Catriona Matthew has named her Great Britain and Ireland squad for the Curtis Cup 2025, and this side means serious business. Eight players will travel to Bel-Air Country Club in California with one mission — defend the trophy they won so brilliantly at Sunningdale last year.
Curtis Cup 2025 Squad: Who Makes the Cut for GB & Ireland?
The squad blends experience with fresh, exciting talent. Beth Coulter and Patience Rhodes both return having played pivotal roles in that nail-biting 10½–9½ victory at Sunningdale in 2024. Alongside them, Sophia Fullbrook arrives in red-hot form, having claimed three wins on the US college circuit with Florida State University this season. Perhaps the most compelling selection, however, is teenager Nellie Ong — who has already qualified for next month’s US Women’s Open at the nearby Riviera Country Club, on the very eve of the Curtis Cup itself. The squad rounds out with the top five players from the World Amateur Golf Ranking, plus three captain’s selections.
Should injuries arise, reserves Annabel Peaford (England, Walton Heath, aged 17) and Emma Fleming (Ireland, Elm Park, aged 21) are on standby.
Matthew Backs Her Underdogs to Make History on American Soil
The 44th Curtis Cup match runs from 12–14 June at the iconic Los Angeles venue, and the stakes could hardly be higher. GB&I haven’t won on American soil since 1986 — that’s nearly four decades of hurt. Matthew, returning as captain, is refreshingly honest about the challenge ahead. “In terms of the amateur rankings, we will be the underdogs,” she admitted, “but we also were at Sunningdale.” Furthermore, she believes match play is the great equaliser, and she’s backing her squad to carry that winning belief across the Atlantic.
The transition from Sunningdale heroes to Bel-Air challengers won’t be seamless — several players from 2024 have since turned professional, meaning Matthew has had to rebuild. Nevertheless, she sounds energised rather than concerned. “It’s great fun to see the next generation come through,” she said. “We are all preparing to give our best at Bel-Air next month.”
This is a squad built to shock. Don’t write them off.