ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Kimberly Kim, 16, is the youngest member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team, but she wasn't shy about telling captain Carol Semple Thompson where she wanted to play in yesterday's final round.

"I know when you're first there's no one in front of you and I wouldn't have to worry about waiting," said Kim, a former Big Island resident now living in Arizona.

Kim proved worthy of the opening spot, spurring the U.S. to a 13-7 victory over Great Britain and Ireland on the Old Course.

Tiffany Joh of San Diego, playing in the fourth match, actually scored the first point of the day for the Americans when she routed Scotland's Carly Booth, 6 and 5.

Kim then added a second point with a 3-and-1 win over Wales' Breanne Loucks, the lone holdover from the GB&I's 2006 Curtis Cup team.

"It felt great because the rest of the team didn't have to worry," Kim said. "We got the points up fast."

At that point, the only remaining mystery was who would clinch the winning point for the Americans. Fittingly, the honor went to Stacy Lewis, who beat Scotland's Liz Bennett, 3 and 2, to finish Cup play with a 5-0 record.

"I have a very strong team but I didn't think they would play as well as they did today in the worst weather of the three days," said Thompson, after the U.S. won its sixth consecutive Curtis Cup. "All credit to my players. They did a great job. They just stayed in there and finished strongly."