June 7, 2012

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Lady Vol rising senior Erica Popson is set to tee off for the 2012 Curtis Cup, which kicks off Friday in Nairn, Scotland.

Tennessee's low scorer for the last two seasons, Popson is one of eight amateur golfers representing the United States in the biennial international competition. The U.S. women are slated to play June 8-10 at the Nairn Golf Club, facing off against an eight-woman squad from Great Britain and Ireland.

The group of collegiate golfers will cast off their university affiliations for the event, as usual rivals become teammates. The United States team features four Southeastern Conference products, two Pac-12 selections and a representative from both the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Summit League.

With her selection to the team in December, Popson became the first Lady Vol golfer to be chosen to represent the U.S. in the Curtis Cup.

Matches get underway on Friday morning with alternate-shot format and continue with best ball in the afternoon. Various formats are utilized over the three-day event, concluding with individual play on Sunday.

The USA has won seven consecutive Curtis Cup matches, most recently at the 2010 match held at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., by a score of 12.5-7.5. Overall, the Red, White and Blue has compiled a 26-6-3 record in the event dating back to 1932.

Scoring of the event will be available at USGA.org.

Friday morning's foursomes (alternate-shot) pairings are as follows:

8 a.m. GMT/3 a.m. EST - Austin Ernst/Brooke Pancake (USA) vs. Kelly Tidy/Amy Boulden (GB&I)
8:12 a.m. GMT/3:12 a.m. EST - Amy Anderson/Tiffany Lua (USA) vs. Holly Clyburn/Bronte Law (GB&I)
8:24 a.m. GMT/3:24 a.m. EST - Lindy Duncan/Lisa McCloskey (USA) vs. Leona Maguire/Stephanie Meadow (GB&I)