KARUIZAWA, Japan – The men’s trio of Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Adam Svensson have continued the success for Canada at the World Amateur Championship, firing a 10-under 134 to share the lead with Sweden and Switzerland after Wednesday’s opening round at Karuizawa 72 Golf East.

Conners, the 2014 U.S. Amateur runner-up, carded a 6-under 66 to lead the way for the Canadian contingent. The Listowel, Ont. native posted five birdies on the front nine, boosting him to a tie for second on the individual leaderboard, one back of Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult.

“It was definitely motivating to see the ladies do so well and we want to continue the success for Canada,” said the 22-year-old. “We’re all hoping to play as well as they did and we’re off to a nice start.”

His Team Canada teammate and old roommate at Kent State, Taylor Pendrith, carded a 4-under 68.

“I drove the ball pretty well and my putting was probably the best part of my game today – I made a lot of nice putts and some 15- to 20-footers,” said the Richmond Hill, Ont. native. “Overall I’m pleased with the way I played. It was unfortunate to bogey the last two holes but I’m very happy.”

Adam Svensson, a Surrey, B.C. native, carded a non-counting 3-under 69.

“We put in some really good preparation,” said team captain, Graham Hill. “Derek Ingram, our coach, works very closely with all the guys here. I don’t think we’re surprised that we played well here today. We’re just taking it day by day and we’re happy with the start.”

Canada was one of thirty-seven teams to break par in the first round and contribute towards the 65 sub-par scores, breaking the record of 42 in 2004.

The Canadians opened on the Iriyama Course in the first round – they will alternate tomorrow by playing the Oshitate Course. They are set to tee-off at 10:35 am (JST), grouped with Malaysia and Slovakia.

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Corey Conners (USGA/ Steve Gibbons)

KARUIZAWA, Japan – The Men’s World Amateur Team Championship will begin Wednesday when 69 countries from around the world tee-it-up at 72 Golf East in Japan.

Just like the women’s event, the men will alternate rounds between the Oshitate and Iriyama courses. The Canadian trio of Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.) tee-off early tomorrow morning on Iriyama, starting at 6:30 a.m. (JST).

The team will be paired with Malaysia and Slovakia to begin the event. The scoring format is four rounds of stroke play, with the best two scores from each day being counted towards the team total.

In 27 appearances at the World Amateur Team Championship, the Canadian men have captured the Eisenhower Trophy on one occasion (1986) and earned runner-up honours four times. Earlier this month, the Canadian women’s team of Brooke Henderson, Brittany Marchand and Augusta James finished as runner-up.

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PERTH, Australia – Minjee Lee turned professional Sunday, a day after leading Australia to a comeback victory in Japan in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship.

The 18-year-old Lee, No. 1 in the world amateur golf ranking and 82nd overall, made the announcement in a light-hearted video with Matthew Pavlich, captain of the Fremantle Australian Rules football team.

Lee will make her first appearance as a professional next week in the Evian Championship in France.

Born in Perth and a member of the Royal Fremantle Golf Club, Lee won the 2012 U.S. Junior Girls’, the 2013 and 2004 Australian Women’s Amateur titles and the 2014 Victorian Open.

She was low amateur at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California in April in her first start in a major championship, and received the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the No. 1 women’s amateur this year.

Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. will jump from second to first in the amateur ranking. The 16-year-old won the individual title in Japan Saturday, beating second-place Lee by three strokes, and leading Canada to a second-place finish.

Team Canada had history in their sights but it wasn’t meant to be as Australia, with a combined 131 from world no. 1 ranked Minjee Lee and Su Oh in the final round, came from seven strokes back to win the 2014 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship (WWATC) at 29-under-par 547 at Karuizawa 72 Golf East’s Iriyama Course.

Canada, which led on each of the first three days and was vying for its first Women’s World Amateur victory, finished second at 27-under 549 to capture the silver medal.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. (66-69-66-68–269) and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. (71-70-69-72–282) combined for a final round 4-under 140 but it was not enough to hold off the surging Aussies. Teammate Augusta James of Bath, Ont. (69-76-72-75—292) shot a non-counting final round 75 to round out the trio.

“We did our absolute best out there today and it was just a little bit short,” said team captain, Liz Hoffman. “I look at that leaderboard and I think about what we’ve done the last four days and I am so proud of our girls. They’ve been fantastic and so wonderful to work with.”

