BOISE, Idaho – Andrew “Beef” Johnston shot an 8-under 63 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead in the Albertsons Boise Open , putting the bearded Englishmen in position to wrap up a PGA Tour card.

The 27-year-old Johnston birdied the first four holes in the round that started on No. 10.

“I hadn’t even woken up. I was still half asleep,” Johnston said.

Johnston finished with 10 birdies and two bogeys to reach 13-under 129 at Hillcrest in the second of four Web.com Tour Finals events. He won the Spanish Open in April and was eighth in the British Open in July.

Three-time PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings and Argentina’s Miguel Angel Carballo were tied for second. Stallings had a 65, and Carballo shot 64.

The series features the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings – Stallings was 128th, and Carballo 187th – and some non-members such as Johnston with enough PGA Tour money to have placed in the top 200 in the FedEx Cup had they been eligible.

“If I can come out with a card, then I’ll be able to play the best tournaments on both sides,” said Johnston, exempt in Europe until 2018. “I’m not going to give up playing in Europe, either. I’m going to play both sides. If I can do that, it’s going to make for a great year next year.”

Johnston had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on his second nine and made a bogey on No. 8. He hit six of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

“I just seemed to hit a lot of good wedge shots today and hit a lot of good putts,” said Johnston, coming off a 28th-place tie last week in Ohio in the DAP Championship. “I was just a bit more dialed in and I think just played slightly better. It was three shots different from yesterday and sometimes it can be such a small difference.”

Stallings was sixth in the DAP Championship

“Last week was a huge step in right direction for me,” Stallings said. “To be able to put a few weeks in a row together is nice. It’s motivating and encouraging, because I feel like it’s been there a while and it doesn’t always happen on our time.”

Sam Ryder and Keith Mitchell, tied for the first-round lead with Adam Schenk at 64, each shot 68 to drop into a tie for third at 10 under with Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes (64). The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member won August’s Price Cutter Charity Championship to secure his PGA Tour card next season.

Schenk was another stroke back after a 69.

The top 25 players on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for 25 cards based on series earnings.

DAP Championship winner Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut with rounds of 69 and 71. He wrapped up a PGA Tour card with his playoff victory in Ohio.

Defending champion Martin Piller also dropped out, shooting 75-67.

Merritt, B.C., native Roger Sloan sits T32 at 5-under. Young Pro Squad alumnus Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is tied for 60th. Toronto’s Albin Choi is T112, while Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., is 126th.

LONDON, Ont. – Lake Elsinore, California’s Aaron Wise took control of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship on Friday, following up an opening 8-under 62 with a 7-under 63 at Highland Country Club to build a four stroke lead through 36 holes at the final event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The reigning NCAA champion and current Order of Merit No. 5 was without a bogey on Friday, carding seven birdies to shoot 63 and set the new record for best 36-hole start in Mackenzie Tour history at 125. France’s Paul Barjon was four shots behind at 11-under after opening with rounds of 63-66.

“I putted very well again, though I didn’t hit the ball as solid,” said Wise, comparing his 63 to the previous day’s 62. “To come out with that score I thought was better than I played, so that was a testament to me getting it going on the greens this week.”

Though the 20-year old comes into the week with finishes of T8 and T11 in his last two starts, Wise was far from pleased with his performance on the weekends. At the Cape Breton Open two weeks ago, he was one shot off the lead through 36 holes, while he was two strokes off the pace at last week’s Niagara Championship before stumbling to weekend rounds of 71-72.

The former Oregon Duck said going through some struggles, especially with the putter, helped him prepare to come out firing this week in London.

“Golf’s a game of ups and downs, and one thing I’ve learned is you have to get through the low parts and then make the high parts that much better. The last couple of weeks were a struggle for me, and that’s how golf goes. I hung in there and this week’s gone a lot better,” said Wise.

Wise, who captured his first professional win earlier this year at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, will head to the weekend looking to jockey for position in The Five. The rookie pro can move as high as No. 2 on the Order of Merit with a win and a finish of no better than a three-way tie for fourth from Brock Mackenzie, who shot 64 on Friday to sit tied for eighth at 8-under.

“I saw his name on the leaderboard when I was playing, so that was motivation for me to kind of push forward and get it going as far as I could,” said Wise.

