United States wins the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship, Canada climbs to finish T17
Nick Dunlap, (left), David Ford and Gordon Sargent of the United States of America at the 18th green with the Eisenhower Trophy during the final round of the World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, United Arab Emirates on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023 (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)
United States Golf Association
Building off a successful third round, Canada finished the World Amateur Team Championship strong on Saturday, climbing to a T17 finish with a combined team score of 13-under (146-142-136-139-563) in the 36-team field.
Two members of Team Canada earned top-30 finishes in the individual competition amongst a field of 108 golfers. Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. fired the low round of the day for Canada with a 3-under 69 to finish the tournament T24 at 7-under (72-72-68-69-281). Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. recorded a 2-under 70 on Saturday to finish T30 at 6-under (74-70-68-70-282). Piercen Hunt of Hartland, Wis. closed the tournament with a 5-over 77 to finish at 13-over (80-74-70-77-301).
The United States of America surged to its 16th Eisenhower Trophy win, and its first since 2014, on Saturday in the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. David Ford, the No. 5 ranked amateur in the world, posted an 8-under 64, while 2023 U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap contributed a 4-under 68.
On the strength of a red-hot Ford, who was 6-under through his opening six holes, the Americans quickly established an eight-shot cushion midway through the opening nine. Ford rattled off four consecutive birdies followed by an eagle hole-out from 140 yards on the par-4 sixth to kick-start his final round.
Ford’s 64 is the second-lowest individual final round score in World Amateur Team Championship history.
After struggling to get things going early on, Dunlap birdied six of his final 10 holes, leading to his 68, and Gordon Sargent, the low amateur in the 2023 U.S. Open, posted a non-counting 71 for the USA in the fourth round. Dunlap (2), Ford (T-5) and Sargent (T-5), who competed together on last month’s victorious USA Walker Cup team at St Andrews, all finished in the top 5 of the individual scoring.
The USA’s 72-hole hole score of 36-under-par 540 was 11 strokes better than the silver-medal winning Australia and Norway teams. The 11-shot victory was the largest championship margin since Australia’s 19-stroke win in 2016.
Australia used a strong finish by Jack Buchanan (4-under 68), who birdied four of his final five holes, and a counting score from Karl Vilips (2-under 70) to close at 25-under-par 551.
Norway’s silver is its first medal in the country’s 26 Eisenhower appearances. The Norwegians, whose previous best finish was fourth place in 2022, used a 3-under 69 from Herman Sekne and a 2-under 70 from Michael Mjaaseth for a team total of 551.
France finished in fourth place, one stroke behind Australia and Norway at 24-under 552. Italy, the 2022 champions, and New Zealand finished in a tie for fifth place at 553.
The USA receives custody of the Eisenhower Trophy until the next World Amateur Team Championship, which will be held in 2025 in Singapore. Members of the winning team receive gold medals and members of the two second-place teams receive silver medals.
Although there is no official recognition, New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori, the 2023 Western Amateur champion, was the low individual scorer at 16-under 272.
Notable:
The USA’s 12-under 132 is tied for the second-lowest final-round team score in championship history (since moving from three to two counting scores in 2002). Singapore also carded a 12-under-132 on Saturday.
In 33 appearances, the Americans have won 28 total medals (16 gold, nine silver and three bronze).
The USA is one of seven nations to participate in all 33 World Amateur Team Championships since 1958.
David Ford’s 29 on the front nine tied the second lowest nine-hole score in championship history, which has occurred six other times. Denny McCarthy shot a 28 on the front nine during the final round of the USA’s Eisenhower Trophy win in 2014.
Australia now has 14 medals, which remains second all-time behind the United States.
Norway’s Michael Mjaaseth finished in a tie for eighth place in the individual scoring after he tied for ninth in 2022. He is the only player to finish in the top 10 both years.
Czechia (T-8th) registered its best finish in a WATC after placing 22nd in 2018.
South Africa finished in seventh place for its first top-10 showing since 1998.
Kazuma Kobori’s 16-under bested Nick Dunlap by one in the individual scoring. Kobori was the 2023 Elite Amateur Series champion. In addition to his Western Amateur victory this summer, Kobori added top-10 finishes in the Southern Amateur and Trans-Mississippi Amateur.
What’s Next:
The 30th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy will take place beginning Wednesday at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
The 2025 World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy will be held at Tenah Merah Country Club in Singapore.
