This month was supposed to end with the eight-woman U.S. Curtis Cup team being revealed. Now, any player eyeing a spot on that team will have to wait until 2021 to compete. The USGA and R&A jointly announced on Wednesday that due to the evolving dynamics of the coronavirus pandemic, the biennial team match was being moved from its originally scheduled dates of June 12-14 at Conwy Golf Club in Wales to 2021.
The Curtis Cup is contested by two teams of eight female amateur players, one from the United States and one from Great Britain and Ireland. The USGA’s International Team Selection Committee selects the USA Team, while the R&A selects the GB&I Team.
“The decision to postpone this year’s Curtis Cup Match did not come lightly, but based on a number of factors, including guidance from the CDC and restrictions on international travel, we’re confident it is what’s best for the health and safety of our players, staff, fans, and everyone associated with the Match,” said John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of Championships for the USGA. “We’re extremely appreciative of The R&A and all involved for the quick work and dedication to ensure this competition moves forward next year.”
The USGA had hosted a 12-woman practice session for Curtis Cup hopefuls in December. That squad included four college seniors.
The U.S. team was to be captained by Sarah Ingram, a three-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion in the 1990s who also appeared in three Curtis Cups that same decade. She’ll stay on to captain the matches when they are played next year.
Elaine Ratcliffe, whose resume as a player includes the English Amateur Championship and the Finnish Amateur Championship, will remain captain of the GB&I squad. The formal team selection process was to have taken place in April.
“It is certainly disappointing anytime you have to postpone something you are so actively looking forward to, but when we take our team to the Match, we want to be able to focus on competition and camaraderie, rather than have to worry about health and safety,” Ingram said. “I feel for the players who have worked so hard these last two years and share in the disappointment they surely feel that the Curtis Cup will not be contested this June. Despite the delay, we will be ready and eager to have the experience of a lifetime.”
The U.S. team leads the overall series, 29-8-3, and is coming off a record-setting 17-3 victory at the 2018 matches played at Quaker Ridge in Scarsdale, New York.