South Africa Wins Espirito Santo Trophy; 1st Host Nation To Win Since 1980
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| The home country team of South Africa gathers around the Espirito Santo Trophy, the symbol of winning the 2006 Women's World Amateur Team Championship. Pictured are: (L to R): Captain Sandra Winter, Kelli Shean, Ashleigh Simon and Stacy Bregman. The Championship was played at De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs. (Carl Fourie/USGA). |
Stellenbosch, South Africa (21 October) – South Africa withstood a surge by defending champion Sweden and won the 2006 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship on a tiebreaker, becoming the first victorious host nation since 1980.
"It is still amazing to me that we won,” South African captain Sandra Winter said of winning the nation’s Espirito Santo Trophy in 17 appearances. “I thought that after we had a slow start we might have a strong finish and we did.”
Playing at De Zalze Golf Club, Ashleigh Simon, 17, of Johannesburg, and Kelli Shean, 18, of Cape Town, each shot 2-over par 74 for their final day total of 148. Teammate Stacy Bregman, 19, of Standton, shot 75.
Sweden, made up a four-stroke deficit to South Africa, even taking the lead for a brief time. They tied the host nation at 10-under-par for a 72-hole total of 566. 
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Netherlands Rides Luiten's Hot Streak To World Amateur Team Title
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| Team Netherlands celebrates their 2006 World Amateur Team Championship with the Eisenhower Trophy. Pictured in the front are the players (L to R): Tim Sluiter, Joost Luiten and Wil Beseeling. In the back row (L to R) are" captain Gordon Machielson, Dutch Federation executive director Jeroen Stevens and coach Chris van der Velde. The championships were played at De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Clubs in South Africa. (Carl Fourie/USGA) |
Stellenbosch, South Africa (29 October) – Joost Luiten of the Netherlands played his last five holes in six-under-par and finished with a 5-under-par 67 as the Dutch captured the Eisenhower Trophy as the winners of the 2006 World Amateur Team Championship.
With Canada and the Netherlands battling for the top position, 20-year-old Luiten began his run with a birdie on the par-5 14th hole at De Zalze Golf Club. He then holed a sand wedge from 93 yards on the par-4 15th for an eagle and closed with birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th.
With Luiten’s 67 and a 2-under-par 70 from individual low scorer Wil Besseling, the Netherlands won by two strokes over second-place Canada and by three over third-place USA at 22-under-par 554. Their winning total is the lowest since the two counting scores format was instituted in 2002.
"His nickname is Pyromaniac and he went on fire,” said Dutch coach Chris van der Velde of Luiten. |
