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June 9, 2010

2010 Curtis Cup Web Site
Information Sheet
Video Interview With Cydney Clanton

AUBURN - Auburn junior Cydney Clanton will join a prestigious group of athletes this week as she travels to Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., to compete for the United States at the 36th Curtis Cup Match at Essex County Club.

The Curtis Cup Match is a biennial competition co-organized by the United States Golf Association and the Ladies Golf Union. The Match is contested by teams from the United States and Great Britain & Ireland. Teams are made up of eight women's amateur golfers each with teams competing in foursome, four ball and singles matches.

Selected as part of the eight-member team, the Concord, N.C., native will attempt to extend the United States' winning streak to seven matches against Great Britain & Ireland. The match formally opens at 5 p.m., Thursday with the flag raising ceremony. Play is set to begin at 8 a.m. CT, Friday and runs through Sunday. The Golf Channel will channel will carry live coverage each day.

"It is always nice to wear red, white and blue and always nice to be recognized as one of the best players in the United States to be chosen for the Curtis Cup team," said Clanton. "It means a lot and it is a great honor to represent the United States and be chosen."

Joining Clanton on the U.S. team are Jennifer Johnson (Arizona State), Kimberly Kim (Denver), Stephanie Kono (UCLA), Jessica Korda (Bradenton Preparatory Acedemy), Tiffany Lua (UCLA), Jennifer Song (Southern California) and Alexis Thompson (Home School). Auburn senior Candace Schepperle, a native of Birmingham, is the first alternate for the U.S. team.

"Five of the other players are college golfers so I have actually grown up playing with them in a lot of college tournaments and I do know them very well," said Clanton. "Then we have two juniors, Alexis Thompson and Jessica Korda. I have not played as much with them, but they have a lot of experience and have played in a lot of pro tournaments. We are very young but it should be a strong team."

Playing for Great Britain & Ireland are Hannah Barwood, Holly Clyburn, Rachel Jennings, Leona Maguire, Lisa Maguire, Pamela Pretswell, Danielle McVeigh and Sally Watson.

Clanton is the fourth Auburn golfer ever to be named to the Curtis Cup team, joining a list that includes Margaret Platt (1990), Virginia Derby-Grimes (1998, 2000, 2006) and Courtney Trimble (2002). The United States has played well with a Tiger in its lineup, posting a 5-0 record with an Auburn player on the team. Overall, the U.S. carries a six-match winning streak and a 26-6-3 overall record.

Playing in a team competition is not a new experience for Clanton. As a freshman, she represented the United States in the USA vs. Japan Collegiate Championship. She also played in the AJGA's Canon Cup and the World Cup as a junior golfer.

"The experiences at those tournaments help you to know that a lot of winning is from the enjoyment of playing and getting the hype going out playing for the U.S.," said Clanton. "It should be fun to play and try to get all of our games to match one another."

The tournament utilizes three different formats in four ball, foursome and singles matches. In four ball, players are paired together and take the best score among them for each hole. In foursome, players are paired and play an alternate shot format. The last day of the tournament features singles matches with players playing a regular match play format.

"I am actually hoping to play alternate shot. I enjoy playing alternate shot and I think it is something I will be strong at playing," said Clanton. "I try to play it with the girls here in Auburn and I also love playing best ball. I am a very competitive person so I am going up looking for the challenge."

Clanton will also get the opportunity to play the tournament on an exclusive course with a lot of history in the Curtis Cup. The par-70, 6,401-yard Essex County Club was opened in 1893 and re-designed by legendary architect Donald Ross in the early part of the next century. It was the first nine-hole course in New England and was the sixth member admitted to the United States Golf Association.

In 1938, the Essex County Club, the home course of tournament namesakes Harriot and Margaret Curtis, became just the second course to host the Curtis Cup in the United States. The Americans downed Great Britain & Ireland 5.5-3.5 in the fourth version of the tournament.

"I went up and played the course after NCAAs and it is in really good shape," said Clanton. "It is more of a links-style course with a lot of tall grass. It plays pretty long, but in good shape and it will come down to who can putt the best because the greens are undulated all fall off."

Tournament action is set to begin at 8 a.m. CT, Friday with foursome matches. Play will continue in the afternoon with four ball matches beginning at 1 p.m. CT. The Golf Channel will air live coverage of the Curtis Cup Match from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Friday.

For more information on the 2010 Curtis Cup Match, go to www.2010CurtisCup.com.

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