The 42nd Curtis Cup Match – the biennial women’s amateur competition between golfers from the U.S. vs. players from Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) – kicks off Friday at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Penn., just northwest of downtown Philadelphia.
The eight-player teams, led respectively by USA’s Sarah LeBrun Ingram and England’s Elaine Ratcliffe, will compete in 20 matches over three days, June 10-12, with two sessions each of four-ball and foursomes play and eight singles matches. The winning team must accumulate at least 101⁄2 points to win the Cup. The Americans have won the last two matches, in 2021 (postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic) and 2018, and lead the overall series 30-8-3.
Read on for the full competition schedule, details on the tournament format, plus a few fast facts about 2022 Curtis Cup Match.
How to watch the 2022 Curtis Cup Match
NBC Sports will have 17 hours of live coverage of the 42nd Curtis Cup Match on Golf Channel and Peacock beginning Friday, June 10, through Sunday, June 12 (all times EDT). On Friday and Saturday, the Curtis Cup will feature three morning four-ball matches and three afternoon foursomes (alternate-shot) matches. Sunday will feature eight singles matches. All matches will be 18 holes; all times local/ET (times subject to change).
| DAY | EVENT | NETWORK | TIME (all times ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 9 | Opening ceremony | Golf Channel | 6:05-7 p.m. |
| Friday, June 10 | Four-ball matches | Golf Channel | 9 a.m.-noon |
| Friday, June 10 | Foursomes | Peacock | 2-5 p.m. |
| Saturday, June 11 | Four-ball matches | Peacock | 10-11 a.m. |
| Saturday, June 11 | Four-ball matches | Golf Channel | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. |
| Saturday, June 11 | Foursomes | Peacock | 4-5 p.m. |
| Saturday, June 11 | Foursomes | Golf Channel | 5-7 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 12 | Singles matches | Peacock | 2-5 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 12 | Singles matches | Golf Channel | 5-7 p.m. |
What is the format and scoring for the 2022 Curtis Cup Match?
The Curtis Cup Match uses the match-play format throughout the tournament, which consists of 20 matches over three days. The winning team must accumulate at least 10 1⁄2 points to win the Cup. The Curtis Cup includes six foursomes matches, six four-ball matches and eight singles matches. All matches are worth one point each, with ties resulting in 1⁄2 point to each team. If the two teams are deadlocked at the end of singles play the Cup will be retained by the holder, in this case the U.S.
MATCH PLAY: Match play is a form of golf competition where a player (or players) plays directly against an opponent (or opponents) in a head-to-head match. A hole is won by completing it in the fewest number of strokes, and a match is won when when one side is winning by more holes than remain to be played. You (or your opponent) may concede a stroke, a hole, or even the match to each other. If your next stroke has been conceded, you are permitted to putt out, unless this will help your partner (for example, by showing them the line for their putt). In match play, players are not required to keep a scorecard – scorecards are only required in stroke play.
FOURSOMES: Foursomes is a match in which two players compete against two other players in an alternate-shot format, with each side playing just one ball. The players take turns hitting the tee shots, with one player hitting them on the odd-numbered holes, the other on the even-numbered holes.
FOUR-BALL: In a match-play competition, a four-ball consists of two teams of two players competing directly against each other. All four golfers play their own balls throughout the round (rather than alternating shots); each hole is won by the team whose member has the lowest score.
SCORING: A victory in each match scores one point. In the event a match goes 18 holes without a winner, a half-point is awarded to each team. The team that scores the most points wins the Curtis Cup Match trophy. In the event of a tie, the team that won the previous match retains the Curtis Cup.
Who is playing in the 2022 Curtis Cup Match?
TEAM USA: The U.S. team comprises three Curtis Cup rookies and five returning players from the 2021 winning team. Sarah LeBrun Ingram, who captained the victorious 2021 squad, returns to lead the U.S. team at Merion. As a player, Ingram competed in three Curtis Cup Matches in 1992, 1994, and 1996, posting a 2-4-1 record.
U.S. roster (name, age, hometown, match record, World Amateur Golf Ranking):
- Amari Avery, 18, Riverside, Calif., rookie, WAGR No. 15
- Jensen Castle, 21, West Columbia, S.C.; overall record: 1-1-2; WAGR No. 55
- Megha Ganne, 18, Holmdel, N.J., rookie; WAGR No. 17
- Rachel Heck, 20, Memphis, Tenn.; overall record: 2-2-1; WAGR No. 4
- Rachel Kuehn, 20, Asheville, N.C.; overall record: 3-1-0; WAGR No. 11
- Emilia Migliaccio, 23, Cary, N.C.; overall record: 2-2-0; WAGR No. 19
- Latanna Stone, 20, Riverview, Fla., rookie; WAGR No. 42
- Rose Zhang, 19, Irvine, Calif.; overall record: 4-0-1, WAGR No. 1
TEAM GB&I: Great Britain and Ireland brings a veteran team to Merion, with six returning players and two Curtis Cup rookies. England’s Elaine Ratcliffe, who captained the 2021 squad, is returning to lead the GB&I team. As a player, Ratcliffe competed in two Curtis Cup Matches, in 1996 and 1998, posting a 3-1-2 record.
GB&I roster (name, age, hometown, match record, World Amateur Golf Ranking):
- Hannah Darling, 18, Broomieknowe, Scotland; overall record: 2-1-2; WAGR No. 14
- Louise Duncan, 22, West Kilbride, Scotland; overall record: 0-3-1; WAGR No. 48
- Annabell Fuller, 19, Roehampton, England; overall record: 3-5-0 (two teams); WAGR No. 44
- Charlotte Heath, 20, Huddersfield, England; overall record: 1-2-0; WAGR No. 59
- Caley McGinty, 21, Knowle, England; overall record: 3-1-1; WAGR No. 10
- Emily Price, 22, Ludlow, England, rookie; WAGR No. 76
- Lauren Walsh, 21, Castlewarden, Ireland; overall record: 1-2-0; WAGR No. 46
- Amelia Williamson, 21, Sheringham, England, rookie; WAGR No. 47
Refresher: Team U.S. extends series lead with victory at 2021 Curtis Cup Match
After being postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, the 41st Curtis Cup Match was held Aug. 26-28, 2021, at Conwy Golf Club in Conwy, Wales. The U.S. rallied from a three-point deficit after the first day to defeat Team GB&I, 12 1⁄2 to 7 1⁄2. GB&I opened strong, leading 4 1⁄2 to 1 1⁄2 after the first day of play, but the U.S. mounted a comeback on the second day to tie the match at six points apiece heading into Sunday’s singles matches.
The Americans dominated on the final day, winning six of the eight singles matches to secure their first Curtis Cup win on foreign soil since 2008, when they won at the Old Course at St. Andrews. The winning point was recorded by Wake Forest standout Rachel Kuehn, whose mother Brenda Corrie Kuehn achieved the same distinction in the 1998 Curtis Cup Match at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, Minn.
Officially named “The Women’s International Cup,” the trophy for the Curtis Cup Match was officially presented in 1932 by Harriot and Margaret Curtis, sisters who won the U.S. Women’s Amateur four times between them. The cup, a silver bowl of Paul Revere design, is inscribed: “To stimulate friendly rivalry among the women golfers of many lands.” The cup was first presented in 1927 to give momentum to the competition, but play didn’t begin until 1932, largely because of financial reasons.
After this year, the Curtis Cup will return to a biennial schedule, with the 43rd Curtis Cup scheduled for 2024 at Sunningdale Golf Club in England.
The NBC golf research team contributed to this report.
