Lucky 13 gives O'Brien a special place in history

Suzie O'Brien earned a unique place in the history of Irish women's golf last weekend, through her performance in the Curtis Cup at Ganton, where the US retained the trophy by the tight margin of 10-8. Since the current format was adopted at Royal Porthcawl in 1964, she is the only Irish player to have gone through all her matches unbeaten.

Her achievement in taking three and a half points out of four, is all the more creditable for the fact that she was in a losing team. It seems certain to earn her a place in the British and Irish side for the Espirito Santo Trophy at Sporting Club Berlin on August 23rd to 26th.

The line-up of four will be chosen after the British Women's Championship in which she is competing at Walton Heath, starting tomorrow.

It should be noted that players from these islands have, in fact, had 100 per cent records in the Curtis Cup in recent years. One recalls Scotland's Alison Rose who did so on her debut in Killarney in 1996 and England's Trish Johnson whose four out of four had a significant impact on the historic victory at Prairie Dunes, Kansas, in 1986.

As it happens, O'Brien is the 13th Irish player honoured at Curtis Cup level, suggesting that the number is very definitely unlucky only for some. And under the current format of 18 matches, only two other Irish players have won three of their four matches.

The first to do so was Mary McKenna at Western Gailes, Scotland, in 1972 when she lost her singles on the opening day. Interestingly, the Americans also won 10-8 on that occasion. Then, 14 years later at Prairie Dunes, Lillian Behan also took three out of four, losing on the 18th to Kim Gardner on the second day.

Taking Irish performances in the Curtis Cup and the Walker Cup together, O'Brien's performance is the best since Roddy Carr took three and a half out of four in the Walker Cup victory at St Andrews in 1971.

But Irish women have gone through the Curtis Cup with 100 per cent records. Under the original format of four foursomes and six singles, Pat Walker, the 1930 Irish Close champion from The Island, won both her matches at Chevy Chase, Maryland, in 1934.

Four years later, Clarrie Reddan (nee Tiernan) achieved the same distinction at Essex CC Massachusetts against an American side which contained such legendary figures at Patty Berg and Glenna Collett Vare. Indeed Vare beat Walker by 2 and 1 in the fourth singles.

Meanwhile, Milltown captain Derry McLoughlin, who was at Ganton to see her do the club proud, informed me that they had already made a special presentation of a silver salver to her prior to her departure for the Curtis Cup.

Naturally, she had earlier been given honorary status by the only Irish club to have a brother and sister as Walker Cup and Curtis Cup players: her brother, Jody Fanagan, was a member of the victorious Walker Cup side at Royal Porthcawl in 1995.