Netherlands lead at Men's World Amateur
IN: News | Amateur Golf | World Amateur Team Championships (2006) | Round Three | by Anthony Powter | 29 Oct 2006
The Netherlands will take a two shot lead from thirteen time winner of The Eisenhower Trophy, America, into the final day of the men's World Amateur. Despite having a more consistent round the Australian team is positioned 16th, eleven shots in arrears from the leader.
All three Australian team members of Stephen Dartnell, Won Joon Lee and Andrew Tampion returned scores of 70, however, it was not the push the Australians needed to more the team into contention for the championship. At best the team will be aiming for a top ten finish moving into the final day of the championship.
It was always going to be a difficult task for the Australians making up the deficient following the circumstances of the opening round, where they found themselves in the brunt of the afternoon conditions on the first day at three over. This was after a number of prominent teams, who enjoyed the benefit of the relatively benign conditions, had posted their sub par scores and where inside the clubhouse. It produced a margin which was always going to be challenging for the Australians to regain.
Whilst there's no official recognition of individual standings at the World Amateur, both Won Joon Lee and Andrew Tampion made strong inroads up the ranking with their third rounds. Lee and Tampion moved eight positions to be two under and T18th. Wil Besseling from the Netherlands is the individual leader at eleven under, two shots ahead of American Chris Kirk at nine under.
The Dutch have yet to claim a medal, let alone a championship at the World Amateur. In contrast the Americans, who are only two shots behind, have held The Eisenhower Trophy more than any other team at thirteen times. Wales should not be discounted for the championship either. The Welsh where the biggest movers in the third round, fuelled by Rhys Davies' 64 and Nigel Edwards' 68, to post a 12 under round that resulted in the team moving from T15th to T2nd. The Welsh are positioned with the Americans and Canada and like the Dutch, are yet to claim a medal in a men's World Amateur.
Traditional great rivalries were formed between a number of leading golfing nations earlier in the formation years of the Eisenhower Trophy, with countries like Great Britain & Ireland, United States and Australia as well as Canada all scooping the medal tally consistently at the time. The fierce competitive rivalry still remains, however, just under 50 years later new emerging countries like the Netherlands, Korea and Argentina are making a push for the championship.
Whilst it's too early to view there's going to be a changing of the guard at this years World Amateur, you sense that a change is forthcoming. Moving into the final day there are five teams within four shots of the leader and of that five, three have never won the championship, let alone a medal.
The problem is the machine of the "stars and strips" is poised to strike and claim their 14th championship and with a Eisenhower record like the American's, you would have the think the 2006 championship is their's for the taking.