One shot behind Barjon in a tie for third were Edmond, Oklahoma’s Dillon Rust and Long Beach, California’s Brett Lederer at 10-under.

A 6-under 64 showing has Toronto’s Sebastian Szirmak in a tie for fifth to lead the Canadians in the field. National Team alumnus Austin Connelly holds a share of 13th at 7-under.

RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – The Canadian contingent continued to ascend up the leaderboard on Friday at the World Amateur Team Championship, jumping two spots to sit in a tie for eighth through 54 holes.

On the strength of Naomi Ko’s performance, the Canadians have moved 15 spots since Wednesday’s opening round. Ko, a 19-year-old Victoria, B.C., native, carded her second-straight round under-par on moving day with a 71 (-1) and currently holds a share of fourth place individually at 4-under par, just two shots back of the leading Hye jin Choi of Korea.

Teammate Maddie Szeryk of Allen, Tex., contributed the second-counting score on the day for the Canadian trio, posting a 74 (+2) to leave the Canadians sitting at 6-over for the tournament, well back of the leading Koreans.

The Republic of Korea is on the verge of its fourth Women’s World Amateur Team Championship (WWATC) title as it built a 14-stroke lead over Switzerland with a 19-under-par total of 413 after Friday’s third round.

The Koreans posted a third-round team score of 138, with 2016 U.S. Women’s Open low amateur Hye Jin Choi shooting a 4-under-par 68, that included five birdies in her first nine holes, and Min Ji Park, the 2016 Australian Women’s Amateur champion, firing a 2-under 70 on the par 72, 6,167-yard/5,637-meter Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.

“Some of my players are not really satisfied with their games but I am 100 percent satisfied with their games,” said Korean captain Sang-Won Ko. “Of course, everyone makes mistakes but I’m OK with that and, as I said yesterday, I just want them to enjoy the game and enjoy playing with the other players.”

The Koreans are seeking their fourth victory in the 27th staging of the championship. They won in 1996, 2010 and 2012 and, in capturing the Espirito Santo Trophy in 2010, set the mark for lowest score in the event’s history with a total of 546, which eclipsed the field by 17 strokes.

“At the moment I am happy to be leading the team and the individual leaderboards but this championship is more important for the team event so I am trying not to think about being individual leader and am focused on winning the team event,” said Choi, a 17-year-old high school student. “Although there is a big gap I will try to think this is the first round tomorrow and focus more on my game and then maybe a better result will come.”

Choi was joined by Leslie Cloots of Belgium in carding the day’s best round of 68.

All three Koreans broke par and did not count the 1-under 71 posted by Hyun Kyung Park.

Switzerland kept its position in second with a third-round 145 that included a 3-under-par 69 from Kim Metraux and a 76 from her older sister Morgane.

“I didn’t have real expectations,” said Metraux, whose is a Florida State University teammate with her sibling. “I wanted to enjoy the tournament and play as well as I could. I didn’t focus on the results or a spot that I wanted to finish.”

As for gaining ground on the Republic of Korea, Metraux preferred to focus on her final round.

“I don’t think about it,” Kim said. “I will play my best and then see what happens. I can’t control what they are doing and it’s better if I don’t look at what they are doing and focus on my game.”

Third-place Thailand, however, believes the chase is over and that the only open places are second and third.

“We’ve got to try to finish in the top three. We should just let Korea be the winner,” said Thailand captain Kanes Nitiwanakul. “We will try to be second. Our goals are a little higher now. Korea is so good, they have such talented players.”

Thailand, which has not been in the medal race since finishing second in 2002, posted a third-round score of 143 on a 70 from Kanyalak Preedasuttijit and a 73 from Parajee Anannarukarn.

In the day’s top 10 of the leaderboard: Denmark and Ireland are tied for fourth at 432, followed by Spain in sixth at 435, based on two sub-par scores from Maria Parra (70) and Luna Sobron (71);  the USA is seventh at 436 with host nation Mexico and Canada tied for eighth at 438 and Japan is tenth at 439.

Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. In 2014, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).

In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.

The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

Click here for full scoring.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – In Gee Chun posted a 5-under round of 66 to take a two-shot lead at the Evian Championship on Friday, keeping the 22-year-old South Korean on course for the second major of her career.

