By Times Staff
Next June, Manchester will play host to one of the most historic golf tournaments in the world.
From June 10-13, Essex County Club will be the stage for the¬ prestigious 36th Curtis Cup, a biennial competition between a team of female amateur golfers from the United States against a team of female amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland. It's a tournament comparable to the PGA Tour's Ryder Cup, which will be held in October in Wales.
The Golf Channel will be covering the Curtis Cup nationally and more than 2,500 spectators are expected to attend, according to a press release obtained by the Times from Curtis Cup Media Chair Gretchen Berg.
Sisters, Manchester natives and notable Essex CC members, Margaret and Harriot Curtis, founded the Curtis Cup. The inaugural 1938 Curtis Cup competition was held at Essex County Club, and in 1995, as part of the USGA's Centennial year, Essex hosted the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship.
Needless to say, everyone at Essex County Club is looking forward to welcoming golf fans from around the world.
"It is a tremendous honor that Essex County Club has been selected to host the Curtis Cup¬ again in 2010," said Event Co-Chair Val Somers in the same press release.
Former¬ Curtis Cup¬ players include such notables as Dottie Pepper, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie. The 2010 USA Team will be captained by Noreen Friel Mohler, a Massachusetts native, former Curtis Cup player and accomplished golfer. Other members of the USA team will be named at the end of January 2010.
Mary McKenna, captain of the 2008 Great Britain and Ireland team is again captain in 2010.
The rest of the Great Britain and Ireland team will be announced in April.¬
"It's a first-class event that is terrific golf," said Co-Chair Bill Van Faasen.¬ "It's the United States versus Great Britain and Ireland and there is a huge amount of respect between the two sides, but it's not just about individuals playing for themselves.
It's about individuals playing for their country which adds a really interesting element to the competition."
Essex County Club opened in 1893 and was the first nine-hole golf course in New England. It was admitted as the sixth member of the United States Golf Association, which now numbers more than 5,000 clubs. Donald Ross, the world-famous architect, designed the 18-hole course in 1917.
Material from a press release was used in this report.
