(John Mummert/USGA)
Rio
Grande, Puerto Rico (October 31, 2004) -- The USA Men's Team won the Eisenhower
Trophy for the third consecutive time, its 13th overall, at the weather-shortened
World Amateur Team Championship with a 54-hole total of 25-under-par 407 at
Rio Mar Country Club.
Because
of heavy rain and threats of lightning, the International Golf Federation cancelled
play for Sunday and based the Championship results on 54-hole scores. The USA,
the only nation to finish in the top 10 in all 24 Eisenhower Trophy competitions,
finished nine strokes ahead of silver medalist Spain at 416 and 10 strokes clear
of bronze medalist Sweden at 417.
The
USA team members, all collegiate All-Americans, were Spencer Levin, 20, of Elk
Grove, Calif., Ryan Moore, 21, of Puyallup, Wash., and Lee Williams, 22, of
Alexander City, Ala.
"These
three individuals are uniquely diverse persons but to see them come together
as a team in this event was very gratifying,” said USA captain Trey Holland.
“I will follow their careers as long as there is breath in me.”
During
the course of the three rounds of the championship, each USA player contributed.
Moore
(65) and Williams (67), 2003 USA Walker Cup teammates, sparked the team with
a 12-under-par start for a 4-stroke lead after the first round; Moore, the 2004
U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links, NCAA individual and Western Amateur
champion, shot 67 to combine with Levin's 69 in Round 2 and increase their advantage
to eight strokes; and Levin, who won five amateur events in 2004 and was the
low amateur at this year's U.S. Open, shot a 67 to go along with Moore's 72
in the third round to add another stroke to their lead.
Moore,
who has represented the USA on several international teams, was emotional about
this victory.
"This
feels better than any of the other events,” he said. “It's an amazing
feeling. We went out and fought for each other and fought for the team. I'm
happy we can send it off to the next USA team.”
Williams
, the runner-up at the 2003 NCAAs, concurred with his teammate.
"We
wanted to let the people that follow us have the same feeling we got to have
when they played our national anthem at the opening ceremonies as defending
champions,” Williams added.
The
Americans became the 12th team to lead the event from start to finish. The USA
also won four consecutive titles from 1968 through 1974 and three consecutive
from 1978 through 1982.
Heavy
rain, along with lightning in the area, forced a suspension of play at 10:35
a.m. The IGF, attempted to implement Condition 10 of the Championship, which
cuts the field. Trying to finish the event, the IGF made the cut at the top
10 teams and ties. Those 11 teams were to play only the inward nine of the Ocean
Course. However, more poor weather conditions followed in the afternoon and
the resumption of play was suspended at 1:25 p.m. before play was ultimately
cancelled.
"Every
team out there wanted to play (Sunday),” said Holland of having Sunday
play cancelled with his team holding a 9-stroke lead. “I don't think any
lead is safe in this event.”
This
marks the second time in 24 championships that the event was shortened. In Malaysia
in 2002, the IGF implemented a cut to the top 20 after 54 holes because of heavy
rains.
Although
there is no official IGF recognition, Moore was the lowest individual, shooting
12-under-par 204 through 54 holes. He was followed closely by teammate Levin,
who shot 206.
Rounding
out the top 10 were Canada , Italy and Switzerland sharing fourth at 422, Wales
in seventh at 423, England and Malaysia tied for eighth at 424 and Denmark and
Germany tied for 10 th at 425. Host Puerto Rico finished tied for 37 th at 445.
Conducted
by the International Golf Federation, which comprises national governing bodies
of golf in more than 100 countries, the Women's World Amateur Team Championships
are a biennial international amateur competition, which is rotated among three
geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, American and European-African. This year the
event is hosted by the Puerto Rico Golf Association .
Each
team, which has two or three players, plays 18 holes of stroke play for four
days. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores by players from each
team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72 holes) total
is the team's score for the championship.
