Michelle Wie won two singles matches to help the U.S. retain the Curtis Cup with a 10-8 win over Britain and Ireland.
Wie shines in first
Curtis Cup experience
MERSEYSIDE, England >> Michelle Wie had every reason to enjoy her first visit to Britain.
The 14-year-old golf sensation won her second straight singles match and helped the United States retain the Curtis Cup with a 10-8 victory over Britain and Ireland on Sunday.
The 10th-grader from Punahou beat Nicole Timmins 6 and 5 to give the United States a 7-6 lead. Wie had birdies from 15 feet and 12 feet early, then clinched the contest with short irons late.
"It's been fantastic," said Wie, who beat Anna Highgate in singles on Saturday. "I've had an awesome time all round. Since I was 10 or 11, I knew this was something I wanted to do.
"And I love the courses over here. They're so different from the ones at home. I have a whole different view of golf now."
Annie Thurman and Paula Creamer also won both of their singles matches as the United States retained the only cup it owns outright. Europe and British teams are in possession of the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup and Walker Cup.
The Americans, with nine wins in 12 singles, won for the fourth straight time.
"Both sides played well, but we just happened to squeeze in an extra putt or two," U.S. captain Martha Kirouac said.
Creamer downed 32-year-old veteran Emma Duggleby -- who hadn't lost any of her previous encounters -- 3 and 2.
"I felt I could handle it," Creamer said.
Elizabeth Janangelo had a 1-up win over Shelley McKevitt that gave the U.S. an insurmountable 9-7 lead with two matches left.
As holders, the Americans only needed nine points to retain the cup.
Thurman, who attends Oklahoma State, defeated Danielle Masters 1-up for an outright win after Britain and Ireland's Anne Laing beat Jane Park 3 and 1.
Thurman won three matches -- most on the team.
"I wanted her badly," Kirouac said of Thurman. "I knew how tough she was. In medal play she has a habit of having one bad hole, a seven or eight, which wrecks your card. But she stepped up to the plate here."
Britain and Ireland captain Ada O'Sullivan was optimistic for a while on Sunday. In three of the singles, her players led.
"But then one or two things went against us," she said. "I kept living in hope that something might happen, but it was a close match with a lot of close individual matches."
The United States fell behind 3-0 Saturday in the alternate shots (foursomes) and then lost two of three Sunday morning to level the score at 6.
"We failed miserably Saturday," Kirouac said. "We don't practice (foursomes) enough to develop the skills you need. And the British and Irish played the conditions better in those matches."
