Korea wins World Women's Team Amateur
BY Anthony Powter | Amateur Golf Tour | 2010 World Amateur Team Championships | Round Four | 24 Oct 2010
Korea has won the 2010 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship by 17 strokes over the USA to claim its second Espirito Santo Trophy at Olivos Golf Club and in the process broken the record for the lowest score.
Winners of the 1996 World Amateur Teams title in the Philippines, the Korean team of Ji-Hee Kim, Hyun-Soo Kim and Jung-Eun Han fired a combined total of 30-under-par 546, eclipsing the 72-hole scoring mark of 558 set by the USA in 1998.
Today’s victory adds to an ever impressive record at the World Amateur Teams Championship. Overall, the Koreans have won four medals and being runners-up on two occasions in 1994 and 2000.
Following the third round Korea had extended to a massive 13 stroke advantage over the USA and 16 over Germany. They would end the championship easy winners with Jung-Eun Han securing individual medalist honours finishing the championship at 13-under-par, two strokes ahead of team mate, Ji-Hee Kim at 11-under, who was a stroke ahead of the third Korean, Hyun-Soo Kim, for a complete sweep in the individual standings for the Koreans.
Defending champion Sweden, France and South Africa finished tied for third at 572. Sweden’s consistency in these events is impressive, finishing in the top 10 in all 24 Espirito Santo Trophy competitions since they began in 1964.
Spain finished sixth at 573 followed by Canada in seventh at 574.
The Australian team of Julia Boland, Alison Whitaker and Stacey Keating finished the championship in a tie for 15th, thirty-four strokes behind the Koreans, the same result the Australians achieved in Adelaide in 2008.
This year’s result for the Australians is a sobering reminder as to where amateur women’s golf in Australia currently stands compared to the power houses of Asia, USA and Europe. The Australian contingent would undoubtedly be disappointed with their combined result in Argentina.
The New Zealand team with it’s Korean connections of Cecilia Cho, Lydia Ko and with Caroline Bon finished is a respectable tie for 8th position, along with Germany and the Philippines.
Alison Whitaker was the best of the Australians with rounds of 75-73-69-73 to be in a tie for 24th position at plus-2 in the individual rankings and was the only Australian player to secure a sub-par round in these championships.
Stacey Keating fired rounds of 72-74-74-72 to finish in a tie for 36th position, with Julia Boland in a tie for 62nd position after rounds of 77-73-73-75.
