Buenos Aires, Argentina (29 October) – Denmark, with a 3-under-par 141, made a forceful move in steady, day-long rain Friday to gain the lead in the weather-suspended second round of the 2010 World Amateur Team Championship.
The Danes were among the 35 of the 69 teams in the field to complete play. They hold a lead over two teams that did not finish the second round: Canada at five under par through three holes and first-day leader France at three under par through nine holes. The Danes’ 36-hole total is 280.
The second round was suspended twice and then called for the day because of dangerous weather and course conditions. It will resume at 9 a.m. Saturday. Following completion of the round and a re-draw based on scores, the third round will begin in the mid-to-late afternoon. The leading teams will play at Buenos Aires Golf Club in the third round and the lower half will play at Olivos Golf Club. The championship is now reduced to 54 holes and will conclude on Sunday.
Playing at Buenos Aires Golf Club, the Danes, who were tied for third place after the first round, were buoyed by another strong round from Joachim Hansen, the 2010 Finnish Amateur champion, who recently shot 59 in Denmark. His second-round 69 gave him a 36-hole total of 7-under-par 136. Teammate Lucas Bjerregaard, the 2010 European Amateur winner, shot even-par 72.
“It was very difficult out there,” Hansen said. “But, my swing was working and I hit it very well off the tee. These weather conditions are better than Denmark, where it’s colder. “
Sweden, in fourth, and England, tied for fifth, did not finish the second round either. They stood at two under and one under, respectively, through six holes.
Rain was constant all afternoon and temperatures were in the lows 60s with little wind. Total rainfall was approximately one inch.
Danish captain Torben Nyehuus credited his team’s preparation for their good play.
“Our original goal was to finish in the five top positions,” Nyehuus said. “Our players have been playing very well this year on tough courses and for that reason, I think we can do it. We play seven months a year in Denmark, so the rest of the time we have to play in places like Spain, Paris, Florida and Turkey. In the winter, at home, we work very hard on the technical and physical part of our game at indoor places.”
The USA jumped to a tie for fifth position at 1-under-par 285 on the scores of David Chung (70) and Peter Uihlein (72), who were 2010 U.S. Amateur finalists. They were followed by New Zealand at even par 286.
For complete results, visit www.internationalgolffederation.org and click on the Golfstat icon.
Conducted by the International Golf Federation, which comprises national governing bodies of golf in more than 120 countries, the World Amateur Team Championship is a biennial international amateur competition, which is rotated among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, Americas and Europe-Africa. This year the event is hosted by the Asociación Argentina de Golf. The teams play for the Eisenhower Trophy.
Each team has two or three players and plays 18 holes of stroke play for four days. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores by players from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72 holes) total is the team’s score for the championship.
ABOUT THE
Men's World Amateur Team
In 1958 the United States Golf Association
asked The R&A to join them in sponsoring
a world-wide amateur golf team event to
be played biennially in non-Walker Cup
years. Between 35 and 40 nations were
represented at the first meeting and
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
presented the trophy which bears his
name. The committee of the event was to
be known as the World Amateur Golf
Council and is now the International Golf
Federation. Teams of four players from
each country competed over 72 holes with
the leading three scores from each round
to count. The first competition was held
between 29 nations at St Andrews, with
Australia beating the United States in a
play-off. In 2002 the format changed to
teams of three with the two leading
scores to count.
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