each day. Two day tickets costing £20 are available from Killarney GC.
Ireland's two leading challengers for places were Eileen Rose Power, who was a member of the 1994 team, and fellow international Hazel Kavanagh. As it happens, the Skibbereen player, now a member of Kilkenny, has been named as first reserve.
The team, with ages in parenthesis is Lisa Dermott (23) Royal Liverpool Ladies, Lisa Educate (23) Calcot Park, Julie Hall (29) Felixstowe Ferry, Mhairi McKay (21) Turnberry, Janice Moodic, (22) Windyhill, Elaine Rathcliffe (23) Sandiway, Alison Rose (27) Stirling, Karen Stupples (22) Royal Cinque Ports. Reserves Eileen Rose Power (29) Kilkenny, Fiona Brown (22) Heswell, Emma Duggleby (24) Malton and Norton, Rebecca Hudson (16) Wheatley.
"I'm sorry for Eileen Rose and Hazel and indeed for all of the players who didn't make it," said Butler. "I have been given a well balanced team with tremendous talent and though the Americans are never easy to beat. I feel confident about our prospects."
As a former representative, Power was clearly the stronger Irish candidate but she appears to have suffered as a result of moderate form in recent months. Granted, she is the reigning Irish champion but she `finished 121' strokes behind Alison Rose in the Sherry Cup at Sotogrande last month. Interestingly, Rose was first reserve on the 1994 team.
Making her fifth appearance in, the side is the top British and Irish player, Hall, who is the holder of four championships British, English, Australian and Spanish. But there are four newcomers Dermott, Rose Stupples and Ratcliffe. Two others, Moodie (San Jose) and McKay (Stanford) are currently attending American universities.
Though the Americans have had 20 victories compared to only five losses in the series, Britain and Ireland achieved a recent dominance through their 10-8 win at Hoylake in 1992, followed by a tie at The Honors Course, Chattanoga two years ago. One that occasion Power made only one appearance, in a losing foursomes.
A feature of the American team, captained by Martha Lang, is the inclusion of 47 year old Carol Semple Thompson who is set to equal Mary McKenna's record of nine appearances. The side also includes five newcomers, three of whom are teenagers.
The US line up is Kellee Booth (19), Brenda Corrie Kuehn (31), Sarah Ingram (29), Marla Jemsek (26), Cristie Kerr (18). Kelli Kuehne (18), Ellen Port (34), Carol Semple Thompson (47).
The entire team will get together for the first time at the US Women's Open at Pine Needles, North Carolina, on May 27th to June 2nd.
. Scott Hoch will represent the US in the international final of the $3.65 million Anderson Consulting World Championship of Golf. Hoch claimed his place by beating former US Open champion Lee Janzen by 3 and 1 in the US final at Reynolds Plantation on Tuesday, having previously defeated Tom Lehman and Mark McCumber.
As the second regional qualifier, he joins Hisayoki Sasaki who won the Japanese final last month.
