Curtis Cup Scotsman Preview

Great Britain and Ireland is going for its first win in the Curtis Cup since 1996 when the world’s top amateur ladies tee off in Scotland this week. The 37th edition of this biennial event takes place at the famous Nairn links on the shores of the Moray Firth, with all eyes on the strong US team walking away with another victory. But it may not be as one-sided as some people think, with Mickey Walker praising the efforts of the GB&I captain in bringing in talented coaches and focusing attention on and around the greens.

Walker lead Europe to its first victory in the Solheim Cup, famously wrestling the trophy from the clutches of the Americans at another Sscottish venue, Dalmahoy in 1992. Twenty years later and speaking to the Scotsman, she admitted that the odds are not in favour of the GB&I team securing a win. “We do have several factors in our favour, though,” she added. “For starters, we have home advantage – five of our six wins have been on home soil.

Walker also thinks that the decision to bring in Gillian Stewart and Chris Langford to work with the home players on their short games is a clever move. Matthews has tried to instil in her team the belief that match play is very different to stroke play, saying that a “completely different mindset is called for” and urging her team to come out of the blocks quickly.