Australia, which won the Espirito Santo Trophy for the third time, took the lead through six holes of the final round as Lee, No. 1 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking™, was 4 under through five holes on an eagle and two birdies and Oh was 3 under with three birdies. Lee, 18, finished with an eagle and five birdies for a 65 while Oh, who is No.6 in the WAGR™, tallied six birdies for a 66. Neither recorded a bogey in their respective final rounds.

The Australians broke the mark for a final-round comeback of three strokes, which was set by their countrymen in 2002 in Malaysia. Their 72-hole total of 547 was one stroke shy of Korea’s record-low in 2010 and their final-round 131 is second-best all-time.

With her tournament score of 19-under par, Henderson, 16, finished as the low individual at the championship. Ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Henderson finished three strokes ahead of reigning World No. 1 Minjee Lee of Australia and her tournament score of 269 for the championship breaks the Women’s World Amateur mark of 274 set by Lydia Ko in 2012.

“Australia had a great round today, I was really impressed,” said Henderson. “They have very skilled players, including two in the top 10 in the world rankings, which is unbelievable. It’s a little disappointing to finish second but overall we had a really great week and played really well as a team.”

Canada’s runner-up finish marks the fourth time the squad has finished in second place in the race for the Espirito Santo trophy (’04, ’78, ’66). With the win, Australia put an end to Korea’s bid to become the first team to win three consecutive World Amateur titles – Australia also won in 1978 and 2002.

The Republic of Korea finished third, one stroke back of Canada at 26-under par in Saturday’s final. Denmark finished fourth at 556, followed by Sweden and the USA tied for fifth at 557, Mexico in seventh at 560, England and host Japan tied for eighth at 562 and the Philippines in 10th at 563.

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.

The 2016 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship will be played in Cancun, Mexico.

The men’s competition for the Eisenhower Trophy gets underway on Sept. 10. Canada will be represented by Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.).

CANADIAN INDIVIDUAL SCORES

1. Brooke Henderson, Smiths Falls, Ont. (69-66-69-68)
T20. Brittany Marchand, Orangeville, Ont. (71-70-69-72)
T51. Augusta James, Bath, Ont. (69-76-72-75)

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KARUIZAWA, Japan – Canada continues to hold a two-stroke lead over defending champion Korea after Friday’s third round of stroke play at the Women’s World Amateur at Karuizawa 72 Golf East.

Leading the trio once again was 16-year-old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who carded a bogey-free, 6-under 66 for the second straight time on the Oshitate course. The Team Canada National Squad member recorded four birdies on the back nine to help her retain the individual lead for the tournament at 15-under par.

The world’s no. 2 ranked female amateur is dialed in and excited to close out the tournament strong in tomorrow’s final.

“I’m really excited for tomorrow and to be in the position that we’re in at such a beautiful golf course in beautiful Japan,” said Henderson. “I’m just really excited and enjoying the moment.”

The second-lowest Canadian score for the day was posted by 22-year-old Orangeville, Ont. native Brittany Marchand. In her first World Amateur appearance, Marchand has delivered consistent results across the board to sit at 6-under par (71-70-69) individually.

“I started out strong, I made a few good putts outside of 20 feet and I was really confident with my putter,” said 5^th year N.C. State student. “I was a little shaky on the back with a couple of birdies and a couple of bogeys but overall I think it was a good day.”

Augusta James of Bath, Ont. carded 16 pars en route to an even-par 72, which was discounted as the team’s highest score for the day. James, 21, is playing in her second World Amateur for Canada (2012) and knows what to expect come tomorrow.

“There are some things that I can draw on from two years ago but we’ve got a fresh golf course and it’s a different position that we’re in,” said the reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion. “Just trying to embrace that it’s a new day tomorrow and trying to improve on the last three days to help the team.”

Team captain, Liz Hoffman, plans to help the girls remain focused on closing out the tournament after holding the lead for three straight days.

“We talk about taking each day as a new day. We are focusing on each and every shot, one shot at a time, and we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We haven’t got ahead of ourselves and we’re certainly not going to tomorrow. We’re ready for the challenge.”

The Canadian trio is set to tee-off tomorrow on the Iriyama course starting at 11:05 a.m. (JST). They will be paired with Korea (-21) and Japan (-17) in their quest to capture the first ever Espirito Santo trophy for Canada.

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Augusta James, Liz Hoffman, Brooke Henderson, Brittany Marchand (USGA/ Steve Gibbons)

KARUIZAWA, Japan – Canada’s trio combined for a 5-under 139 to retain their two-stroke lead following Thursday’s second round of stroke play at the Iriyama course at Karuizawa 72 Golf East.

