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Maguire teams up with Meadow

CURTIS CUP IT WILL be with mixed emotions that Slieve Russell’s Leona Maguire lines up in the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis…

Fri Jun 08 2012 - 01:00

CURTIS CUPIT WILL be with mixed emotions that Slieve Russell's Leona Maguire lines up in the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup side against the Americans at Nairn this morning in the 37th staging of the competition.

Normally alongside Leona is her twin sister, Lisa, but this time she has been named only as a reserve so will have to watch from the sidelines as the hosts seek a first victory over the powerful Americans since they triumphed 11½-6½ at Killarney in 1996.

Two years ago Leona (17) was below her best on her Curtis Cup debut, taking just one and a half points but she did win her singles match 2 and 1 against Tiffany Lua and has matured significantly since then.

Stephanie Meadow from Royal Portrush is the other Irish player in the eight-strong team and she has gained considerable experience over the past couple of years – she was a member of the defeated Vagliano Trophy side at Royal Porthcawl last summer.

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Maguire and Meadow have been paired together for the opening round of foursomes. They are in the third match out, up against Lindy Duncan and Lisa McCloskey.

Captain Tegwen Matthews has omitted English teenager Charley Hull and Scotland’s Pamela Pretswell from the opening session.

Matthews, who played in four Cup matches during the 1970s, is very open about her game plan – she wants her players to go on the offensive from the start.

“Over the years GB and I players have been very good at fighting back after letting the Americans get too far in front of us to be caught. I want the Americans to play catch-up this time,” said Matthews who was understudy to Mary McKenna in the last two contests.

After seven defeats on the bounce Great Britain and Ireland,beaten 12½-7½ two years ago, are determined to end the losing sequence.

Three foursomes and three fourballs are being contested on each of the first two days and the biennial match concludes with eight singles on Sunday.

ORDER OF PLAY(Great Britain and Ireland names first): K Tidy and A Boulden v A Ernst and B Pancake; H Clyburn and B Law v A Anderson and T Lua; L Maguire and S Meadow v L Duncan and L McCoskey.