Chun, the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open champion, had a bogey on the fourth hole but otherwise played with great control, hitting six birdies in rainy and overcast conditions at the picturesque resort overlooking Lake Geneva.

“I always try not to think about winning,” said Chun, who missed the cut here last year. “Thinking about winning is more pressure.”

South Korean Sung Hyun Park, who shared the overnight lead with Chun, juggled three bogeys and six birdies in a round of 68, tying her for second place with Shanshan Feng – China’s only major winner.

So Yeon Ryu, who is also from South Korea, is three shots behind Chun in fourth place after posting 66, matching her score from round 1.

Feng was a shot back overnight, as was American Annie Park, while defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand sat seven strokes behind after a disappointing opening day in her bid for a third major by the age of 19.

Feng started to tire on the back nine, hitting two bogeys, but perked up with birdies on the final two holes for a 67.

“There’s no benefit for just long hitters,” she said. “The rough is really long.”

Ko fared better this time with a 68 but is nine shots off the lead.

Playing the back nine first, the South-Korean born New Zealander went out in an even 36. But Ko improved on her way back to the clubhouse with a bogey and four birdies – including a brilliant chip in from the edge of the green on the fifth for one of the shots of the day.

Teeing off at 7:45 a.m. local time did not work out well for Park.

She ended her round with a bogey on 16th and double bogey on the 17th to finish with a 2-over 73 and drop down the leaderboard.

Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand recovered from her first-round 73 to make a consistent 67 featuring four birdies. But the British Open champion is 11 shots off the lead.

Ko and Jutanugarn are trying to win the Annika Major Award, rewarding the major winner with the best combined record at all five majors of the season. It is named after 10-time major winner Annika Sorenstam.

Veteran American Angela Stanford is four shots behind Chun in fifth place as she tries to win her first major at the age of 38.

“Usually by Friday this course has killed me,” Stanford said. “But I still feel like I have a little energy.”

Her best performance in a major was back in 2003, when she was tied for second at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“Having cameras around all day felt new again,” said Stanford, who has five career wins on the LPGA Tour. “For somebody that hasn’t been in that position for a while.”

Two-time major winner Brittany Lincicome is a shot behind her in a tie for sixth with South Korean Eun-Hee Ji.

Lincicome, who had nine birdies and four bogeys in her erratic 66, had a unique way of describing the course.

“There’s no flat lie anywhere, and then the greens are impossible,” the 30-year-old American said. “Like there’s elephants buried under every one of them.”

Smiths Falls, Ont., native and World No. 3 Brooke Henderson carded an even-par 71 and is tied for 27th. Maude-Aimée LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., holds a share of 57th at 2-over.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – When the world gathers at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club for the third annual World Junior Girls Championship, a returning champion will be among the familiar faces at the tournament. A total of 47 athletes will represent 15 countries, including 2014 individual winner Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif.

“We are extremely excited for this year’s field,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “There are not many opportunities in terms of international competitions for girls of this age-group. These players are some of the best junior girls in the world and Golf Canada, Golf Ontario and our partners are thrilled to host them in a tournament where they can continue their growth and development.

“The World Junior Girls Championship is a chance for them to not only measure themselves against the world’s golfing talents, but to also learn from their fellow competitors. The 47 athletes in this championship represent the future of international women’s golf over the next few years, both in terms of their skills on the course and the camaraderie they share away from it.”

A then 15-year-old Liu claimed medallist honours at the inaugural World Junior Girls Championship at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., and paced Team USA to a convincing 18-stroke victory. The Stanford University commit opened 2016 with a win at the 90^th annual South Atlantic Women’s Amateur Championship. The No. 21 player on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, alongside teammates Jennifer Chang from Cary, N.C., and 2015 returnee Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif., will aim to return to the winners’ circle following Team USA’s fifth-place showing last year.

Mexico’s Isabella Fierro and Finland’s Anna Backman will return for their third stints at the world’s premiere junior girls competition. A 15-year-old Fierro claimed a share of 16^th last year and is hoping to build upon a season which has included a win at the 2016 Mexicana Campeonato Nacional Juvenil. Backman, then 17, earned sixth in 2015 and is coming off a third-place finish at the 2016 Duke of York Young Champions tournament.

