Hannah Darling signs off amateur career with another GB&I triumph

The Scottish No 1 was among five players from Catriona Matthew’s Curtis Cup-winning side lining up for Great Britain & Ireland against the Continent of Europe at Royal Hague.

Captained by Maria Dunne on this occasion, GB&I produced a stirring singles display to seal a first win in the event since 2005 with a 12.5-11.5 victory.

Trailing by one point going into the closing eight singles ties, two early wins for the Continent of Europe looked set to ease the hosts to victory.

But, in a dramatic turnaround, the English trio of Rhodes, Nellie Ong and Isla McDonald-O'Brien all delivered victories before Ireland’s Aine Donegan , helped by a stunning eagle on the last, and another England player, Sophia Fullbrook, took GB&I over the winning line.

The match was watched by Matthew, who has been re-appointed as GB&I’s Curtis Cup for next year’s match in Los Angeles.

“I feel so privileged to be captain,” said Dunne of this victory. “For GB&I to now hold both the Curtis Cup and the Vagliano Trophy is fantastic.

“I think the success in winning the Curtis Cup last year helped the team this week. I reminded them in our team meetings that we had that momentum and belief.

“For the three who weren’t involved in the Curtis Cup, they could see the belief and they built on that, too.”

In the Junior Vagliano Trophy held at the same time at the same venue, GB&I went down 11.5-6.5, though Scot Carly McDonald enjoyed the thrill of making a hole-in-one at the 17th in a second-day singles loss by one hole to France’s Alice Kong.