Curtis Cup shock is lined up

Elaine Farquharson-black and her young Great Britain and Ireland team are determined to cause a Curtis Cup shock in New York this weekend and so stop America from holding all four of the game’s main team trophies.

It has been eight years since the US boasted the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup in their possession at the same time and, with GB&I having won on away soil only twice in the 86 years of the competition, the odds are stacked against them at Quaker Ridge. Yet, despite Virginia Derby Grimes’s eight-strong team all residing in the world’s top 25, Farquharson-black is confident of replicating the startling success of two years ago.

The Scottish lawyer, who played

Confident: Elaine Farquharsonblack believes her team can surprise the Americans in two matches in the 1990s, was the captain in Dun Laoghaire and sees enough similarities in this group to believe she can complete a famous double. “We have a very good chance because we have eight exciting players playing well,” she said. “We will be prepared and ready when the whistle blows. We have had Steven Orr [the short-game expert] with us and that has been a big help. A match in the States is generally won and lost on the greens.”

The USGA has released the draw for the first two rounds of next week’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills. Tiger Woods plays with world Nos 1 and 2 Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson while Rory Mcilroy is paired with Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson.

World No3 Justin Rose goes out with South African Louis Oosthuizen and another American in Jimmy Walker and another eye-catching group comprises Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter and Danny Willett.