September 18, 2016: The Republic of Korea won its fourth Espirito Santo Trophy by a record-equalling margin with a 72-hole total of 29-under-par 547 at the 27th Women’s World Amateur Team Championships at Mayakoka El Camaleon Golf Club. India finished 31st among 55 teams with an overall score of 26-over through four rounds. The team was represented by Tvesa Malik (T52), Gaurika Bishnoi (T65) and Diksha Dagar (T110) in an international field of 163 players.
India was lying T26 through 54 holes, but slipped five spots in the final round of the team competition. Tvesa played well in the second and fourth rounds, posting scores of 71 and 72 respectively. However, Gaurika Bishnoi, who made scores of 75-75-74 produced an 80 in the final round.
The team format is based on the two best scores and Diksha’s score of 80 meant that India took home a final round score of 8-over 152. Diksha’s best effort was a 76 in the third round.
The other medals were won by Switzerland, in second, at 8-under 568 and Ireland, in third, at 7-under 569.
The Women’s World Amateur Team Championship is a biennial international amateur competition conducted by the International Golf Federation (IGF), which comprises 147 national governing bodies in 141 countries and 22 professional members.
The 28th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship will be played 29 Aug.-1 Sept., 2018 at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland.
In 14 WWATCs, the Koreans have taken seven medals in total: four gold (1996, 2010, 2012 and 2016), two silvers and one bronze.
Teenagers Hye Jin Choi, 17, and Min Ji Park, 16, each shot 5-under-par 67 to post a final-round 134, which is second-best to Australia’s 131 in 2014. The Korean duo and Japan’s Nasa Hatoaka shared the day’s low round.
Korea’s 21-stroke margin of victory over second-place Switzerland tied the championship record set by the USA in Chile in 1998. The 72-hole total (547) is also tied for second-lowest score by a champion. The lowest winning score was 546 by the Republic of Korea in 2010, when they won by 17 strokes.
The nation has finished in the top 10 in 12 of its 14 appearances. The Koreans are tied for fourth in most overall WWATC medals with Sweden and Great Britain and Ireland. Only the USA, with 13, has won more gold medals than the Koreans.
After three rounds, the Koreans held a 14-stroke cushion over Switzerland but, in the fourth round, they kept their low-scoring pace as Choi, the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open low amateur, and Park, the 2016 Australian Women’s Amateur champion, shot 6-under 30 and 4-under 32, respectively, at the par 72, 6,295-yard/5,752-meter Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club.
Although there is no official recognition, Choi led the individual scoring with a 14-under-par total of 274.
Sisters Kim and Morgane Metraux, shot 69 and 72, respectively, for the Swiss, who won their first medal in 23 appearances, with a best finish of tied for fourth in 1988. This marks their fifth top 10 finish.
In a dual that lasted most of the afternoon, Ireland, on the stellar play of Olivia Mehaffey (4-under 68) and World Amateur Golf Ranking No. 1 Leona Maguire (3-under 67), claimed third at 569, edging past Denmark in fourth at 570 and Thailand in fifth at 571.
Ireland also won its first medal in its seventh appearance but it did compete as a part of Great Britain and Ireland from 1966 through 2004. Its best finish previous finish was T-11th in 2010.
The USA, with a pair of 69s from Andrea Lee and Katelyn Dambaugh, finished in sixth at 574, followed by Spain in seventh at 575, Japan in eighth at 576, Canada in ninth at 581 and host Mexico in tenth at 582.
