University of Georgia Athletics
Taylor Leon Named To Curtis Cup Team
June 02, 2006 | General
ATHENS --- Georgia's Taylor Leon, a second-team All-American pick and the 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year, has been selected to represent the United States in the upcoming Curtis Cup, the USGA announced on Friday.
The Curtis Cup is a biennial competition featuring the best amateur female players from the United States against a squad from Great Britain and Ireland. The 2006 Cup will be contested on July 29-30 at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. The match consists of 12 singles and six foursomes (alternate shot) matches. The U.S. team has won the last four Matches and leads the series, begun in 1932, by a 24-6-3 margin.
"It's one thing to play golf for yourself, but it's a different kind of pressure to play for your country," Leon said. "I played in the Solheim Cup and that's sort of like a junior Curtis Cup. That was really exciting and there's definitely a lot more pressure to play well. I'm going to practice really hard to get ready."
Leon, a native of Dallas, Texas, led Georgia in virtually every statistical category during the 2005-06 season, highlighted by a 73.23 stroke average which ranks second all-time in Bulldog history. Leon posted seven top-10 and 10 top-20 finishes in 11 tournaments and tied for 16th individually at the NCAAs. She also captured medalist honors at the Bryan National Collegiate.
Leon sports an equally impressive junior resume. She was the 2005 Ione Jones-Doherty champion, defeating 2005 U.S. Amateur champion Morgan Pressel in the final. Leon also won the 2005 Pacific Northwest Golf Association Women's Amateur and was the runner-up at the 2005 South Atlantic Women's Amateur. In addition, she has played in the 2004 and 2005 U.S. Women's Opens.
"This definitely ranks up there as one of my top accomplishments in golf," Leon said. "You have to accomplish so much just to be considered. I've been fortunate to win tournaments and individual awards, but this recognition took a combination all of those things to achieve."
Leon will become the fifth Georgia golfer to participate in the Curtis Cup, joining an impressive list of Bulldogs who all won national championships. Terri Moody particpated in the 1980 Cup, Cindy Schreyer played in the 1986 event, Vicki Goetze represented the U.S. in both 1990 and 1992 and Angela Jerman was a member of the 2002 squad. Moody, Schreyer and Goetze captured individual national titles for Georgia in 1980, 1984 and 1992, respectively. Angela Jerman helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2001 NCAA Championship.
Longtime amateur Virginia Grimes and UCLA's Jane Park, both USGA champions and past Curtis Cuppers, headline the eight-woman Curtis Cup team. Rounding out the squad are Duke's Amanda Blumenherst and Jennie Lee, Leon, Washington's Paige Mackenzie, Arkansas' Amanda McCurdy and Alabama's Jenny Suh.
