PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LGU WEBSITE
Tegwen Matthews, the Captain of the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team that scored an historic victory over the USA at Nairn this year, will lead the 2014 team when it defends the trophy on American soil.
The first International Team Captain from Wales, Tegwen proved to be an inspirational and popular leader, and relishes the chance to motivate her team for the 38th Curtis Cup, which will be hosted at the St Louis Country Club, Missouri, in June 2014.
No mean player herself, having been on four successive Curtis Cup teams between 1974 and 1980, Tegwen used that experience and the experience of four years as team manager to Past Captain Mary McKenna MBE, to inspire her team to the first GB&I victory in the biennial match since 1996. She also led the GB&I team to a win in the Astor Trophy Tournament at Fairhaven Golf Club last year, which included victory over a New Zealand team led by the world’s number one amateur Lydia Ko.
Matthews will also captain the Great Britain & Ireland team which takes on the Continent of Europe in the Vagliano Trophy match in June 2013 at Chantilly Golf Club in France.
On being invited to continue as International Team Captain, Tegwen said “I am thrilled, honoured and excited to be invited to be Captain of the GB & I International Ladies Team for a further 2 years. Following our historic Curtis Cup win at Nairn, I would dearly love to raise the bar even higher, by winning back the Vagliano Trophy at Chantilly and retaining the Curtis Cup in St Louis on American soil. Both tough calls, but winning is a habit and I will be doing everything in my power to keep that habit well and truly alive. With many of the Curtis Cup team turning professional, I am sure both teams will look very different, but I know there are a lot of girls waiting in the wings, desperate for the chance, not just to play for GB & I, but to be part of a winning GB & I team. My job is to harness that desire and make the dream a reality.”
The LGU has also announced Scotland’s Elaine Farquharson-Black as Captain of the Junior Vagliano Trophy team, to be played at the same time and venue as the Vagliano Trophy itself. Introduced in 2010, the junior match involves teams of six youngsters, aged 16 and under, going head to head in four sets of matches over a two day period. All six play in two sets of three foursomes and two sets of six singles matches.
Elaine, a solicitor in practice in Aberdeen, played both Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy matches on two occasions, having been on winning teams for the Vagliano Trophy in 1989 and 1991and the Curtis Cup at Hoylake in 1992. She was also a member of the winning GB&I team in the Astor (formerly the Commonwealth) Trophy in 1991. The mother of two young boys, she is enthusiastic about her new role as Captain.
Elaine said “Attending this year’s Curtis Cup in Nairn brought back many warm memories for me of representing my country and I am honoured to be asked to Captain the Junior Vagliano team. The match is a wonderful opportunity for our young players embarking on their international careers. I was fortunate to play under several inspirational captains and I hope that I can use my own experiences to help the next generation of golfers develop. I am also looking forward to working with and learning from Tegwen, who led the Curtis Cup team so magnificently at Nairn.”
Anna Hubbard, Wales, a very experienced and successful team manager who supported Tegwen at the Curtis Cup, will be manager to both Captains at Chantilly next year.
