SINGAPORE – Propelled by Christiaan Maas’ outstanding 22-under four-round total of 266, South Africa recorded a historic World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) victory on Ot 11, when their men’s team lifted the Eisenhower Trophy for the first time.
Only the two best individual results from each team’s three golfers counted towards the team score for each day.
At Tanah Merah Country Club’s Tampines Course, 22-year-old Maas was near unstoppable with one eagle, 23 birdies and three bogeys over four rounds, as he teamed up with fellow University of Texas undergraduate Daniel Bennett and Charl Barnard to deliver a 29-under-par 547 for a convincing eight-shot victory over Australia.
Maas, who is ranked sixth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was the only player across the 108 golfers from 36 teams to shoot in the 60s for all four rounds.
He said: “I’m relieved and happy that I kept my head down today and didn’t back off. It’s a long week, and building a lead comes with a lot of pressure. You don’t want to mess it up.
“In team golf, momentum can shift quickly. A few birdies here and there can turn things around, so I just tried to stay focused and execute my shots.”
After making up a two-shot deficit on first-round leaders Mexico, there was no stopping South Africa, who had a 11-shot advantage heading into the final round.
Hailing the breakthrough victory, South Africa captain Gavin Groves said: “The guys played unbelievable golf all week. It’s been such a great experience being here with the hospitality, the people, the staff, everything has been incredible. And, of course, the trophy is the cherry on top.
“This win has been a long time coming. There have been a lot of near misses and many very talented teams who fell just short. But we’ve seen the steady upward trend over the years, and this victory is the result of that continued progress.”
Similarly, Singapore also celebrated a milestone finish as they tied for 18th alongside Norway on a four-under 572 to better the 21st position they achieved in Paris in 2022.
The hosts’ trio of Hiroshi Tai, Brayden Lee and Troy Storm all contributed to the team score, with 18-year-old Lee breaking par for the first time in the tournament with a three-under-par 69 in the final round.
He said: “The last round was definitely the best round. I just played really clean golf out there. I think I hit about 17 greens today, so my shots were on point. The first three days were pretty similar, even though the scores were a little bit different. I think it was just not up to par. I didn’t really play golf at all out there then.
“It’s my first World Amateur Team Championships, so this is an event to cherish, just to take away experiences and lessons. Hopefully, it will help me with the upcoming SEA Games.”
Singapore Golf Association national coach Murray Smit was pleased to see months of preparation pay off with a show of belief and resilience over a fortnight. The
women’s team of Chen Xingtong, Inez Ng and Valencia Chang
also secured their best finish at the WATC with a tied-15th result last week.
He said: “I’m just really proud of all three players. They all chipped in at various points… and that’s another milestone achievement and something we can really build on from here.”
Golf tournamentsGolf playersSingapore sportsSouth AfricaSea Games
