UXBRIDGE, Massachusetts (May 26, 2026) – A warm, humid day greeted the field at Blissful Meadows Golf Club, where 44 two-women teams gathered Tuesday for the 2026 Curtis Bowl Scotch Tournament and a chance to add their names to the trophy of this historic event.
The Scotch format, also known as Foursomes, requires the two teammates to alternate shots, with one player handling the even-holed tee shots, and the other the odds. It is one of the more intriguing strategic formats in golf, as it requires each player to consider the strengths and weaknesses of their teammate’s game, and perhaps deviate from their typical individual strategy as a result.
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After almost a decade, Betsy Masse and Teri Burtoft, of Renaissance, returned to the winner’s circle by taking home this year’s Curtis Bowl title. It was the duo’s 4th time winning this tournament (also 2014 at The International, 2016 at Hatherly CC, and 2017 at Taconic GC). Masse and Burtoft would begin their day on the first hole, courtesy of a shotgun start promptly at 8 a.m. Wet and dewey conditions would provide a less than ideal start as the duo would double bogey hole one, before settling in, only carding two more bogeys the rest of the front nine.
What makes this so impressive is the continuity and teamwork needed in this format to be successful. This would be highlighted when they made a birdie on the par-4 11th, and going bogey or better from there through the 17th hole. Despite carding 7 on the par-4 18th, they still have enough breathing room to finish with a winning tally of 9-over, two strokes ahead of defending champs Elizabeth Derwin (Walpole CC) & Kristen Henderson (The Tour) and 2022 winners Frances Rush & Cathy Flatley, of Presidents Golf Course.
“I think it being almost 10 years later and we’re still having lots of fun doing it together means a lot,” Burtoft said.
“Those courses must be getting shorter,” Masse added.
Among the other teams that had a great day, Wendy Barry (Hopkinton Country Club) and Leanne Smith (TPC Boston) took home the net title with their 84 adjusting to a 1-under 71.
The tournament was established in 1954 in honor of Harriot and Margaret Curtis by their friends who were also members of the Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts.
The Curtis sisters were active golfers in the United States, where they combined to win four U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship titles. Their play overseas in Great Britain inspired them to establish the Curtis Cup Match, a biennial match between women golfers from the two countries, to help foster international friendships in women’s golf.
The Curtis Bowl trophy is a replica of the Curtis Cup trophy that the sisters donated for the championship. The Curtis Bowl was first contested in 1956 and has been held every year since. Several pairs have won multiple titles at the tournament, including this year’s winners Masse and Burtoft and last year’s champs Elizabeth Derwin and Kris Henderson (2021 & 2025).
For the first time, Blissful Meadows played host to the Curtis Bowl. Some fast facts about the club:
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