*****************
Rio
Grande, Puerto Rico – Results of Sunday's (31 October) fourth round of
the World Amateur Team Championship, played at Rio Mar Country Club (Ocean Course=1:
par 36-36—72, 6,807 yards, 6,222 meters; River Course=2: par 36-36—72,
6,873 yards, 62,82 meters):
Pos |
Country |
+/- |
Rd1 |
Rd2 |
Rd3 |
Tot |
1 |
United States
of America 2 |
-25 |
132 |
136 |
139 |
407 |
2 |
Spain 2 |
-16 |
137 |
139 |
140 |
416 |
3 |
Sweden 2 |
-15 |
138 |
141 |
138 |
417 |
T4 |
Canada 2 |
-10 |
143 |
143 |
136 |
422 |
T4 |
Switzerland
2 |
-10 |
137 |
142 |
143 |
422 |
T4 |
Italy 2 |
-10 |
136 |
146 |
140 |
422 |
7 |
Wales 2 |
-9 |
141 |
138 |
144 |
423 |
T8 |
England 2
|
-8 |
137 |
146 |
141 |
424 |
T8 |
Malaysia 2
|
-8 |
143 |
143 |
138 |
424 |
T10 |
Germany 2
|
-7 |
138 |
145 |
142 |
425 |
T10 |
Denmark 2
|
-7 |
143 |
143 |
139 |
425 |
T12 |
Australia
2 |
-4 |
142 |
141 |
145 |
428 |
T12 |
Japan 2 |
-4 |
141 |
143 |
144 |
428 |
T12 |
Netherlands
2 |
-4 |
140 |
147 |
141 |
428 |
T15 |
Chile 2 |
-2 |
143 |
145 |
142 |
430 |
T15 |
Finland 2
|
-2 |
148 |
142 |
140 |
430 |
T17 |
Ireland 2
|
-1 |
143 |
146 |
142 |
431 |
T17 |
South Africa
2 |
-1 |
147 |
138 |
146 |
431 |
19 |
India 2 |
E |
143 |
148 |
141 |
432 |
20 |
Austria 2
|
1 |
145 |
143 |
145 |
433 |
T21 |
New Zealand
2 |
2 |
150 |
144 |
140 |
434 |
T21 |
Mexico 2 |
2 |
148 |
141 |
145 |
434 |
T23 |
France 2 |
3 |
148 |
142 |
145 |
435 |
T23 |
Korea 2 |
3 |
144 |
144 |
147 |
435 |
T23 |
Philippines
2 |
3 |
143 |
148 |
144 |
435 |
26 |
Portugal 2
|
4 |
141 |
150 |
145 |
436 |
T27 |
Thailand 2
|
5 |
143 |
150 |
144 |
437 |
T27 |
El Salvador
2 |
5 |
140 |
150 |
147 |
437 |
T27 |
Argentina
2 |
5 |
144 |
150 |
143 |
437 |
T27 |
Iceland 2
|
5 |
142 |
147 |
148 |
437 |
31 |
Scotland 2
|
8 |
141 |
150 |
149 |
440 |
32 |
Czech Republic
2 |
10 |
150 |
145 |
147 |
442 |
33 |
Peru 2 |
11 |
146 |
145 |
152 |
443 |
T34 |
Norway 2 |
12 |
148 |
145 |
151 |
444 |
T34 |
Chinese Taipei
1 |
12 |
151 |
146 |
147 |
444 |
T34 |
Bermuda 2
|
12 |
143 |
150 |
151 |
444 |
T37 |
Pakistan 1
|
13 |
148 |
153 |
144 |
445 |
T37 |
Guatemala
1 |
13 |
146 |
153 |
146 |
445 |
T37 |
Puerto Rico
1 |
13 |
147 |
152 |
146 |
445 |
T40 |
Dominican
Republic 1 |
14 |
145 |
151 |
150 |
446 |
T40 |
Colombia 1
|
14 |
148 |
149 |
149 |
446 |
42 |
Brazil 1 |
16 |
150 |
147 |
151 |
448 |
T43 |
Bolivia 1
|
17 |
146 |
150 |
153 |
449 |
T43 |
Turkey 1 |
17 |
146 |
152 |
151 |
449 |
T43 |
Belgium 2
|
17 |
148 |
148 |
153 |
449 |
T43 |
Trinidad &
Tobago 1 |
17 |
149 |
149 |
151 |
449 |
47 |
Zimbabwe 1
|
18 |
151 |
150 |
149 |
450 |
48 |
Ecuador 1
|
24 |
155 |
148 |
153 |
456 |
T49 |
Venezuela
1 |
25 |
149 |
156 |
152 |
457 |
T49 |
Panama 1 |
25 |
150 |
153 |
154 |
457 |
51 |
Paraguay 1
|
26 |
156 |
148 |
154 |
458 |
52 |
Slovenia 1
|
27 |
158 |
152 |
149 |
459 |
53 |
Barbados 1
|
30 |
158 |
147 |
157 |
462 |
54 |
Russian Federation
1 |
32 |
157 |
154 |
153 |
464 |
55 |
Slovakia 1
|
34 |
158 |
157 |
151 |
466 |
56 |
Hong Kong,
China 1 |
36 |
154 |
158 |
156 |
468 |
57 |
Costa Rica
1 |
40 |
153 |
162 |
157 |
472 |
T58 |
Cayman Islands
1 |
47 |
158 |
162 |
159 |
479 |
T58 |
Greece 1 |
47 |
160 |
161 |
158 |
479 |
60 |
Swaziland
1 |
53 |
168 |
160 |
157 |
485 |
61 |
Bahamas 1
|
54 |
165 |
159 |
162 |
486 |
62 |
Estonia 1
|
57 |
161 |
169 |
159 |
489 |
63 |
Croatia 1
|
58 |
164 |
161 |
165 |
490 |
64 |
U.S. Virgin
Islands 1 |
61 |
164 |
163 |
166 |
493 |
65 |
United Arab
Emirates 1 |
62 |
162 |
173 |
159 |
494 |
- |
Egypt 1 |
DNF |
156 |
161 |
- |
DNF |