Results from Saturday’s final round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
1 United States of America 135-137-136-132–540 Nick Dunlap 69-67-69-68–273 David Ford 68-74-69-64–275 Gordon Sargent 67-70-67-71—275
T2 Norway 144-134-134-139–551 Herman Sekne 73-64-68-69–274 Michael Mjaaseth 71-70-66-70–277 Mats Ege 75-77-71-70–293 T2 Australia 137-137-139-138–551 Jeff Guan 68-69-68-72–277 Karl Vilips 69-68-73-70–280 Jack Buchanan 76-72-71-68—287
4 France 135-138-139-140–552 Bastien Amat 68-70-67-69–274 Hugo Le Goff 67-68-72-71–278 Paul Beauvy 68-73-74-73—288
T5 New Zealand 139-139-139-136–553 Kazuma Kobori 70-70-67-65–272 Sam Jones 69-72-72-71–284 Jayden Ford 74-69-73-72—288
United States maintains lead, Canada finishes strong after third round at the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship
Piercen Hunt of Canada plays his tee shot at the 12th hole during the third round of the World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, United Arab Emirates on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)
United States Golf Association
Piercen Hunt recorded first career hole-in-one on par-3 fourth hole
Team Canada had a day to remember on Friday, highlighted by Piercen Hunt’s first career hole-in-one on the par-3 fourth hole at the World Amateur Team Championship. Hunt, from Hartland, Wis. hit a pitching wedge from 136 yards to record the ace. It was the first WATC ace since the final round of the 2018 championship, which was recorded by Esteban Restrepo of Colombia. “That’s my first ever hole-in-one. It landed a bit short [of the hole], took a couple hops and went in. It was crazy,” said Hunt. He finished the day with a 2-under 70 to sit at 8-over for the tournament.
Teammates Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. and Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. both fired rounds of 4-under 68 to move Canada up to 23rd place and combined score of 8-under for the tournament. Both McCulloch and McKinlay are T38 in the individual standings at 4-under for the tournament.
The United States of America, propelled by a 5-under 67 from world No. 2 Gordon Sargent, tallied 14 birdies amongst its three players and strengthened its lead to four stokes after Round 3 of the World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Sargent, who leads the individual leaderboard at 12-under par, rattled off four birdies in his opening eight holes, highlighted by a 35-foot putt on the par-4 sixth.
The Americans, who are seeking their first Eisenhower Trophy win since 2014, stand at 24-under par at 408 with France and Norway sharing a tie for second at 412. The USA’s Nick Dunlap and David Ford each finished with 3-under 69s, bringing the team’s third round tally to an 8-under 136. Only two of each team’s best three scores count toward the total.
France, with a 5-under 67 from Bastien Amat and a 72 from Hugo Le Goff, lost ground to the Americans while remaining in second place alongside Norway.
Norway, which is eyeing its first medal in team history, climbed nine places on the strength of a 6-under 66 showing from Michael Mjaaseth and a 4-under 68 from Herman Sekne, who is No. 24 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®. The 10-under team total led the field in the third round.
Australia remains in solo fourth place with a three-day total of 413 after a 4-under 68 from Jeffrey Guan and a 71 from Jack Buchanon.
Czechia holds fifth place at 414, followed by the Netherlands and South Africa tied for sixth. The defending champion Italians are eight strokes off the lead in solo eighth place.
Notable:
USA is attempting to become the fifth wire-to-wire champion in Eisenhower Trophy history, and the first since 2012. The Americans have done so twice before in 2004 and 2012.
France is seeking its first Eisenhower medal since winning gold in 2010.
Gordon Sargent has posted rounds of 67-70-67 to lead the individual scoring by one over six players.
Canada’s Piercen Hunt made a hole-in-one on the par-3 4th hole (136 yards/124 meters) with a pitching wedge. It was the first hole-in-one in Eisenhower Trophy competition since Colombia’s Esteban Restrepo aced the 7th hole at Carton House Golf Club in Ireland in 2018.
The Republic of Korea tied Norway for the largest leaderboard move on Friday, climbing nine spots into a tie for 16th place based on a 9-under 135 team score led by Seonghyeon An‘s 7-under 65.
Czechia is in position for its best-ever Eisenhower finish. The Czech’s current best (22nd place) came in 2018.
South Africa, which jumped four spots into a tie for sixth after Round 3, is seeking its first top-10 finish since 1998.
Temperatures at Abu Dhabi Golf Club peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) with a heat index of 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) during the third round.
What’s Next:
The final round begins Saturday at 6:30 a.m. local time with a two-tee start on the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The leading teams of USA, France and Norway will occupy the final tee times of 12:06, 12:17 and 12:28 p.m. off the 1st tee.
