Australians look to defend Espirito Santo title
BY Bruce Young | Amateur Golf Tour | 2004 World Amateur Team Championships | Preview | 20 Oct 2004
For the three Australians lining up in Puerto Rico this week at the Espirito Santo Trophy they have a big act to follow.
Two years ago in Malaysia, the Australian team of Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright and Vicky Uwland beat home Thailand to claim the trophy after a count-back on the third player’s score was required to decide the winner.
All three players have gone on to professional careers with Hull having a good rookie season on the LPGA Tour and Wright qualifying to play there in 2005 via the Futures Tour this year. Uwland is battling for survival on the Ladies European Tour.
This year the Australians are represented by Sarah-Jane Kenyon, Sarah Kemp and Katy Jarokowicz with Kenyon having recently graduated to the final stage of LPGA Tour School in Florida. Kenyon finished tenth at the Australian Women’s Open earlier this year and the 20-year-old showed when finishing 6th at the recent stage one qualifier, that the next level is not beyond her.
Kemp will remain an amateur at least in the short term while Jarokowicz missed at stage one qualifying and may look to Europe to get her professional career underway.
The Rio Mar Resort in Puerto Rico contains two courses, one the Greg Norman designed River Course and the other the George/Tom Fazio designed Ocean course. The Australians tackle the River Course in round one.
The United States team of Paula Creamer, Sarah Huarte and Jane Park are the likely favourites although several of the Asian Teams with experience on Tifdwarf greens and in the humidity that is likely to be a big factor here, may surprise.
New Zealand is represented by Sarah Nicholson, Penny Newbrook and late recruit Claire Dury. Dury only gained her place at the last minute after a decision was made to replace Enu Chung due to personal family issues that Chung was dealing with.
The event starts on Wednesday October 20th and finishes on the 23rd. The best two of three scores count in each round.
