MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA, Mass. » A day after a shaky start, the United States swept all six matches at the Curtis Cup yesterday to take an 8 1/2 -3 1/2 lead over Great Britain and Ireland.

Alexis Thompson, yet to lose a match, teamed with Jessica Korda to beat Danielle McVeigh and Leona Maguire 3 and 1 in the afternoon foursomes. The 15-year-old Thompson, expected to turn pro soon, consistently outdrove her opponents by 30 yards or more.

The visitors led all three afternoon matches early on the second day of the biennial competition at Essex County Club.

Americans Jennifer Song and Stephanie Kono birdied the 13th, 16th and 17th holes on the back nine to come from behind and beat Hannah Barwood and Holly Clyburn 3 and 1. Tiffany Lua and Jennifer Johnson won the 14th, 15th and 16th holes and beat Sally Watson and Rachel Jennings 3 and 2.

Song, a Punahou graduate, also teamed with former Big Island resident Kimberly Kim for a 2-up fourball win over Jennings and Watson, coming back with birdies to win three of the last four holes.

Kono, who plays collegiately for UCLA, has gone 2-0-1 through the events first two days, while Kim is 1-0-1.

"I’m delighted with the way we played today," said U.S. captain Noreen Mohler, who thought her squad played tentatively Friday. "The matches were tight and tough, but we were makings putts today, and that’s what it came down to. I told the girls ‘the greens are our friends.’ "

The Curtis Cup pits teams of eight female amateur golfers from the United States against a team from Great Britain and Ireland. The U.S. has won six straight matches and needs to total 10 points to retain the cup.

The matchup concludes today with eight singles matches. Kim goes off fourth facing Maguire’s twin sister, Lisa, and Kono faces Holly Clyburn in the day’s last match.

Weather stalls State Farm

Second-round leader M.J. Hur and Cristie Kerr sat atop the leaderboard at 13 under as the third round of the LPGA State Farm Classic was postponed because of thunderstorms in Springfield, Ill.

Heavy rain suspended play for 4 hours before the round was halted with 46 players still on the course. The round is scheduled to resume today, but rain is expected again.

Amy Yang, playing in the final group with Hur, and Anna Nordqvist are a shot back. Morgan Pressel, who was through 16 holes when play was stopped, is tied with Alena Sharp and Gwladys Nocera at 11 under.

Juli Inkster, a 31-time winner on the tour, was at 10 under with three holes to play in her third round.

Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis were both even on the day and sit 7 shots back at 6 under. Wie was through 11 holes and Gulbis 10.

Garrigus moves ahead

Still recovering from a bout of food poisoning, Robert Garrigus shot a 4-under 66 to break out of a pack and grab a two-stroke lead over Robert Karlsson of Sweden after three rounds at a steamy St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Garrigus surged to the top of the leaderboard with four birdies and an eagle against two bogeys to reach 11-under 199.

Karlsson, who shot a 68, is within striking distance of becoming the first European to win this event – the tour’s third-oldest dating to 1958.

Lee Westwood, who led after one round and shared the second-round lead, had four bogeys and finished with a 71 that left him tied with Heath Slocum (66) at 8 under. Memphis native Shaun Micheel (70) was tied with Tim Petrovic (70) and Lee Janzen (70) at 6 under. Tom Pernice Jr. was among 10 who missed a second straight cut to trim the field from 81 to 71 at 3 over.

Bjorn on his own

Thomas Bjorn of Denmark shot a second straight 7-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead over streaking Richard Green of Australia at the Estoril Open in Portugal.

Green equaled the 16-year-old course record with an 8-under 64 to get to 16 under.

Ireland’s Damien McGrane was in third another two strokes back after a bogey-free 68. Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik (68), and Englishmen Robert Rock (68) and Robert Coles (69) were a shot further back.