Football: Moodie the magnificent

JANICE MOODIE kept her nerve to defeat Carol Semple Thompson by two holes yesterday to give Great Britain and Ireland a 9-9 draw with the United States and retain the Curtis Cup in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The victory was the fourth in the past five meetings by the British-Irish players in the biannual women's amateur golf competition. Moodie, Scotland's amateur champion, was the only player in her team to win all four possible points.

Needing a victory in the last match to even the team scores Moodie moved ahead by one hole when Thompson made a bogey at the 16th hole. Thompson, the event's most successful player in eight Curtis Cup appearances, halved the 17th despite sending her second shot on the par-five hole into the woods.

Thompson surrendered the final hole after missing a 15-foot birdie putt with Moodie in range to easily make par. The result allowed the holders to retain the trophy until the next challenge in 1996 in Ireland. The United States led 20-7, with three draws in the series. The Irish-British team have only won once on a US course.

Liz Boatman's side wiped out a one-point overnight deficit by taking the foursomes 2-1 to tie the overall score on the Honors course at 6-6. Everything then depended on taking at least three of the six singles of the afternoon. First, Scotland's Catriona Matthew and Myra McKinlay won their matches to set a cliff-hanging finish. Matthew dropped a 30- foot putt on the 16th hole and beat Emilee Klein 2 and 1, while McKinlay defeated Wendy Kaupp 3 and 2.

Home players won the most decisive singles victories to pull ahead. Ellen Port beat Scotland's Mhairi McKay 7 and 5, Jill McGill defeated the English champion Julie Hall 4 and 3, while the US college runner-up Wendy Ward beat Lisa Walton 4 and 3.

Moodie's heroics would not have been needed if the visitors' early showing in the foursomes had lasted. They were ahead in all three foursomes. McKinlay and Eileen Rose Power, for example, let slip a three-hole lead after six holes.

CURTIS CUP (Chattanooga, Tennessee): Final score: Great Britain and Ireland 9 United States 9 (Holders GB and Irl retain trophy).

(Saturday) Singles (GB and Irl first): J Hall halved with J McGill; J Moodie lost to E Klein 3 and 2; L Walton bt W Ward 1 hole; M McKinlay lost to C Semple Thomson 2 and 1; M McKay lost to E Port 2 and 1; C Matthew bt S Sparks 1 hole. (GB and Ireland 2 1/2 United States 3 1/2 ). Foursomes: McKay and K Speak lost to Semple Thompson and Klein 7 and 5; Hall and L Walton bt W Kaupp and Port 6 and 5; Matthew and Moodie halved with McGill and S Ingram. (GB and Ireland 1 1/2 US 1 1/2 ).

(Yesterday) Foursomes: Hall and Walton bt McGill and Ingram 2 and 1; McKinlay and E Rose Power lost to Semple Thompson and Klein 4 and 2; Matthew and Moodie bt Ward and Sparks 3 and 2. (GB and Ireland 2 US 1). Singles: Hall lost to McGill 4 and 3; McKay lost to Port 7 and 5; Matthew bt Klein 2 and 1; McKinlay bt Kaupp 3 and 2; Walton lost to Ward 4 and 3; Moodie bt Semple Thompson 2 holes.