After three days of dominant play, a team of eight American women recaptured the Curtis Cup June 8 on the storied grounds of the St. Louis Country Club. It was the city’s first time hosting the match, which is played every two years on alternating sides of the Atlantic and pits the best American women amateur golfers against their British and Irish counterparts. “It met and exceeded all of our expectations,” says Bill Sedgwick, 2014 Curtis Cup Match Chairman. “It was a huge hit.”
St. Louis Country Club was asked to run the 2014 match three years ago, when Sedgwick was club president. “The membership really jumped behind it and were united in our enthusiasm to do this,” he says. “It’s women’s international amateur golf, and that combination is unique.” This year’s American team skewed young, with women ages 18 to 21 who play for universities across the country, and Sedgwick reports the golfers delighted members and spectators alike. “The young ladies on the team were so charming and personable and accessible,” he says.
For American team captain Ellen Port, a St. Louisan and two-time former Curtis Cup player, the weekend had special significance. “It was definitely an incredible experience to have an event
of this magnitude in my hometown,” she says. “It’s the icing on the cake to get the victory.” Port, a six-time USGA champion and golf coach at John Burroughs, appreciated the enthusiastic crowd that turned out to watch and thinks viewers were treated to an impressive athletic display. “Amateur golf is really different from professional golf, but the caliber is excellent,” Port says. “I was thrilled with the community involvement.”
By Rebecca Koenig
Party Photo by Charles Barnes
Golf Photos courtesy of United States Golf Association/Steven Gibbons
Pictured above: USA team with the Curtis Cup trophy