Results from Friday’s third round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
1 United States of America, USA 135-137-136–408 Nick Dunlap 69-67-69–205 Gordon Sargent 67-70-67–204 David Ford 68-74-69—211 T2 France, FRA 135-138-139–412 Hugo Le Goff 67-68-72–207 Bastien Amat 68-70-67–205 Paul Beauvy 68-73-74—215
T2 Norway, NOR 144-134-134–412 Herman Sekne 73-64-68–205 Michael Mjaaseth 71-70-66–207 Mats Ege 75-77-71–223
4 Australia, AUS 137-137-139–413 Karl Vilips 69-68-73–210 Jeff Guan 68-69-68–205 Jack Buchanan 76-72-71—219
5 Czechia, CZE 139-135-140–414 Filip Jakubcik 69-67-70–206 Petr Hruby 72-68-70–210 Louis Klein 70-72-73—215
T6 Netherlands, NED 136-140-139–415 Jack Ingham 70-70-69–209 Lars van der Vight 77-70-70–217 Benjamin Reuter 66-71-76—213
T6 South Africa, RSA 139-138-138–415 Christo Lamprecht 71-68-68–207 Christiaan Maas 70-70-71–211 Altin van der Merwe 69-71-70—210
8 Italy, ITA 142-138-136–416 Pietro Bovari 69-67-69–205 Riccardo Fantinelli 74-71-70–215 Flavio Michetti 73-73-67—213
T9 New Zealand, NZL 139-139-139–417 Jayden Ford 74-69-73–216 Kazuma Kobori 70-70-67–207 Sam Jones 69-72-72—213
T9 People’s Republic of China, CHN 138-135-144–417 Zihang Qiu 69-67-71–207 Justin Bai 69-68-73–210 Ziqin Zhou 76-69-79—224
T11 Denmark, DEN 137-138-143–418 Frederik Kjettrup 75-67-72–214 Jacob Olesen 68-71-71–210 Gustav Frimodt 69-75-72—216
T11 Mexico, MEX 143-133-142–418 Santiago De La Fuente del Valle 71-66-72–209 José Islas Valdespino 75-67-74–216 Omar Morales 72-68-70—210
13 Colombia, COL 142-139-138–419 Nicolas Quintero 69-69-67–205 Manuel Merizalde 76-70-73–219 Carlos Conde 73-72-71—216
T14 Chinese Taipei, TPE 143-136-141–420 Chuan-Tai Lin 72-66-72–210 Ching Hung Su 71-70-72–213 Chi Chun Chen 74-77-69—220
T14 Spain, ESP 138-140-142–420 Luis Masaveu Roncal 69-70-74–213 Angel Ayora 71-70-76–217 José Luis Ballester 69-72-68—209
T16 Republic of Korea, KOR 144-142-135–421 Seonghyeon An 73-70-65–208 Donghyun Moon 71-72-70–213 Sungho Lee 74-72-74—220
United States lead by one after two rounds at the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship
Nick Dunlap of the United States of America at the 18th hole during the second round of the World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, United Arab Emirates on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)
United States Golf Association
The United States of America’s Nick Dunlap, who is No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®, tallied seven birdies en route to a 5-under 67 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to position the Americans one stroke clear of France and the People’s Republic of China through the second round of the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship.
Team Canada currently sits tied for 27th at even par 288. Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. lead the way for Canada on Thursday by firing a 2-under 70 to sit at even par for the tournament. Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. recorded an even par 72 for the second straight day. Their scores counted towards the combined team score to help move Canada from 2-over to even par after two rounds. Teammate Piercen Hunt of Hartland, Wis. finished with a 2-over 74 and is now at 10-over for the tournament.
USA also used a 2-under 70 from world No. 2 Gordon Sargent, who officially earned PGA Tour membership on Wednesday via PGA Tour University Accelerated, for a two-day total of 16-under 272. After a slow team start, Dunlap and Sargent combined for five birdies during a four-hole stretch at the conclusion of their first nine.
France, which held a share of the lead at the start of the day, was led by 15-year-old Hugo Le Goff’s 4-under 68 and a 2-under 70 from 2023 U.S. Open qualifier Bastien Amat. Hugo, a 2023 R&A Boys’ Amateur semifinalist, had an eagle and three birdies through his first seven holes.
The People’s Republic of China, which finished in a tie for 31st last year in France, moved up six places on the leader board on the strength of a 5-under 67 from Zihang Qiu and a 4-under 68 from Justin Bai, who has committed to play at the University of Washington in 2024.
Australia remains two strokes behind the USA in a tie for fourth place with Czechia on the strength of another steady day from two-time Australian Junior Amateur champion Jeffrey Guan and Stanford University senior Karl Vilips. Guan and Vilips, who qualified for the 2023 U.S. Open, traded a pair of 67s and 68s during the first two rounds to lead the Aussies to a 14-under total of 270.
Frederik Kjettrup rebounded from an opening-round 75 with a 5-under 67 on Thursday to position Demark in a tie for sixth alongside Argentina at 275. Jacob Skov Olesen added a 71 for Denmark.
Completing the top 10 are Mexico and The Netherlands with team totals of 12-under 276.
Notable:
France’s Le Goff (9-under 135) leads the individual leaderboard by one stroke over Czechia’s Filip Jakubcik, Italy’sPietro Bovari, the People’s Republic of China’s Zihang Qiu and the USA’s Nick Dunlap.