Brooke Henderson, a 16-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont. native, led the team for a second straight day with a 3-under 69. The National Amateur Squad member struggled out of the gate with a bogey on the par-4 3^rd, but countered with four birdies in her next eight holes.

Henderson, this year’s U.S. Amateur runner-up, was pleased with being able to fight back after struggling out of the gate.

“It was a slow start, the first few holes I was 1-over but I was able to get my game back a little bit,” said the world’s no. 2 ranked female amateur. “The birdie at the last really saved my round and got it into the 60s – any day in the 60s is a good day.”

Brittany Marchand, an Orangeville, Ont. native, posted a 2-under 70 as the team’s second lowest score on the day. The 22-year-old National Team member carded a crucial birdie on 17 to help maintain the two-stroke lead.

“I had quite a lot of opportunities coming up the last stretch and I was just missing them, lipping out, just missing the edge, so to make one on 17 was really good for my own confidence going into tomorrow,” said the 5^th year N.C. State student.

Augusta James, 21, struggled with a 4-over 76 after carding a 69 in the opening round. The Bath, Ont. native remains optimistic with the team format after her score was discounted as the highest of the three.

“We talked a lot this week about taking care of ourselves individually and focusing on each shot of our own game, which in the end will help the team,” said the 2014 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion. “I will continue to focus on that for the next two days.”

Team captain, Liz Hoffman, acknowledged the team’s slow start but credited the overall determination of the girls to get back to where they want to be.

“What I saw today in Brooke, Augusta and Brittany was just tremendous determination, they really worked hard at focusing and playing every shot to the best of their ability – I’m very proud of the team today,” said Hoffman.

She also credited the team’s success to their preparation, and direction from National Team Head Coach, Tristan Mullally.

“We do a lot of learning and work in prepping for each round,” she said. “We watch very carefully what each player is doing, how the ball is reacting, and we try to gain some advantage from that.”

Canada holds a two-stroke lead over Japan at 12-under par, who are closely followed by defending champion Korea at 11-under par.

The Canadian contingent is back on the Oshitate course tomorrow, scheduled for the late tee-off times, beginning at 11:05 a.m. (JST). They will be grouped with Japan and Korea.

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KARUIZAWA, Japan – Canada sits alone atop the leaderboard after Wednesday’s record-setting opening round of 9-under par at Karuizawa 72 Golf East. They hold a two stroke advantage over defending champion Korea in the quest for the Espirito Santo trophy.

Canada’s combined score of 135 is the lowest first-round score in Women’s World Amateur Team Championship history. The record was previously held by USA, who recorded a 136 at the 2010 playing in Argentina.

The Canadian trio was led by teen sensation Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. The 16-year-old Team Canada member fired a bogey-free 6-under 66 to record the day’s lowest score. Henderson is very pleased with her start, but is looking forward to the next three rounds.

“Yeah, it was a great day today, I hit the ball really well and had a lot of opportunities to make birdies and I capitalized on a lot of them,” said Henderson, the world’s no. 2 ranked female amateur. “It’s good to get a run on the first day and I’m really excited to play the next couple days and hopefully continue at the top of the leaderboard.”

Augusta James, the reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, posted a 3-under 69 – recorded as the team’s second lowest score for the day. The Bath, Ont. native was happy with her ability to stay calm and bounce back after bogeying the 10^th and 12^th holes.

“I had a bit of a hiccup in the middle with a couple bogeys, but I was happy to come back and finish strong,” said the N.C. State senior. “I felt like I could get to three or more under, so I was happy that I did that.”

Brittany Marchand, also a member of Team Canada’s National Squad, posted a 1-under 71 which was discounted as the team’s highest score for the day. Having an under-par score discounted is always a promising sign for any team moving forward.

“It’s always good to have a throwaway score be under par – it’s awesome that my teammates helped me out today,” said the Orangeville, Ont. native. “I made a lot of up-and-downs to save par and I missed quite a few opportunities for birdies, but I’m hoping those are going to drop the rest of the week.”

Although very pleased with the team’s performance in the opening round, captain Liz Hoffman is determined to keep the team focused on the remaining three rounds.

“I’d say we played the easier of the two courses and we saw some wonderful scores out there so we know we’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Hoffman. “We have three more rounds to play – we’ll take it one shot at a time, one day at a time.”