Eight players from last year’s competition at The Marshes in Ottawa will return in hopes of improving upon their 2015 results. Angelica Moresco, who finished with a share of 23^rd last year, and her Italian teammates represent the only nation in the 2016 competition with all three members sitting within the Top-200 in the world.

In 2015, the trio representing the Republic of Korea captured a wire-to-wire victory to secure the team title. Paju-si, South Korea native Hye-jin Choi finished 12-under to win the individual title by seven strokes. While Choi – who claimed the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship – and her former teammates will not be present to defend their 2016 titles, a new team of three will proudly represent Korea, looking to continue the country’s winning ways.

Including the Canadians in the field, a total of 37 players will be making their debuts at the World Junior Girls Championship with teams representing the Philippines and Germany taking part in this competition for the first time. Aside from Liu, 17-year-old Esther Henseleit of Hamburg, Germany – whose resume includes a third-place showing at the 2016 German International Ladies Amateur Championship – is the highest-ranked player at No. 113.

The 41 international athletes join the six players chosen to represent the host nation. Canada One will be comprised of Chloe Currie (Mississauga, Ont.), Mary Parsons (Delta, B.C.) and Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.). As host of the competition, Canada will field a second team made up of Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que.), Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C.) and Isabella Portokalis (London, Ont.).

In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will celebrate the sport and focus upon the promotion and development of junior girls golf. Golf Canada will host a PGA of Canada coaches clinic and a girls skill development clinic on Sunday, September 25, as well as a Golf Fore the Cure clinic on Wednesday, September 28.

The four-day tournament’s opening round gets underway on Tuesday, September 27.

Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the third annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.

RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – Team Canada’s Naomi Ko was the lone bright spot on the day for the Canadian trio, carding a tournament-low 66 (-6) on the Iberoster Playa Paraiso Golf Course to lift the team into sole possession of 10^th place through 36 holes at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship.

Following her second round, the 19-year-old Victoria, B.C., native owns a share of third place individually at 3-under par (75-66), just two strokes off the pace. Ko’s round was a much-needed boost for the Canadian contingent, who otherwise struggled with a 78 (+6) from Maddie Szeryk and an 80 (+8) from Josée Doyon.

Szeryk, a 20-year-old Allen, Tex., native, sits at 8-over for the tournament to share 60^th place, while Doyon, 23, of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., sits T106 at 14-over par.

The Republic of Korea posted a second-round 137 with a 68 from Min Ji Park and a 69 from Hye Jin Choi for a 36-hole total of 275 to overtake first-round leader Switzerland and gain a seven-stroke advantage at the 27th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship (WWATC).

The Koreans are seeking their fourth victory in the event having first claimed the Espirito Santo Trophy in 1996. In 2012 in Turkey, Korea made a similar surge in the second round, moving from eighth-position into a five-stroke lead, and in 2010 in Argentina, they shot a record 128 to move from a tie for 13th into first place.

“I’m very happy that we are leading at the moment and I’m very proud of the players,” said Korean captain Sang-Won Ko. “It was a little different from yesterday. We struggled in the front nine yesterday but today everyone seemed very calm. I feel that they really enjoyed playing and that’s why the score is very good.”

Park, the 16-year-old Australian Amateur champion, posted six birdies and two bogeys for a 4-under-par 68 and Choi, 16, the low amateur at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open, tallied four birdies and one bogey for her 3-under 69. The team, which began the day one-stroke behind Switzerland, played on the par 72, 6,295-yard/5,752-meter Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club.

“I will give them the same encouragement and advice for the next two days but my players are doing really well so I will give them the freedom to play their own game and enjoy the championships,” Ko said.

“This is a team event though, so we focus on playing as a team, practicing together and keeping a good team spirit,” Choi added. “We trust each other very much and that is good for our performance.”

First-round leader Switzerland, playing on the 6,167-yard/5,637-meter Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club, registered a second-round 145 on the scores of the Metraux sisters, Kim (72) and Morgane (73) to hold second place at 6-under 282.

“I’m really pleased but a little frustrated right now because I finished with two bogeys,” said Kim Metraux, who is a Florida State University teammate with sibling Morgane. “But I couldn’t have wished for anything better, we are in contention and that’s all that is important. We still have two rounds to go so anything can happen.”