Bovari made two eagles during his second-round 5-under 67 for the defending champion Italian team, which sits in a tie for 15th place. Italy is attempting to become the first team to win consecutive WATC titles since the USA did so in 2012 and 2014.
Mexico and Norway made the largest moves of the day, both climbing 13 places. Mexico jumped into a tie for eighth, while Norway moved into a tie for 11th thanks to an 8-under 64 from Herman Sekne that included nine birdies. Sekne’s 64 is the lowest round of the championship thus far.
Australia, the People’s Republic of China and the USA are the only countries with two players in the top 10 of the individual leader board.
With his U.S. Amateur win in August,Nick Dunlap joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur.
What’s Next:
Round 3 begins Friday at 6:30 a.m. local time with a two-tee start on the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Results from Thursday’s second round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
1 United States of America 135-137–272 Nick Dunlap 69-67–136 Gordon Sargent 67-70–137 David Ford 68-74—142
T2 People’s Republic of China 138-135–273 Zihang Qiu 69-67–136 Justin Bai 69-68–137 Ziqin Zhou 76-69—145
T2 France 135-138–273 Hugo Le Goff 67-68–135 Bastien Amat 68-70–138 Paul Beauvy 68-73—141
T4 Czechia 139-135–274 Filip Jakubcik 69-67–136 Petr Hruby 72-68–140 Louis Klein 70-72—142
T4 Australia 137-137–274 Karl Vilips 69-68–137 Jeff Guan 68-69–137 Jack Buchanan 76-72—148
T6 Argentina 137-138–275 Vicente Marzilio 69-68–137 Joaquín Ludueña 70-70–140 Segundo Oliva Pinto 68-72—140
T6 Denmark 137-138–275 Frederik Kjettrup 75-67–142 Jacob Olesen 68-71–139 Gustav Frimodt 69-75—144
T8 Mexico 143-133–276 Santiago De La Fuente del Valle 71-66–137 José Islas Valdespino 75-67–142 Omar Morales 72-68—140
T8 Netherlands 136-140–276 Jack Ingham 70-70–140 Lars van der Vight 77-70–147 Benjamin Reuter 66-71—137
10 South Africa 139-138–277 Christo Lamprecht 71-68–139 Christiaan Maas 70-70–140 Altin van der Merwe 69-71—140
T11 New Zealand 139-139–278 Jayden Ford 74-69–143 Kazuma Kobori 70-70–140 Sam Jones 69-72—141
T11 Spain 138-140–278 Luis Masaveu Roncal 69-70–139 Angel Ayora 71-70–141 José Luis Ballester 69-72—141
T11 Norway 144-134–278 Herman Sekne 73-64–137 Michael Mjaaseth 71-70–141 Mats Ege 75-77—152
14 Chinese Taipei 143-136–279 Chuan-Tai Lin 72-66–138 Ching Hung Su 71-70–141 Chi Chun Chen 74-77—151
T15 England 137-143–280 Tyler Weaver 68-71–139 Jack Bigham 72-72–144 Barclay Brown 69-73—142
France and United States of America co-lead after opening round of the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship
French Captain Antoine Delon, (left), congratulates Paul Beauvy of France at the ninth green during the first round of the World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2023 (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)
United States Golf Association
France and the United States of America stand atop a crowded leader board after the first round of the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on Wednesday. Fueled by a pair of 5-under 67’s from 15-year-old Hugo Le Goff and world No. 2 Gordon Sargent, France and the USA hold a one-stroke lead over The Netherlands.
Team Canada currently sits tied for 28th at 2-over 146. Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. shot the low round of the day for Canada with an even par 72. 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. shot a 2-over 74 and Piercen Hunt of Hartland, Wis. finished with an 8-over 80.
All three of France’s players carded rounds of 68 or better in the early wave of the morning. Teammates Bastien Amat (counting) and Paul Beauvy (non-counting) shot a pair of 68’s behind Le Goff’s 67 leading France to a 9-under total of 135 to match the Americans. Only two of each team’s best three scores count toward the total.
The Netherlands’ Benjamin Reuter had the individual low round of the day, a 6-under 66, and teammate Jack Ingham added a 70 to position the Dutch in solo third place. Reuter, who plays at Georgia Tech University, registered three birdies and an eagle in his final seven holes.
Gustav Frimodt (3-under 69) and Jacob Olesen (4-under 68) led an afternoon charge for Denmark, who shares fourth with Argentina, Australia and England, two strokes behind the leaders.
Notable:
Through his WATC start on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, Gordon Sargent became the first player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University Accelerated after achieving the 20-point threshold. Sargent is a junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
France’s Bastien Amat, and the USA’s Sargent and Nick Dunlap, are three of seven players in the field who competed in the 2023 U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club.
No. 1-ranked amateur Christo Lamprecht, of South Africa, shot a 71 with three birdies and two bogeys. Altin van der Merwe (69) and Christiaan Maas (70) positioned South Africa in a tie for 10th at 5-under 139.
