Mackenzie Named to Curtis Cup Team
June 2, 2006
Far Hills, N.J. -
Washington senior golfer Paige Mackenzie has been selected to represent the United States of America at the 2006 Curtis Cup Match, which will be played July 29-30 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.
Mackenzie, who just completed her senior year at the University of Washington, finished tied for 13th at the 2005 U.S. Women's Open. She earned NGCA first-team All-America honors in 2005-06 after finishing eighth at the 2006 NCAA Division I Championship. The Yakima, Wash. native won the 2006 NCAA West Regional by eight strokes and the 2006 Pac-10 Championship by four strokes. Mackenzie, the 2005 Pacific Northwest Golf Association Player of the Year, also won the 2005 Women's Trans-National and was a semifinalist at the 2005 North & South Women's Amateur. Mackenzie's brother Brock represented the USA 2003 Walker Cup, the men's equivalent of the Curtis Cup. The two become the third pair of siblings to represent the USA at the Curtis and Walker Cups. Terri (1980 Curtis) and Griff (1979 Walker) Moody were the first, followed by Kelli (1996 Curtis) and Trip (1995, 2003 Walker) Kuehne. Brock Mackenzie was also a four-time All-American for the Washington men's golf team.
The other members of the squad selected by the USGA Women's Committee are: Amanda Blumenherst, 19, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Virginia Grimes, 42, of Meridian Miss.; Jennie Lee, 19, of Henderson, Nev.; Taylor Leon, 19, of Dallas, Texas; Amanda McCurdy, 22, of El Dorado, Ark.; Jane Park, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. and Jenny Suh, 20, of Fairfax, Va.
The 2006 USA team will be captained by seven-time USGA champion Carol Semple Thompson, 57, of Sewickley, Pa. Thompson, who counts the 1973 U.S. Women's Amateur among her USGA titles, became the first person to compete in 100 USGA championships when she played in the 2005 U.S. Women's Amateur.
The Curtis Cup Match, scheduled every other year, consists of 12 singles and six foursomes (alternate shot) matches. The USA team has won the last four Matches, in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004. The USA leads the series, begun in 1932, by a 24-6-3 margin.
The alternates for the team, in rank order, are Irene Cho, 21, of La Habra, Calif.; Mina Harigae, 16, of Monterey, Calif.; and Jane Rah, 15, of Torrance, Calif.
