Eight players have been selected for the Great Britain and Ireland team to play the United States of America in the 42nd Curtis Cup at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, on 10-12 June.The GB&I team is made up of Hannah Darling, Louise Duncan, Annabell Fuller, Charlotte Heath, Caley McGinty, Emily Price, Lauren Walsh and Amelia Williamson. The non-travelling reserves are, in order, Lottie Woad and Beth Coulter.World No. 10 Darling and No. 11 McGinty earned their places in the team as automatic selections thanks to being the top two GB&I players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking on 21 April 2022.Six players – Darling, Duncan, Fuller, Heath, McGinty and Walsh – return to the GB&I team, which last year got off to a solid start at Conwy Golf Club in Wales and was leading after the opening three sessions. The GB&I will look to build on that form when they head across the Atlantic to be joined by debutantes Price and Williamson.After their success at Conwy – the US team won the singles session to claim its first Curtis Cup away win since 2008, 12½ to 7½ – the Americans will be looking for a third consecutive victory and have enjoyed plenty of success on home soil, where GB&I has not won in six matches since 1994.“I would like to congratulate these eight players on their selection to the Great Britain and Ireland team,” GB&I captain Elaine Ratcliffe said. “The Curtis Cup is one of the highlights of the amateur game, and I know they will all put in their best performances at Merion.“I am delighted to have six of the girls from last year back in the team for the 2022 match, and I believe this gives us a strong base to build upon. The two new players to the team will strengthen that talent base, and we very much look forward to an exciting match.”McGinty was GB&I’s leading scorer on her Curtis Cup debut in 2021, securing 3½ points from her five matches. Last year, McGinty earned the Mid-American Conference’s golfer and freshman of the year awards after securing three wins at Kent State.
Darling made her Curtis Cup debut at Conwy and secured an impressive three points. The Scot has continued her form after joining the University of South Carolina and has already posted six top-10 finishes on the US college circuit, while making her debut at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April.
The GB&I team:
Hannah Darling (18, Broomieknowe, Scotland)
Louise Duncan (22, West Kilbride, Scotland)
Annabell Fuller (19, Roehampton, England)
Charlotte Heath (20, Huddersfield, England)
Caley McGinty (21, Knowle, England)
Emily Price (22, Ludlow, England)
Lauren Walsh (21, Castlewarden, Ireland)
Amelia Williamson (21, Sheringham, England)
Reserves:
Lottie Woad (18, Farnham, England)
Beth Coulter (18, Kirkistown Castle, Ireland)
Captain:
Elaine Ratcliffe (49, Essendon Country Club, England)
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