LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA | Last week, Bel-Air Country Club hosted the 44th Curtis Cup Match, what many consider to be the pinnacle of women’s amateur golf. And for five players across the American and Great Britain & Ireland teams, the Curtis Cup served as a final sendoff, an ending to their amateur careers before they turn pro. What an ending it was.
“There is really no greater honor or privilege than to play for your country,” said Kelly Xu, an American who recently finished her college career at Stanford University. “A lot of girls who I’ve spoken to say this is the most fun event in their golf careers. So when I got the opportunity it was a no-brainer. I think this will definitely be looked back on as a highlight of not only my golfing career but my life.”
Three players on the GB&I team – Lily Hirst, Beth Coulter and Davina Xanh – have finished college and plan to compete at the Ladies European Tour Q-School later this year. On the American team, Kary Hollenbaugh, who just finished at Ohio State, will join Xu in making their professional debuts this week at the Epson Tour’s Great Lakes Championship at the Highlands in Michigan.
Simply receiving the call that you’re going to be on the Curtis Cup team is a great honor. Coulter, who recently finished at Arizona State, was one of two players on this year’s GB&I side who were part of the squad that prevailed at Sunningdale in 2024. Still, her spot on the team was not guaranteed. At the NCAA Stanford Regional in May, Coulter was with fellow Sun Devils Isla McDonald-O’Brien and Patience Rhodes when they got the call from GB&I captain Catriona Matthew.
“It was a really nice moment to share together,” Coulter said. “The Curtis Cup is the pinnacle of women’s amateur golf and it’s really cool to do it once but to do it twice is extra special.”
Xanh was also at the Stanford Regional, her final collegiate event for Cal State Fullerton. She received the call when she was fresh off the course.
“I was already in an emotional state because I’d just finished my college career and then I got the call and it put me in such a good mood,” Xanh said, who added that she considers making the Curtis Cup team her biggest achievement to date.
Hirst, who finished her collegiate career at the University of Kansas in 2025, said she decided to remain an amateur after graduating to give herself a shot at the Curtis Cup. Outside the top 500 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the time, she faced an uphill battle. But her 2026 results put her in the conversation, and then she got the call.
“I was actually at home making dinner,” Hirst said. “Catriona rung me up and I just kind of stopped talking. I was so excited. I ran up the stairs to my mom and I just put my hands in the air, started jumping up and down and burst into tears. …
“To know that out of GB&I I’m in a team of eight, it’s pretty surreal and an amazing achievement. It’s every young girl’s dream.”
While Coulter, Xanh and Hirst are eyeing the Ladies European Tour, Matthew placed an emphasis on enjoying the moment.
“Any time you’re playing for your country against America, it’s a great feeling,” said Matthew, who played in three Curtis Cups and captained the winning 2024 side. “That pride and kind of honor when you walk onto the first tee knowing you’re playing for your country, you’re playing for your teammates. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Matthew’s American counterpart Meghan Stasi, who played on the victorious U.S. team in 2008 and captained the 2024 team, said playing in the Curtis Cup makes you part of a family.
“I have a little sticker that I made,” Stasi said. “The number is 222. That’s the number of women that have played on the U.S. Curtis Cup team. It's such a small number, and I think it’s really an honor, something to be proud of to represent the U.S.”
Hollenbaugh got the call from Stasi in mid-May.
“I’ve always dreamed of being on the team or playing on any team to represent the USA,” she said. “I’ve grown up watching Curtis Cup and golf in general. It kind of became more of a reality the past two years of college, knowing that after my senior year I’d have a chance to make it. So I’ve been working towards that and making it a goal of mine.”
“I feel super lucky and grateful that I get the opportunity to do this and it’s my last amateur event.”
Kelly Xu
Xu, who helped Stanford to the NCAA title last month, said it has been her goal to play in the Curtis Cup, especially after hearing stories about what a privilege it is from Stanford teammate Megha Ganne. But Xu didn’t want to set herself up for disappointment if she didn’t make the team.
“To be on the team you have to be playing so well, so I almost didn’t let myself get my hopes high enough to be like this is really what I want,” Xu said. “But it’s so inspiring to hear your friends talk about their own experiences.”
The players on both sides created their own Curtis Cup memories at Bel-Air. Coulter and McDonald-O’Brien engineered a huge upset during Friday’s foursomes, defeating world No. 1 amateur Kiara Romero and top-ranked junior Asterisk Talley, 3 and 2. And during Saturday’s foursomes, Xanh made the putt that clinched victory for her and Charlotte Naughton in their match against Anna Davis and Talley.
Hollenbaugh and Xu were partners in Saturday foursomes and made a valiant comeback in their match against Sophia Fullbrook and Rhodes. Three down with four to play, the Americans took the match to the 18th hole before coming up short. But Hollenbaugh earned redemption with a 1-up singles victory over Hirst.
With the Curtis Cup behind them, Hollenbaugh and Xu embark on their next chapter as professionals this week.
“I feel super lucky and grateful that I get the opportunity to do this and it’s my last amateur event,” Xu said. “Trying to plan for [the Epson Tour] is a whole new world that I’m going to have to explore and reorient myself to.”
Top: Playing for the U.S. Curtis Cup team was a fitting way for Kelly Xu to end her successful amateur career.
Ryan Sun, R&A via Getty Images