Temperatures reached 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) with a heat index of 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) during Round 1.
Twenty-five of the 36 teams finished under par on Day 1.
A total of 46 players in the field competed in the 2022 WATC in France. Colombia, Netherlands and Norway are fielding the same three players as last year.
Ahmad Skaik, of the United Arab Emirates, hit the opening tee shot of the championship on Wednesday morning. Skaik is competing in his fourth WATC.
Zimbabwe’s Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa carded a bogey-free 2-under 70. Nyamukondiwa, a senior at Drexel University, has an elephant named Cookie back home in Zimbabwe that he used to ride to school.
Guatemala’s Alejandro Villavicencio is playing for the seventh time, most of any player in the field.
What’s Next: Round 2 begins Thursday at 6:30 a.m. with a two-tee start on the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Results from Wednesday’s first round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
T1 France – 135 Hugo Le Goff – 67 Bastien Amat – 68 Paul Beauvy – 68
T1 United States of America – 135 Gordon Sargent – 67 David Ford – 68 Nick Dunlap – 69
3 Netherlands – 136 Benjamin Reuter – 66 Jack Ingham – 70 Lars van der Vight – 77
T4 Argentina – 137 Segundo Oliva Pinto – 68 Vicente Marzilio – 69 Joaquin Ludueña – 70
T4 Australia – 137 Jeff Guan – 68 Karl Vilips – 69 Jack Buchanan – 76
T4 Denmark – 137 Jacob Olesen – 68 Gustav Frimodt – 69 Frederik Kjettrup – 75
T4 England – 137 Tyler Weaver – 68 Barclay Brown – 69 Jack Bigham – 72
T8 People’s Republic of China – 138 Justin Bai – 69 Zihang Qiu – 69 Ziqin Zhou – 76
T8 Spain – 138 Jose Luis Ballester – 69 Luis Masaveu Roncal – 69 Angel Ayora – 71
T10 Czechia – 139 Filip Jakubcik – 69 Louis Klein – 70 Petr Hruby – 72
T10 New Zealand – 139 Sam Jones – 69 Kazuma Kobori – 70 Jayden Ford – 74
T10 South Africa – 139 Altin van der Merwe – 69 Christiaan Maas – 70 Christo Lamprecht – 71
T13 Germany – 141 Tim Wiedemeyer – 70 Jonas Baumgartner – 71 Tiger Christensen – 73
T13 Morocco – 141 Soufiane Dahmane – 69 Hugo Mazen Trometter – 72 El Mehdi Fakori – 75
T13 Scotland – 141 Connor Graham – 70 Calum Scott – 71 Gregor Tait – 78
T16 Colombia – 142 Nicolas Quintero – 69 Carlos Ardila Conde – 73 Manuel Merizalde – 76
Victory for Canada at the 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship
Christian Bender/Golf Canada
Dan Pino/ Golf Canada
Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic wins individual title at Brampton Golf Club
Brampton, Ont. – The most successful season in Canadian golf history added another exciting chapter on Saturday as Team Canada won its first-ever team title at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.
The Canada 1 Team comprised 14-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver (71-69-70-70—280), 17-year-old Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto (70-73-73-75—291), and 17-year-old Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver (72-75-80-68—295) shot a team-total 138 under cool and blustery conditions at Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont. to finish at 4-under 564 for the championship, a single shot clear of the Republic of Korea.
Canada 1, who began the day with a share of the third-round lead alongside Korea and the United States, needed a late-round charge to overtake Korea, who held a one-shot team lead through 16 holes.
The tournament shifted on the par-5 17th hole when Huang made a birdie for Canada and Korea’s Soomin Oh made a bogey. Zhang then stepped up with a birdie on the par-418th, followed by Huang rolling in a par-putt to secure Canada’s first-ever team gold medal at the prestigious international junior championship.
Team Canada 1 Coach Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S. was proud of how his team battled all week, going head-to-head with powerhouse challengers from Korea and the United States to earn the prestigious title – of world champions.
“It feels really amazing, the girls have worked so hard, they all contributed so much today, it was really close all day and they dealt with the stress really, really well,” said MacDonald, who was especially proud of the team’s resolve and self-belief that they could win. “Anna made a huge birdie on 17 while Vanessa was rolling in an incredible 30-footer on 18. We always knew it was a good company to be in, they (Korea and the USA) weren’t going to back down. The Koreans made a lot of putts today, they were exceptional, and our Canadians really stepped up to the occasion. They never felt like they couldn’t win this golf tournament. The whole time they knew they belonged, and they knew they could compete with those countries. They were competing, they wanted to win, and they knew they could win the whole time.”
“I think me, and Vanessa (Zhang) did a great job on the last four holes, we both made two birdies, so that was a really great comeback for us, I’m just really proud of how we all did as a team, its not just individual scores, its all about the team effort,” said Huang.
