Honours even after Curtis Cup first day
Great Britain & Ireland are locked at 3-3 with the United States at the end of the first day of the Curtis Cup.
Skipper Elaine Farquharson-Black will look back on two sessions where her team were pegged back after getting off to a flying start at Dun Laoghaire, in Ireland.
Bronte Law, the dual English amateur champion, and Leona Maguire, the world number 1, picked up maximum points as foursomes and fourballs were completed.
But after GB&I led 2-0 and 3-1, the two sides could not be separated and will resume battle on Saturday morning.
Law was paired with Olivia Mehaffey and the two were in inspired form in the morning foursomes, seeing off Hannah O’Sullivan and Mariel Galdiano 2&1.
Taking the lead on the opening hole, they fashioned a gross score of four under par as they secured victory on the 17th.
Charlotte Thomas and Maguire had far too much in hand for Andrea Lee and Mika Liu as they swept to a 4&2 success.
At one stage, it looked like it would be a clean sweep for GB&I but Meghan MacLaren and Maria Dunne spurned a three hole advantage as they were beaten on the 18th by Bailey Tardy and Monica Vaughn.
It looked like more of the same in the afternoon fourballs as Law, now teamed up with Maguire, swept past Bethany Wu and Sierra Brooks.
In front from the first hole, they were comfortable 4&3 victors.
But the tide turned in the American’s favour as O’Sullivan and Galdiano edged a tight match with Mehaffey and Thomas 1 up on the 18th.
Tardy and Vaughn retained their unbeaten record on the first day when they saw off MacLaren and Alice Hewson, the only change in personnel from the morning in the GB&I side, 2&1.
Saturday foursomes: Maguire/Thomas v Wu/O’Sullivan; McLaren/Dunne v Brooks/Lee; Mehaffey/Law v Tardy/Vaughn.
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.