Ireland, which was tied seventh after the first round, moved into third position at 287, on a combined 3-under 141 from Leona Maguire (70) and Olivia Mehaffey (71). Maguire is one of two 2016 Olympic participants in the field and the Mark H. McCormack medal winner in 2015 and 2016 as the world’s top-ranked amateur.

“The goal today was to try to be under par as a team,” said Maguire, who is a junior at Duke University in the USA. “I had a lot of chances out there that just edged the hole so going into the last two days I will be trying to hole a few more of them and anything can happen really.

“Two good under par rounds from two of us is all it really needs to jump us up there. We will just be trying to keep giving ourselves chances and hopefully a few more will drop in the next two days.”

Denmark, on the strength of a 5-under 67 from Puk Lyng Thomsen, and a 2-under 70 from Malene Kroelboell Hansen, registered a 7-under 137 (matching Korea for the day’s low team total) to move into a tie for fourth with Thailand at 288.

The rest of the top 10 includes the People’s Republic of China is sixth at 290 with the Austria and the USA tied for seventh at 291. Host Mexico is ninth at 292.

Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. In 2014, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).

In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.

The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

Click here for full scoring.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame welcomed three new members into its storied ranks in 2016.

Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane and London, Ont., native Warren Sye were inducted in the Player category, while golf journalist Bob Weeks of Toronto was inducted in the Builder category. The trio became the Hall of Fame’s 75th, 76th and 77th honoured members. For more on the 2016 induction class, read here.

Here is a look back at this summer’s induction ceremonies as we celebrated another outstanding achievement in three distinguished careers.

WARREN SYE – June 18 – Weston Golf & Country Club

Warren Sye and guests enjoy a glimpse into the past.

Warren Sye and his family take to the podium.

Warren Sye, Sandra Post, Marlene Streit and Gary Cowan

Gary Cowan, Liz Hoffman, Sandra Post, Warren Sye and Kelly Roberts

BOB WEEKS – July 20 – Weston Golf & Country Club

Mike Weir has a few kind words at the induction ceremony.

Bob Weeks and Sandra Post

Bob Weeks and family

Warren Sye, Lorne Rubenstein, Mike Weir, Bob Weeks, Sandra Post, Marlene Streit, Gary Cowan and Richard Zokol

LORIE KANE – August 23 – Royal Canadian Pacific Building

Tiffany Gordon, Marlene Streit, Sandra Post and Marilyn O’Connor enjoy the festivities.

Lorie Kane and family

Lorie Kane and Hunter Harrison

Marilyn O’Connor, Marlene Streit, Lorie Kane and Sandra Post

SOUTHPORT, England – Team Canada Development Squad member Chloe Currie made history Thursday at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club, shooting up the leaderboard at the Duke of York to leapfrog the competition on her way to becoming the first Canadian to capture the Young Champions Trophy.

The Mississauga, Ont., product saved her best for last, carding a tournament-low 68 (-4) to finish atop both the boys’ and girls’ divisions with a 54-hole total of 214 (-2). The 16-year-old held a share of fourth place heading into Thursday’s final, eventually going to jump ahead of runner-up Markus Braadlie of Norway for the come-from-behind one-stroke victory.

With the win, Currie adds to a string of impressive results this past summer including defending her Ontario Junior Girls title and finishing runner-up at the Canadian Junior Girls. Currie’s next challenge will be flying the flag on home soil at her home club—Mississaugua Golf & Country Club—as a member of Canada’s first team at the third annual World Junior Girls Championship.

“I didn’t know what to expect as I have never played Links golf or even played in Europe but I played very well,” Currie said after winning the trophy. “This Tournament is great as you get to play with other juniors from different countries. It makes it a memorable experience.”

On the boys’ side, Canada’s Peyton Callens of Langton, Ont., finished with a share of 25^th. The reigning Ontario Junior Boys’ Champion started out a strong with a 73 (+1) to sit inside the Top-10 through 18 holes but couldn’t maintain his spot, slipping with a 78-79 to close out the tournament.

The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy, founded in 2001, is a highly rated international event. All of the competitors are either the current holders of their Under 18 National Championship or have won another major golfing event in the previous year. The event boasts an impressive array of former competitors, including four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

Click here for full scoring.