Canada’s previous best team finish at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship was a bronze medal in 2014.
“I don’t think we all had super high expectations going into this event, we just set out to do our best every single day and it was nice that we saw ourselves on the leaderboard, it more just came down to keeping our practice routines the same and trying our best each and every shot,” said Zhang.
“It’s such a cool experience, I said this earlier this week, you’re playing for something bigger than yourself, you’re playing for a team, and to do this together, feels pretty cool,” added Borovilos.
The two-time past winners from Korea would finish with the silver medal, shooting a team-total 3-under 565 followed by Czech Republic earning bronze at 4-over 572. Rounding out the top-five were Sweden (5-over 573) and Mexico (8-over 576).
The Team Canada 2 squad of 14-year-old Miranda Lu of Vancouver, 16-year-old Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C. and 14-year-old Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished 18th.
World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms – final team standings:
1 Canada 1 (-4) 141-142-143-138—564
2 Korea (-3) 143-141-142-139—565
3 Czech Republic (+4) 145-142-142-143—572
4 Sweden (+5) 140-147-144-142—573
5 Mexico (+8) 144-144-149-139—576
6 United States (+9) 139-142-145-151—577
7 Belgium (+12) 142-149-146-143—580
8 Spain (+15) 143-144-149-147—583
9 Italy (+16) 146-144-152-142—584
10 England (+17) 141-148-149-147—585
11Germany (+26) 148-147-149-150—594
12 Finland (+28) 146-147-154-149—596
13 Denmark (+29) 151-147-147-152—597
14 Poland (+32) 148-147-150-155—600
15 Chinese Taipei (+35) 148-153-146-156—603
T16 Switzerland (+36) 148-147-158-151—604
T16 Colombia (+36) 153-150-151-150—604
18 Canada 2 (+43) 154-151-153-153—611
19 Peru (+44) 151-155-158-148—612
20 Iceland (+47) 152-156-154-153—615
T21 Austria (+51) 149-154-159-157—619
T21 Wales (+51) 155-158-156-150—619
Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.
In the individual competition, third-round leader Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic followed up yesterday’s scorching 66 with a final-round even par 71 to win the Czech Republic’s first-ever individual medal in the eight-year history of the championship. An adjustment a month ago to her putting grip brought a great sense of confidence into the championship, finishing 7-under 277 for the tournament.
“It’s amazing, I feel great. I was very nervous today, I messed up the 17th hole a little bit and wasn’t sure I was still leading but was very glad about the finish,” said Vodickova, who plans to play college golf at Wake Forest next year. “My putting was really good, I’m putting cross-handed now, I changed a month ago and it’s working really well.”
With the victory, the 18-year-old earns an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open next July at the Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Alta.
Canadian Anna Huang capped off a tournament to remember, earning runner-up honours in the individual competition in addition to helping Canada win its first-ever team title. Huang, who finished T11 in 2022, shot a final-round 1-under 70 to finish at 4-under 280 for the championship, three shots back.
The runner-up finish for Huang was the best by a Canadian in the individual competition since Brooke Henderson’s fourth-place finish in 2014.
Soomin Oh of Korea finished third at 3-under 281 while Savanah de Bock of Belgium (1-under 283) and Nora Sundberg of Sweeden (2-over 286) rounded out the top-five.
Click here for the third round individual leaderboard.
This year marked the largest field in tournament history, with a total of 66 athletes comprising 22 teams and representing 21 countries competing for the team and individual titles.
First pro win has Canada’s Thibault looking toward LPGA Tour’s Stage II qualifying
Brigitte Thibault (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
Right up until she was standing on the 18th green, making her final putt of the tournament, Brigitte Thibault didn’t know she was winning the Kathy Whitworth Championship.
The three-stroke win in Trophy Club, Texas, was the first victory of the 24-year-old Thibault’s professional career. Thibault said she had just kept her head down for the third and final round of the Women’s All Pro Tour season finale.
“I had no idea what the leaderboard was. I was just trying to score as best as I could,” said Thibault. “It’s almost like I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and just felt like I just needed to keep pushing.”
Thibault finished the tournament 71-68-68 for a total of 207. The native of Rosemere, Que., came out of the front nine of her third round at 5 under, having three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole at the Trophy Club Country Club.
She bogeyed the par-3 No. 13 to arrive at her final round score of 4-under 68 and the win.
“I kept missing great opportunities on the back nine,” said Thibault. “I’d reach a lot of pins and then not make the putts.
“I felt like I was giving it away, but I ended up coming up on top. That was exciting.”
Having won a professional event, Thibault’s next goal is to move up to a higher tier of women’s golf. That means a good showing in Stage II of the LPGA Tour’s qualifying series at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., Oct. 17 to Oct. 20.
