WORLD TEAM WINS SINGLES MATCHES BUT FALLS SHORT OF THE WIN
RYE, NH, SEPTEMBER 5, 2010 – The World Team made their move winning Sunday’s single matches for the first time in the final round of the 2010 Handa Cup presented by Hannaford and Kraft Foods, but it wasn’t enough to top the US Team who retained the cup with a 27-21 win. The World Team won six singles matches outright, topping the US Team’s five match wins. Only the Turner/Harvey match was halved when both players conceded from similar spots in a greenside bunker on the sudden death playoff hole.
Canadian Gail Graham came back from a four point deficit to force a playoff with the US’s Pat Bradley. Bradley’s second shot fell short, finding the water, while Graham managed to reach the green and win the match. The US was convincing in their wins in the final round topping the World Team by as much as 7&5. However, if the World was able to extend their opponent through to the later holes, they pulled off a win.
About the US Team’s win, Captain Kathy Whitworth said, “Everyone out there is so competitive. The World beat us in singles for the first time in this event, but fortunately we had enough from the team matches to hold onto the Cup in the end.” The trophy ceremony was emceed by Legends Tour president Jane Blalock who announced that Dr. Haruhisa Handa and ISPS, the tournament title sponsor, has extended the event partnership for three more years.
This is the US Team’s fifth consecutive Handa Cup win. To that point, World Team Captain Cathy Panton-Lewis showed her competitive spirit, vowing, “This will be the last year that I will have to wish Kathy Witwort ‘Well done.’”
The Handa Cup, an International Sports Marketing Society (ISPS) Series Event, is title sponsored by Haruhisa Handa, a Japanese philanthropist, artist and businessman who founded the ISPS in 2006.
Click here for more information on the Handa Cup including final scores.
US LEADS BY EIGHT AFTER HANDA CUP FIRST ROUND
RYE, NH, SEPTEMBER 4, 2010 – It was a banner day for the US Team at the 2010 Handa Cup as they fought strong winds to rise 16 to 8 over the World Team at Wentworth By The Sea Country Club. US Team members Rarick/Scranton, Alcott/Carner and Turner/Bradley all won their matches outright. Daniel/Johnson halved their match with Harvey/Graham after playing the sudden death playoff hole. The World Team’s Kane/Coe-Jones birdied their final hole to finish 2-up and score two points for the World Team.
The numbers do not tell the whole story for the World Team. Aussie Jan Stephenson had to chip in to save the match on the seventh hole. Just two holes later, Jan’s teammate, Peruvian Alicia Dibos, sunk a seven-footer to save the match and head to the playoff hole, a special requirement for matches finishing all square on the last hole. In the last match of the morning, Daniel/Johnson were 1-up with one hole to go; Harvey/Graham squared the match on the ninth and went all square through the playoff hole to win one point for the World Team. The Hall of Fame pairing of US Team members Amy Alcott and JoAnne Carner did not disappoint fans winning 2-up.
The afternoon matches brought a roster change with US Team’s Assistant Captain Lori West stepping in for Amy Alcott. The World Team doubled their luck winning two matches outright: Kane/Nicholas and Graham/Nomura. Jones/Steinhauer, Daniel/Johnson, Rarick/Scranton all won their matches for the US. Sheehan/Mallon and Stephenson/Dibos went to the sudden death hole and ended all square, halving the match.
2011 Solheim Cup Captain and Co-Captain Rosie Jones and Sherri Steinhauer were one down and then squared the match on the 3rd hole. They went 1-up on the seventh and maintained the lead through hole eight. Their World team opponents Peruvian Jenny Lidback and Australian Jane Crafter came back to square the match at hole nine, forcing a playoff. Jones and Steinhauer dug deep and won the playoff hole. Canadian Gail Graham and Japan’s Mieko Nomura teamed up to upset long ball hitter Sherri Turner and Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, taking the lead at hole six and not looking back.
Sunday’s singles pairings are set and are available here.
The Handa Cup, an International Sports Marketing Society (ISPS) Series Event, is title sponsored by Haruhisa Handa, a Japanese philanthropist, artist and businessman who founded the ISPS in 2006.
Click here for more information on the Handa Cup.
Topics: On Other Tours, Legends Tour
