U.S. captures Curtis Cup with 13-7 victory over Great Britain and Ireland

ST. LOUIS -- Alabama's Emma Talley wrapped up the United States' Curtis Cup victory Sunday, beating Britain and Ireland's Bronte Law 4 and 3 in the opening singles match at St. Louis Country Club.

The United States won 13-7 to improve to 28-7-3 in the biennial competition, rebounding from a 10 1/2-9 1/2 loss in 2012 at Nairn in Scotland -- the Americans' only loss since 1996.

"I'm just really proud of my girls," said U.S. captain Ellen Port, from St. Louis.

After Stanford's Mariah Stackhouse and Mississippi State's Ally McDonald halved their rain-delayed foursomes match with Stephanie Meadow and Georgia Hall, the United States needed only one point in the eight singles matches to regain the cup. Talley, the U.S. Women's Amateur champion from Princeton, Kentucky, was quick to provide it.

"Dreams do come true, that's for sure," Talley said. "This was the best week ever. I'm just happy to play with my friends and to do it for my country is even better."

McDonald and Southern California's Annie Park also won singles matches for the U.S. McDonald beat 17-year-old Annabel Dimmock 4 and 3, and Park topped Gabriella Cowley 5 and 4.

"It's been amazing," McDonald said. "It was a blessing to have been chosen, and I just wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and make memories and play the best golf that I could, and I think this weekend, I played pretty well."

Stackhouse, the first black player in U.S. Curtis Cup history, halved her match with Eilidh Briggs.

Hall, Meadow, Gemma Dryburgh and Charlotte Thomas won singles matches for Britain and Ireland. Hall beat Southern California's Kyung Kim 3 and 2; Meadow topped UCLA's Alison Lee 2 and 1; Dryburgh edged Clemson's Ashlan Ramsey 1 up; and Thomas beat UCLA's Erynne Lee 2 up.