AMATEURS

Rally complete

The U.S. Curtis Cup team, made up of eight of the best female amateurs in the country, laid the groundwork for a big rally at Conwy Golf Club in Wales on the eve of an anticipated lineup of singles matches. Then, in the head-to-head format on Aug. 28, the Americans finished it off.

Not since 2008 had the U.S. won a Curtis Cup match as the visiting team.

“We all knew we only had to win four to retain but that wasn’t our goal,” said U.S. team member Rachel Kuehn. “Our goal was to go out and to

Kuehn win eight singles matches. The more we can win, the less pressure is on the girls coming in. Just one more point you can put up for your country, it’s a huge deal.”

The Americans won 6 ½ of 8 available points on Saturday, polishing off the GB&I squad by a 12 ½ to 7 ½ margin. That takes the all-time score in this event to 30-8-3 in the Americans’ favor. GB&I last won the Cup in 2016 at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland.

Victory lap

After leading the U.S. team to victory, captain Sarah Ingram gets another shot at the biennial competition – and sooner than you might think.

The June 2020 matches were postponed to August 2021 in light of the pandemic, which leaves the June 2022 matches at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, right around the corner.

“Last week was a highlight of my career, being able to captain a team of such talented and wonderful young ladies, who are certainly the future of the game,” said Ingram. “It is an honor and dream to be asked by the USGA to captain the 2022 team.”

Making history

Ellen Port, the 59-year-old with seven USGA titles to her name, won the Metropolitan Senior Amateur Championship, a two-day senior men’s championship in St. Louis, on Aug. 25 and became the first female to ever win that title.

The tournament was played at Sunset Country Club near Port’s St. Louis home, where she is a member.