It took only four matches before Great Britain and Ireland earned more points at this Curtis Cup than at the entirety of the previous edition.
After a 17-3 drubbing in New York three years ago, GB&I won four matches and halved another on Thursday to take a 4 ½-to-1 ½ lead after the opening day at Conwy Golf Club in Wales.
The home team took two of the three morning foursomes (alternate shot) matches and nearly made it a sweep.
Annabell Fuller and Charlotte Heath, both from England, defeated former Wake Forest teammates Rachel Kuehn and Emilia Migliaccio, 4 and 3. Fellow Englishwomen Caley McGinty and Emily Toy defeated Gina Kim and Brooke Matthews, 3 and 1.
Match scoring from the Curtis Cup
Scots Louise Duncan and Hannah Darling were 1 up on Rose Zheng and Rachel Heck, the top two players, respectively, in the world amateur rankings. But the future Stanford teammates won the par-5 18th hole to get the U.S. a half-point.
In the afternoon fourballs (better ball), Darling and Fuller won the last to defeat Heck and Migliaccio, 1 up. Ireland’s Lauren Walsh teamed with McGinty to beat U.S. Amateur champion Jensen Castle and Duke sensation Kim, 2 and 1.
The Americans avoided the sweep again in the final match of the day, with Zhang and Allisen Corpuz edging Annabel Wilson and Toy, 1 up.
The two teams will again play three matches each of foursomes and fourballs on Friday, before contesting eight singles matches on Saturday.
This 41st Curtis Cup was postponed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Americans last won on foreign soil in 2008 at St. Andrews.
Here are the morning foursomes for Day 2 (all times ET; Golf Channel coverage begins at 2:30 a.m. ET)
- 2:45 a.m: Rachel Heck / Rose Zhang (USA) vs. Louise Duncan / Hannah Darling (GB&I)
- 2:57 a.m.: Rachel Kuehn / Emilia Migliaccio (USA) vs. Charlotte Heath / Annabell Fuller (GB&I)
- 3:09 a.m.: Jensen Castle / Brooke Matthews (USA) vs. Caley McGinty / Emily Toy (GB&I)