Dryburgh and Briggs represented GB&I as USA regain title with a convincing win
EILIDH BRIGGS and Gemma Dryburgh were the Scottish representatives as the Great Britain and Ireland team slumped to a 13-7 defeat to the USA in the Curtis Cup.
It proved to be a tough final day for the GB&I team as they entered it seven points behind their opponents and they were unable to emulate the Solheim Cup team from last year by becoming the first GB&I side to win the tournament on American soil.
RALLY
Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh and Eilidh Briggs both played their part in the match at St Louis Country Club, with Dryburgh winning her singles match against Ashlan Ramsey, while Briggs halved her tie with Mariah Stackhouse, the first black player to play in the Curtis Cup.
The damage had been done in the previous two days, though, and the late rally wasn’t enough.
“I have to say, so proud of the girls for how they rallied all day,” said Great Britain and Ireland captain Tegwen Matthews.
“More especially when they knew the match was gone, and yet they never gave up. That could have put the chins even further down. That’s a great way to finish and gives everyone a bit of a boost to say the least from a pretty disastrous two days.
“I think my girls hit the ball as well as, if not better than the Americans. Except they were holing more putts. We had the ability to do that. We just didn’t hole any putts.
For the Americans, it was their eighth victory in the last nine matches of the match, and captain Ellen Port was delighted with how her team performed throughout the week.
She said: “As a captain, my goal was to keep them fresh and set them up for success. Not wear them out, not let them get tired of playing the course, because they get to the course so early, and all the late nights. So for them to come out of the starting gates and win those first three points, that’s great.
“I wanted both teams to deliver because every champion wants to bring their best and play well and that’s what happened. We just won a couple more points than they did in the events that were team events where sometimes we don’t do that.
“The event as a whole was great. The hospitality was great. I think GB&I really felt at home here as well, and I think the golf course speaks for itself.” goal was to keep them fresh and set them up for success. Not wear them out, not let them get tired of playing the course, because they get to the course so early, and all the late nights. So for them to come out of the starting gates and win those first three points, that’s great.
“I wanted both teams to deliver because every champion wants to bring their best and play well and that’s what happened. We just won a couple more points than they did in the events that were team events where sometimes we don’t do that.
“The event as a whole was great. The hospitality was great. I think Great Britain & Ireland really felt at home here as well, and I think the golf course speaks for itself.”
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