Thibault said she’ll be working with coach Chuck Cook in Austin, Texas, to ready herself for Stage II.
“Just preparation for what the course is asking for,” said Thibault. “Really make sure I’m comfortable with the type of shots that I’m going to need to be hitting. Just a lot of short game, to be honest.”
Winning the Kathy Whitworth Championship has shown Thibault that she can do it.
“My work is paying off and just to see it come to fruition is really exciting,” said Thibault. “But also just confidence in terms of like I’m trying to stay ready for Q-School and just to have competitive reps and to be able to come out on top it’s very encouraging on my end.”
Four golfers named to Team Canada for Santiago 2023
Golf Canada
TORONTO (September 26, 2023) – Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s golf team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
The Team Canada golf team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is:
Athletes
Selena Costabile (Thornhill, Ont.)
Myles Creighton (Digby, N.S.)
Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que.)
Alena Sharp (Hamilton, Ont.)
The four athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their standing through their respective World Golf Ranking, with considerations for 2023 performance as well competition schedules on the global golf calendar. Santiago 2023 will mark the Pan American Games debut for all four athletes.
Sharp, a two-time Olympian (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2020) and long-time LPGA Tour member, recently made her 18th appearance at the CPKC Women’s Open where she finished tied for 36th. Sharp won the 2023 ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and is ranked 12th on the 2023 Epson Tour points list in a season that features a victory and four other top-10 finishes.
“I am honoured to represent Canada at the Pan Am Games and take great pride in representing my country,” said Sharp. “In recent years I’ve tried to help and mentor younger Canadians coming up through the professional ranks and I’m looking forward to competing in Santiago alongside Selena. We’ve spent time together this year, I know we will have a great time, and we hope to bring a medal home for Canada.”
Costabile, a member of Golf Canada’s national team, currently sits 65th on the 2023 Epson Tour points list where she has three top-10 finishes. The 25-year-old turned professional in 2018 and will be competing in a major multi-sport Games for the first time ever.
Creighton, 27, turned professional in 2018 and will go into Chile riding a stellar 2023 season on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica with nine cuts made in 12 events played, including a win, two third-place finishes, and five top-10s overall. A member of Golf Canada’s national team program, Creighton finished second on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica ranking to earn conditional 2024 Korn Ferry Tour membership. He also made the cut in three of five events played on PGA TOUR Canada, including two top-10 finishes.
Papineau, 27, who turned professional in 2022, is coming off a great season on PGA TOUR Canada that included a victory, five top-10 finishes, and 16 of 21 event cuts made. The National Team member finished fourth on PGA TOUR Canada’s Fortinet Cup standings to earn conditional status on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour.
Golf joined the Pan American Games program at Toronto 2015. At Lima 2019, Team Canada won its first and only Pan Am Games medal in golf — a bronze – by Austin Connelly, Mary Parsons, Joey Savoie and Brigitte Thibeault in the mixed team event. At Santiago 2023, golf will have individual events only.
Golf Canada’s Manager of High Performance Sport, Emily Phoenix, believes the Canadian squad brings a strong balance of global competitive experience and a collective passion to represent Canada in the multi-sport Pan American Games.
“Our team is well constructed with athletes who bring strong experiences and are playing well on the global golf stage in what has been one of the most successful seasons in Canadian professional golf history,” said Phoenix. “Selena will lean on Alena’s veteran presence as a two-time Olympian, and both Étienne and Myles have played great on their respective tours this season, especially Myles with a great comfort competing in Latin America. In Santiago, I’m confident that they will be up to the moment in representing Canadian golf.”
Golf will take place November 2-5 (Day 18 to 21) at the Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago, Chile.
“Welcome, Team Canada golfers! In a sea of swings and putts, you’ve brought the perfect balance of precision and patience to the Pan Am Games,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “Let’s tee off with enthusiasm and enjoy every moment on the green.”
Team Canada’s golf coaching and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:
Jennifer Greggain (Vancouver, B.C.) – Associate Coach, Team Canada – Women Matthew Scanzano (Oakville, Ont.) – Golf Canada High Performance Coordinator
*Each of the participating athletes will be supported by a local club caddie.
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.
The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.
Anna Huang, Miranda Lu, Luna Lu and Vanessa Zhang qualify for Team Canada for the 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship
Mike Masaro
Vanessa Borovilos and Matthew Javier earn spots on 2024 Team Canada – NextGen
Cambridge, Ont. – Anna Huang, Miranda Lu, Luna Lu and Vanessa Zhang have earned their spots on Team Canada for the 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship following a 54-hole qualifying tournament at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ont.
Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. finished the tournament at 11-under to secure the first of four spots. Huang shot rounds of 71-69-65 = 205 to finish five shots clear of Miranda Lu. Huang was part of Team Canada 2 in the 2022 World Junior Girls Golf Championship.
