Curtis Cup: Great Britain and Ireland seek early Sunday success
Beth Coulter (GB&I) plays her tee shot on the second hole during four-ball matches of the 2026 Curtis Cup at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Edward M. Pio Roda/USGA)
The USA and Great Britain and Ireland won a session each on Saturday to leave the hosts with a two-point lead - 7-5 - heading into the singles in the 44th Curtis Cup in Los Angeles.
The USA needs to win 3.5 of the eight points on offer at Bel-Air Country Club to reach the 10.5 points they need to win back the cup.
Catriona Matthew’s charges need to win five points from the eight matches to reach 10 points to retain the Curtis Cup.
Kiara Romero and Asterisk Talley birdied five of their last seven holes to beat Lily Hirst and Nelly Ong 4&3 and while Sophia Fullbrook and Patience Rhodes birdied four of the last nine holes to beat Anna Davis and Avery Weed 3&2, Beth Coulter and Isla McDonald lost their tight morning fourballs 1 up to Jasmine Koo and the outstanding Farah O’Keefe.
It meant GB&I lost the session 2-1, making it 6-3 to the US.
But the visitors, who are seeking only their second away and the first for 40 years, took the afternoon foursomes session 2-1 to make it 7-5.
Charlotte Naughton and Davina Xanh beat Americans Anna Davis and Asterisk Talley 3&2 and Sophia Fullbrook and Patience Rhodes held off Kelly Xu and Kary Hollenbaugh to win 2 up.
But Coulter and McDonald O’Brien fell 4&3 to Avery Weed and O’Keefe, who can become just the fourth player in Curtis Cup history to go 5-0.
Coulter will play in the anchor singles for GB&I as Rhodes, Fullbrook, Ong and McDonald-O’Brien play in the first four matches.
“We've got to win early,” skipper Matthew said.
