Beth Coulter is embracing her leadership role at the Curtis Cup this weekend as she looks to help deliver a first win on US soil for Great Britain and Ireland at Bel Air Country Club and end her amateur career on a high before turning pro this summer.
It’s been 40 years since GB&I’s one and only away triumph and Coulter, who made her introduction to sport through Camogie, wants to bow out of amateur golf with team successes this week and in July with Ireland at the European Team Championships in Slieve Russell.
GB&I face a daunting task of holding on to the trophy they won at Sunningdale two years ago as they tackle a USA team who are all ranked inside the world’s top-33 including the world number seven, four and one in Kiara Romero, while the visitors have just two players ranked inside the top-50.
“To make the team was obviously the goal for me,” said Coulter who has a world ranking of 106 after reaching a career-high 42nd last year. “It’s such a nice thing to do, being able to do that before I turn pro this summer, and we’ve got a great bunch of girls. We’re all really close, really good friends, and, obviously, Catriona, Kathryn and Karen are back, so they’ll be looking to do it again.
“They’re just so good at what they do and to be around them and to learn from them is incredible. It would be amazing to win going into the pro ranks. To do it once is pretty good, but to do it twice would be incredible. To be able to get this done on American soil would be pretty cool.”
“To play in the European teams in Ireland is going to be pretty special. To get to do this this week, obviously in a year where I’m turning pro, and then doing that in Ireland is cool. I’ll then hopefully turn pro just before the Irish Open (in August).
“You look at the Irish girls out on the Ladies’ European Tour right now, they’re all kind of travelling together, and that’s the girls I grew up with. I grew up playing team sports so it’s something that I’ve always kind of held close to me, being around people. So, I think weeks like this are my most favourite. I’m really looking forward to it this week.”
Coulter is one of just two players who was part of the Sunningdale stars of 2024 who helped GB&I to a first Curtis Cup success since 2016 and with four players aged 20 and younger the Kirkistown Castle star is ready to lend a helping hand whenever she can.
The Arizona State University student has a wealth of team golf experience, having played in the Vagliano Trophy, World Amateur Team Championship, European Team Championship and Home Internationals in addition to her successful Curtis Cup debut.
Coulter also reached the quarter-finals of The Women’s Amateur Championship in 2023 and has been a runner-up in the Irish Women’s Amateur Open, Irish Women’s Close Championship and multiple collegiate events in the USA.
“I’ve definitely been passing on tips. It’s a tough week. It’s overwhelming, it’s long, and, of course, it’s very, very fun. But I think being able to take that familiarity from last year into this year and pass it on even to the younger girls, like Charlotte (Naughton) coming up, she’s a good bit younger than us, and putting an arm around her is important. I know that’s what Mimi (Rhodes), Sara (Byrne), Aine (Donegan) and Lottie (Woad) and those older girls did for us, and obviously having Catriona and (assistants) Kathryn (Imrie) and Karen (Stupples) back is pretty cool, it’s pretty special. They’re pretty good at getting us riled up and instilling that belief in us.”
The 22-year-old was on the GB&I squad scouting mission in November and she feels this weekend’s contest with the USA will be won and lost on the greens.
“It’s been really, really good. I think it’s probably a little different than what it was in November (visited as a group), but it’s been great to be back here, really nice over the last couple days to practice and really get ready. I think the greens are probably a little different to what I’ve played at college, a little firmer. I think it’s probably a little bit trickier, even the front to the back is kind of a little different. The back’s a little bit more intricate, you can’t really stand up with smashed drivers. There are a couple more wedges to use on the front, but the course is absolutely insane. The greens are really fast, even today, and we’re really excited.”
It really is a mammoth task for the visitors but in captain Catriona Matthew they have someone who has scaled many mountains in golf. The Scot delivered back-to-back victories as Solheim Cup Captain, the first European to do so. The Scot guided Europe to a thrilling 14.5–13.5 win at Gleneagles in 2019, followed by a 15-13 victory on American soil at the Inverness Club in 2021. After the Sunningdale success two years ago, Coulter feels there is nobody better to lead GB&I into battle on Friday.
“I think it’s just the way Catriona talks, it’s her positivity. It’s the belief that she instils in you. It’s so cool to be around someone like her, and she’s so good at passing it on. I think that was one of the things that happened at Sunningdale. We all came in a little bit timid and the Americans on paper were a lot better. I think our belief grew and grew as the week went on, and I think there’s a little bit of that this week.”
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