The United States produced a commanding final-day performance to defeat Great Britain & Ireland 13-7 and reclaim the Curtis Cup at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.
Although the contest appeared finely balanced heading into Sunday singles matches, with GB&I trailing by just two points at 7-5, it was the hosts who pulled away emphatically, winning six of the eight matches to secure a comprehensive six-point victory.
The star of the week in California was America’s Farah O’Keefe, who capped a flawless 5-0 record by holing the winning putt in her singles match. The University of Texas student coming back from 2down after 12 holes to defeat Charlotte Naughton 2&1 to seal the decisive point and become only the fourth player in Curtis Cup history to finish a match with a perfect scoring record.
O’Keefe arrived at Bel-Air as the world’s leading female amateur and reinforced that reputation throughout the week. Fresh from claiming the NCAA individual title and competing in the US Women’s Open, where she finished tied 34th, she delivered under pressure whenever her team needed her.
Only Patience Rhodes and Sophia Fullbrook managed to secure singles victories for GB&I. The English pair won the top two matches on the 18th hole to finish with four points apiece for the week, Rhodes coming back from four down after seven holes to defeat Kelly Xu.
The victory improves the United States’ Curtis Cup record to 32 wins, nine defeats and three ties. The Americans have now won four of the last five editions and have captured 21 of the last 24 singles matches contested on home soil.
“Obviously we’re disappointed,” said GB&I captain Catriona Matthew. “You’re always disappointed when you lose. We came here with high hopes wanting to retain the cup that we won at Sunningdale two years ago. They fought their hardest. I’m very proud of them. They did their best. Each and every one of them battled out there in every single match, and that’s all you can do.”
The next Curtis Cup will take place in 2028 at Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Scotland.
For all the scores from the 2026 Curtis Cup, click here.
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