The Canadian contingent tees-off Thursday morning starting at 9:15 a.m. (JST) on the Iriyama Course.

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Brooke Henderson & Augusta James (USGA)

KARUIZAWA, Japan – The Women’s World Amateur Team Championship begins Wednesday, bringing the top amateur golfers from 52 countries around the world to 72 Golf East in Japan.

The Canadian squad is set to tee-off first thing in the morning at the Oshitate Course. Augusta James, a Bath, Ont. native and reining Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, tees off at 6:45 a.m (JST). Brooke Henderson, a native of Smiths Falls, Ont. and world no.2 ranked amateur, will follow at 6:55 a.m. Brittany Marchand, an Orangeville, Ont. native and first-time selection, will close out the group at 7:05 a.m.

The Canadian contingent will be grouped with Hong Kong and Sweden in their quest to capture the Espirito Santo Trophy from defending champion Korea. The scoring format is four rounds of stroke play, with the best two scores from each day being counted towards the team total.

The men’s competition gets underway on Sept. 10 following the women’s competition.

The Team Canada women got a pleasant surprise when they arrived in Japan earlier this week – decorated rooms and letters from children.

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RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – The fourth and final round of LPGA stage I qualifying ended Friday with seven Canadians landing inside the cut to advance to the next round.

The following Canadians were among the 102 players that finished inside the cut of 298 (+10) at the Mission Hills Country Club:

SooBin Kim (Coquitlam, B.C.) – 284 (71-70-66-77)

Augusta James (Bath, Ont.) – 287 (74-71-72-70)

Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City, Que.) – 288 (75-70-71-72)

Nicole Zhang (Calgary) – 290 (71-73-72-74)

Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ont.) – 292 (80-73-71-68)

Kirby Dreher (Fort St. John, B.C.) – 293 (73-72-74-74)

Brittany Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.) – 296 (74-76-70-76)

Augusta James, Team Canada member and reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, was pleased with her play during the first four rounds of qualifying.

“I played pretty well,” said James, who is entering her senior year at N.C. State. “I felt like I left a few shots out there which is good because it gives me some things to work on before World Am next week, my college tournaments and then Stage II.”

James, who was recently selected as one of three women to represent Canada at the World Amateur, gives the National Team program credit for helping her succeed.

“It’s been a phenomenal experience,” James said of her time with Team Canada. “I’ve been with the program for four years and the financial support and extensive coaching, IST staff and everything it’s been an incredible experience and I couldn’t be where I am today without it. They take you to so many events that you gain so much knowledge and experience from that it’s priceless.”

Medalist honours were awarded to Burbank Calif. native, Emily Tubert, who finished with a five stroke lead at 12-under par.

The second stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament will commence at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., from Sept. 30 – Oct. 4. A minimum of the top 80 and ties from Stage II will advance into the Final Qualifying Tournament.

Stage III of LPGA Q-School will be contested over 90 holes Dec. 3-7, at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. Top finishers in the final stage will earn 2015 LPGA membership.

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NANJING, China – Canada’s duo of Maddie Szeryk and Tony Gil have placed 16^th in the mixed team event at the Summer Youth Olympics at the Zhongshan International Golf Club.

Gil, a 16-year-old Vaughan, Ont. native, had five birdies and five bogeys for an eventful final round in Nanjing. The Team Canada Development Squad member finished with an even par 72.

Szeryk, a dual-citizen of Canada and the U.S., came out firing with two early birdies on the opening holes but struggled after that, posting three consecutive bogeys. The soon-to-be Texas A&M freshman finished with a 2-over 74.

Together, the Canadian duo finished at 1-over par after three rounds of mixed team play. They opened with a 3-under 69 in better ball format, followed by a 2-over 74 in foursomes (alternate shot) and then a 2-over 146 (72-74) in combined score.

Team Coach, Robert Ratcliffe, is pleased overall with their results and the event.

“It was a very strong event, with a very strong field,” said Ratcliffe, also Team Canada’s Lead Development Squad coach. “We will be going back to the drawing board after this to see where we can improve.”

Team Sweden ended up winning the gold, posting an impressive 16-under (65-67-140) for the tournament. The Swedes were represented by Marcus Kinhult, the no.6 ranked male amateur in the world and Linnea Strom, the no. 8 ranked female amateur – a tough squad to catch. Korea ended up winning the silver, and Italy took home the bronze.

The individual male and female competitions that took place earlier in the Youth Olympics saw Szeryk place T15 and Gil T22.

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