Canada Keeps Lead in World Amateur Team Championship


Canada retained its first-round lead after posting a 14-under-par 274 for a two-stroke lead over a surging Japan at the 2014 Women's World Amateur Team Championship (WWATC) at Karuizawa 72 Golf East.

Fueled by a 69 from Brooke Henderson and a 70 from Brittany Marchand, Canada registered a second-round total of 5-under-par 139 at the par-72 Iriyama Course in Japan. Their 36-hole total is the tied for the second-lowest in WWATC history.

"Today, we started a little slow," said Canadian captain Liz Hoffman. "It wasn't our best day on the front nine but we gained momentum through the round. What I saw in all the players was tremendous determination. They ground it out and stayed focused."

Mirami Katsu, of Japan, which was 16th after the first round, fired a 7-under-par 65 to take the home nation into second place. Her teammate Eri Okayama shot a 5-under 67 for the day's best team score of 12-under-par 132, which is the second-lowest team score for any round in championship annals.

Katsu's 65 on the Oshitate Course was matched by England's Bronte Law and is the lowest score at the 2014 championship.

Two-time defending champion Republic of Korea holds third at 277, followed by Sweden and Spain tied for fourth at 278, Germany in sixth at 279, England, India and Mexico tied for seventh at 281 and Australia, Denmark, France and the USA tied for 10th at 282.

The 16-year-old Henderson, who is No. 2 in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking and won the CN Canadian Women's Professional Tour event in Quebec in 2012 at age 14, posted five birdies against two bogeys on the Iriyama Course.

"My game, in the middle of the round, was really good," said Henderson, who the low amateur at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open and runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur. "It was great to get that birdie on 18 to get into the 60s. Any day in the 60s is a good day."

In her round of 65, Katsu tallied an eagle, six birdies and a bogey. A 16-year-old- student at Kagoshima High School, she became the youngest winner in the history of the LPGA of Japan Tour in April when she captured the KKT Cup Vantelin Ladies Open at age 15. She is No. 25 in the rankings.

"I was only 1-under on the front nine," said Katsu, who was a quarterfinalist at the 2014 Japan Women's Amateur. "But, I never gave up making any scores. I was happy to continue keeping up with my motivation until the 18th hole. I'm hoping I will not miss a beat for the next two days. I'll do my best to focus."

Japanese captain Tomoko Sakamoto did her best to keep the pressure off her team after the first round by not holding a team meeting in the evening.

"In WWATC history, our best rank for the Japan team was fourth place three times," she said. "We missed a chance to receive a prize. Our goal is to win a prize and hoist a national flag with Japanese pride like as a rising sun flag. I hope to keep the team relaxed. I told them to fight for yourself and believe."

Korea's So-Young Lee, 17, who won the gold medal at the recent Youth Olympic Games in China, shot a 69 and teammate Hey-Jin Choi logged a 71. After winning in 2010 and 2012, Korea is attempting to become the first team to win three consecutive Espirito Santo Trophy competitions since the USA in 1980, 1982 and 1984.

The Women's World Amateur Team Championship is a biennial international amateur competition conducted by the International Golf Federation (IGF), which comprises 137 national governing bodies in 131 countries. The competition, which is being held for the 26th time, is rotated among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, Americas and Europe-Africa. This year's event is hosted by the Japan Golf Association. The teams play for the Espirito Santo Trophy. The IGF is the international federation for golf for the International Olympic Committee and will conduct the Olympic golf competition in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team's score for the championship. Fog delayed the start of the second round by one hour.

The above report is courtesy of the USGA. For more information about the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship and complete scoring details, visit www.usga.org.