1986 Curtis Cup Winner and Match Scores

The 1986 Curtis Cup was the 24th time this tournament was played, and something happened here that hadn't happened in a very long time: Team GB&I won. And that made the all-time standings 19 wins for Team USA, three for GB&I, and two ties.

Final Score: Great Britain & Ireland 13, United States 5

Dates Played: August 1-2, 1986

Location: Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas

Team Captains: Diane Robb Bailey for Great Britain & Ireland; Judy Bell for the United States

Team Rosters:

• GB&I — Lillian Behan, Karen Davies, Claire Hourihane, Trish Johnson, Mary McKenna, Belle McCorkindale Robertson, Vicki Thomas, Jill Thornhill
• USA — Danielle Ammaccapane, Kim Gardner, Kandi Kessler, Dottie Pepper Mochrie, Cindy Schreyer, Kathleen McCarthy Scrivner, Leslie Shannon, Kim Williams

Notes: This was the first win by Team GB&I since the 1956 Curtis Cup, breaking a 30-year winless streak against Team USA. It ended the United States' 13-Cup win streak. And it was as dominating a win as the final score indicates (the 8-point margin of victory remains GB&I's largest winning margin to the current day).

GB&I swept the opening foursomes session and never relented. The Americans managed only three match wins out of 18 matches played.

Future LPGA and Ladies European Tour winner Trish Johnson paced GB&I with a 4-0-0 record. Belle McCorkindale Robertson added 3.5 of a possible four points for GB&I.

It was McCorkindale Robertson's seventh and final Curtis Cup playing appearance. Her teammate Mary McKenna made her ninth and final Cup playing appearance. To this day McKenna still holds Team GB&I's all-time records for appearances (nine), match victories (10) and points earned (12). McCorkindale Robertson is still second in points earned with 8.5. For both of them, the 1986 Curtis Cup was the only one they played in which their side emerged victorious.

1986 Curtis Cup Results

Day 1

Foursomes

• Lillian Behan/Jill Thornhill, GB&I, def. Kandi Kessler/Cindy Schreyer, USA, 7 and 6
• Trish Johnson/Karen Davies, GB&I, def. Danielle Ammaccapane/Dottie Pepper Mochrie, 2 and 1
• Belle McCorkindale Robertson/Mary McKenna, GB&I, def. Kim Gardner/Kathleen McCarthy, USA, 1-up

Score after first session: GB&I 3, USA 0

Singles

• Jill Thornhill, GB&I, def. Kim Williams, USA, 4 and 3
• Trish Johnson, GB&I, def. Leslie Shannon, USA, 1-up
• Lillian Behan, GB&I, def. Danielle Ammaccapane, USA, 4 and 3
• Kandi Kessler, USA, def. Vicki Thomas, GB&I, 3 and 2
• Cindy Schreyer, USA, def. Claire Hourihane, GB&I, 2 and 1
• Dottie Pepper Mochrie, USA, halved with Karen Davies, GB&I

Score of second session: GB&I 3.5, USA 2.5
Cumulative score after Day 1: GB&I 6.5, USA 2.5

Day 2

Foursomes

• Lillian Behan/Jill Thornhill, GB&I, def. Leslie Shannon/Kim Williams, USA, 5 and 3
• Trish Johnson/Karen Davies, GB&I, def. Danielle Ammaccapane/Dottie Pepper Mochrie, USA, 1-up
• Kim Gardner/Kathleen McCarthy, USA, halved with Belle McCorkindale Robertson/Mary McKenna, GB&I

Score of third session: GB&I 2.5, USA 0.5
Cumulative score after three sessions: GB&I 9, USA 3

Singles

• Leslie Shannon, USA, halved with Jill Thornhill, GB&I
• Trish Johnson, GB&I, def. Kathleen McCarthy, USA, 5 and 3
• Kim Gardner, USA, def. Lillian Behan, GB&I, 1-up
• Vicki Thomas, GB&I, def. Kim Williams, USA, 4 and 3
• Claire Hourihane, GB&I, def. Cindy Schreyer, USA, 5 and 3
• Kandi Kessler, USA, halved with Karen Davies, GB&I

Score of fourth session: GB&I 4, USA 2
Overall and final score: GB&I 13, USA 5

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1984 Curtis Cup | 1988 Curtis Cup