Three Irish in Curtis Cup squad but no place for Annabel Wilson

Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden). Picture by Pat Cashman

Ireland has three players in the initial squad of 12 players announced by the R&A who are in contention for selection for the Great Britain and Ireland team to play against the United States of America in the 42nd Curtis Cup match at Merion.

Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh, who played on the side at Conway last year, is joined by Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter, who was runner-up in the 2021 R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship, and Auburn University star Anna Foster from Elm Park.

However, there is no place for Lurgan’s Annabel Wilson, who is the only member of the 2021 side (bar professional Emily Toy) not to be recalled.

Wilson played one foursomes and the singles at Conwy and is currently the eighth highest ranked Great Britain and Ireland player at 77th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

She recorded four top 10 finishes along with a 74.2 scoring average in nine tournaments for UCLA last season but has played just twice since last year’s Curtis Cup defeat, finishing tied 52nd in the Molly Collegiate Invitational  in September and tied 38th in the Nanea Pac-12 Preview in November.

The Curtis Cup will be played at Meriom from 10-12 June with GB&I aiming to bounce back from the 12-8 loss at Conwy after the matches were postponed in 2020 due to Covid-19.

Elaine Ratcliffe, GB&I captain, said, “We have selected a group of very talented players for our Curtis Cup squad and we will be monitoring their form and results over the coming months as we look to select the strongest possible side to play at Merion.

“Despite the result, there were really encouraging signs in the team’s performance at Conwy and with a number of the players returning to join this year’s squad, there is a strong foundation to build upon as we prepare for the match in June."

England’s Annabell Fuller is hoping to be selected for her third Curtis Cup appearance and is joined in the squad by five of her 2020 team-mates.

Reigning R&A Girls’ Amateur champion, Hannah Darling, the 2021 Women’s Amateur champion Louise Duncan from Scotland, Walsh and English duo Charlotte Heath and Caley McGinty have all been named.

Players looking to earn their first Curtis Cup team selection include Coulter and 2020 English Women’s Amateur champion Emily Price.

Darling, Walsh, Duncan, Fuller, Heath and McGinty return from the 2020-21 Curtis Cup side while Emily Toy has since turned professional.

The players selected for the GB&I squad are:

Rosie Belsham (20, Whitley Bay, England)
Beth Coulter (17, Kirkistown Castle, Ireland)
Hannah Darling (18, Broomieknowe, Scotland)
Louise Duncan (22, West Kilbride, Scotland)
Anna Foster (22, Elm Park, Ireland)
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, Hunstanton, England)
Lottie Woad (18, Farnham, England)