Curtis Cup moved to avoid Solheim Cup clash next year

Aberdonian Elaine Farquharson-Black led Great Britain & Ireland to victory in the 2016 Curtis Cup in Ireland. Next year's match is being held at Conwy in north Wales

The 41st Curtis Cup, due to be played at Conwy in north Wales, has been rescheduled for a second time following its cancellation earlier this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was initially announced that the new date for the event, which is played between the top women amateurs in Great Britain and & Ireland and their US counterparts, would be 3-5 September next year.

However, that drew criticism due to the fact it would have meant a clash with the Solheim Cup, which is taking place on the same dates at Inverness Golf Club in Toledo, Ohio.

As a result of that, the Curtis Cup has now been rescheduled for 26-28 August, avoiding any overlap with the Solheim Cup week.

“We have listened to the feedback we received about the rescheduled dates for the Curtis Cup in 2021 and looked again at the schedule," said Duncan Weir, the R&A's executive director of Golf Development and Amateur Championships.

"We have moved the match forward by a week and introduced a Saturday finish to enable it to slot in ahead of the Solheim Cup.

"We are grateful for the assistance we have received from the USGA and hope this will offer the best outcome for the players of both teams. We look forward very much to welcoming them to Conwy in August next year.”

Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew had tweeted to express her "disappointment" about the original rescheduled date due to the fact it could create a dilemma for the likes of rising Scottish star, Hannah Darling.

The Broomieknowe teenager played in last year's Junior Solheim Cup at Gleneagles and would love to be involved in the next match on US soil.

But the Curtis Cup is her main priority next year and she couldn't have been in two places at the one time.

"Potentially, it could be a really tough decision for Hannah," said Matthew of the date clash. "I don’t think she should be put in this position."

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