Miranda Lu of Vancouver, B.C. earned the second spot after finishing 6-under with rounds of 73-70-67 = 210. The 14-year-old recently won the UHY Albany Junior tournament last month, the tournament is part of the American Junior Golf Association.
Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C. earned the third spot after finishing 5-under following rounds of 70-71-70 = 211. Lu has been part of Team Canada – NextGen for the past two years and will make her first appearance at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship. The 16-year-old finished as runner-up in the 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and qualified for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open through the final Monday qualifier.
Vanessa Zhang earned the fourth spot following a playoff win over Swetha Sathish and Joline Truong with a birdie on the first hole. Zhang finished the tournament at 3-under, following rounds of 73-71-69 = 213. The 16-year-old from Vancouver, B.C. won the 2023 K.J. Choi Foundation Texas Junior Championship in March.
The four will join Vanessa Borovilos and Eileen Park who earned exemptions to Team Canada for the 2023 World Junior Girls Championship. The official rosters for the two Canadian teams will be decided at a later date.
In addition to the qualifying tournament, players were competing for places on their respective Team Canada – NextGen teams for 2024.
Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. won the Junior Girls division and has confirmed her place on Team Canada – NextGen for 2024, which marks her second consecutive year on the team.
Borovilos led through all three rounds of the selection camp, finishing at 14-under with scores of 67-69-66 = 202 to top Huang by three strokes. Last month, the 17-year-old competed in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open and finished fourth at the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. Borovilos will play on one of the two Team Canada sides competing at the 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship.
Matthew Javier, of North York, Ont. won the Junior Boys division and has earned his place on Team Canada – NextGen for 2024. Javier finished the tournament at 7-under posting rounds of 70-69-70 = 209. This will mark the first time that Javier will be part of Team Canada – NextGen. Last month, Javier was part of Team Ontario’s Inter-Provincial Junior Boys Team Championship win and finished T4 individually at the 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
The remaining places for the 2024 Team Canada – NextGen squad will be decided by Golf Canada’s selection committee by early October. When making final decisions for player selection, the committee will consider player results from the 2023 season along with selection camp results including information gathered during skills testing. The full selection criteria for Team Canada – NextGen can be found here.
The 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship will take place at Brampton Golf Club from October 2-7. For more information on the tournament, please click here.
For the final standings of the Team Canada World Junior Girls Championship qualifier and Team Canada – NextGen selection camp, please click here.
Road to the Tour presented by Hilton: Alissa Xu and Michelle Xing
Golf Canada
This week on Road to the Tour, presented by Hilton, we follow Alissa Xu and Michelle Xing, two rising stars from Richmond Hill, Ontario. Today the two golfers are on Team Canada NextGen, but don’t be surprised if one day both are playing pro golf on the top tours in the world.
CPKC Women’s Open serves as a measuring stick for young Canadian professionals
Photo Bernard Brault
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
VANCOUVER _ The CPKC Women’s Open isn’t just a showcase for some of the LPGA Tour’s top players it’s an opportunity for Canada’s youngest professional golfers to see how they measure up.
Although Brigitte Thibault and Sarah-Eve Rheaume both missed the cut at the Canadian women’s golf championship on Friday, they agreed that they learned a lot from the experience. The 24-year-old Thibault has been playing on the Women’s All-Pro Tour this season, a third-tier circuit that has most of its tournaments in Texas.
She said that playing in an LPGA Tour event was a good way of seeing how her golf is progressing.
“I felt very comfortable. I know I belong,” said Thibault after a 3-over 75 second round put her at 8 over. “I’m hitting shots that I know are super tough, and I’m kind of pulling them away and giving away shots on easier shots.”
“So just cleaning up and fine tuning the easier shots and I’ll be right up there.”
Likewise, the 22-year-old Rheaume saw that she can play at the highest levels of women’s golf. She has been playing on the second-tier Epson Tour this season, and sits 150th on its money list.
“You see that you’re pretty close,” said Rheaume about her second-ever appearance in an LPGA Tour event. “Once you’re at the Epson Tour level the difference to step up to the LPGA isn’t that big.”
“It’s a good confidence booster, because you see, you can really compete out here.”
Rheaume had a 2-over 74 round on Friday to finish the tournament at 7-over par. The projected cutline was set at 2 over.
Thibault is from Rosemere, Que., and Rheaume is a native of Quebec City. As the only two Quebecois players in the field they were proud to represent la Belle Province.
“I’ve seen a lot of Quebecois out here,” said Thibault of the large galleries at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club. “It’s been nice to just feel the support and the warmth of them, just following you and cheering for you.”
Rheaume, who played two groups behind Thibault, also felt the love.
“It’s important to have some representation,” said Rheaume, who played in the CP Women’s Open in Ottawa last year. “We had four girls play (in 2022) and this year we only had two.”
“It’s very nice to represent Quebec and we’re really proud of our province and our country.”