Sisters Morgane and Kim Metraux, shot 68 and 69, respectively, for a 7-under-par total of 137 to propel Switzerland to a one-stroke lead over the Republic of Korea after the first round of the 27th Women’s World Amateur Team Championships (WWATC).

The team’s score of 137 on the par 72, 6,295-yard/5,752-meter Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club ties for the third-lowest first-round score in championship history.

Starting on the 10th hole, Morgan, 19, finished her round on the outward nine at 5-under-par 31, which included a three-hole stretch in which she recorded two consecutive birdies followed by an eagle. She ended her round with a birdie on the ninth for a 4-under 68.

“I actually had a bad nine to start with a double bogey but I made a 90-foot putt for an eagle on the fifth hole, my 14th,” Metraux said. “I just focused and the score just came. It is always better to just try to enjoy the day. I think I only missed one or two fairways, which is the key here.”

Her older sister Kim, 21, posted four birdies and a bogey for her 3-under 69 and was visibly proud of the team’s accomplishment.

“It’s always good to see your country’s name,” Kim said. “It’s always good at the top of the leaderboard.”

Teammate Azelia Meichtry shot a non-counting 1-over 73 and said: “It’s nice and kind of an unexpected first day but it is well deserved. We all get along together very well.”

The siblings, playing in their second consecutive WWATC, are members of the Florida State University women’s golf team.

The Republic of Korea, which won the Espirito Santo Trophy in 2010 and 2012 and previously in 1996, posted a 6-under 138 on 68 from Hyun Kyung Park and a 70 from Hye Jin Choi, who was the low amateur at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open, as both players shot 3-under 33 on their inward nine holes.

“I didn’t expect to be tied for the lead on the individual leaderboard, but I am very happy,” said the 16-year-old Park. “I am really willing to make history and win the championship as Korea did in 2010 and 2012 because those players have had great success on the LPGA Tour and I want to follow in their footsteps so that other juniors can look up to me the same way I look up to them.”

“On the front nine all of us were struggling and I really didn’t expect to be in this position but on the back nine all of them got back to their routine,” added Republic of Korea captain Sang-Won Ko. “I’m really proud of them to be one off the lead today.”

The Koreans played on the par 72, 6,167-yard/5,637-meter Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.

In third position at 142, five strokes behind Switzerland was Japan. Nasa Hatoaka and Hina Arakaki both shot 1-under 71.

“We had a three-day camp in Houston (Texas in the USA) before we got here and we practiced putting and chipping and short game drills,” said Japanese captain Tomoko Sakamoto.  “We had a great camp and they are ready to score well but we have to avoid the hazards so we can score better than today.”

The Canadian trio struggled out of the gate, posting a first round score of 5-over par to sit in a tie for 23^rd, 12 strokes back of the lead. Maddie Szeryk, 20, of Allen, Tex., led the Canucks with a 2-over 74 for a share of 30^th individually. Teammate Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., finished one-stroke higher at 75 (+3) and sits tied for 50^th. The third and non-counting score was registered by St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., product Josée Doyon, who posted a 6-over 78.

In the top 10 team scoring list, The People’s Republic of China was fourth at 1-under 143, followed by Mexico, the host country in fifth at even-par 144. Thailand was sixth at 145. Tied for seventh at 146 were Austria, Chinese Taipei, Ireland and USA.  Australia, Ecuador, England, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Puerto Rico were tied for 11th at 148.

Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. In 2014, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).

In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.

The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

Click here for full results.

MEXICO – The trio of Canadian women are set to make their first appearance at the World Amateur Team Championship when action gets underway tomorrow at the Mayakoba El Cameleon Golf Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.

Representing Canada will be Maddie Szeryk, 20, of Allen, Texas, Josée Doyon, 23, of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., and Naomi Ko, 19, of Victoria. The Canadians will be paired with China and Spain for Wednesday’s first round, with Szeryk starting things off at 8:15 a.m. EST followed by Doyon at 8:25 a.m. EST and Ko at 8:35 a.m. EST.

The Canadian contingent will be under the direction and guidance of Team Canada Head Coach Tristan Mullally—who returns for his third event—alongside non-playing team captain Liz Hoffman.

Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. In 2014, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).

In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.

The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

The men’s World Amateur Team Championship will follow the women’s event, running from Sept. 21-24.

Click here for pairings.
Click here for live scoring.