The Curtis Cup

The first matches between the leading amateur ladies from the USA and Great Britain were unofficial and began in 1905. In 1932 the Curtis sisters, Margaret and Harriot, both former US amateur champions, presented a cup to be played for every other year in the same way as the Walker Cup. The results of this competition have not been quite so one-sided as the Walker Cup, but there have been long periods of American domin­ation. The third match, in 1936, was tied but the first-ever British success did not come until 1956 at Prince's, Sandwich, though in fairness there was a ten-year gap in the competition between 1938 and 1948. The 1958 match was also tied but the Americans held sway until 1986 at Prairie Dunes when the British team won for the first time on American soil. They repeated their victory two years later at Royal St George's. The Americans had their revenge in 1990 but the British won again in 1992. The match in 1994 was a nail-biting tie and the 1996 match at Killarney was again won by the British team.

The Eisenhower Trophy

The Eisenhower Trophy, named after the American president, Dwight D.  Eisenhower, is played biennially between amateur teams of four. It was first played for in 1958 and the USA has won it ten times. Other winners have been Great Britain and Ireland (three times), Australia (twice), Japan, Canada, Sweden and New Zealand.