Ireland taking on the world with confidence
The Irish Ladies Team of Paula Grant, Olivia Mehaffey and Annabel Wilson in high spirits after their final practice round at the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (28/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman
Ireland are confident they can build on their breakthrough bronze medal performance in the World Amateur Team Championship two years ago and made the podium again in the Espirito Santo Trophy at Carton House this week.
While they face stiff competition from the best female amateurs on the planet, Olivia Mehaffey, Paula Grant and Annabel Wilson are not shy away from medal talk as Ireland hosts the event for the first time at the Montgomerie and O’Meara Courses in Maynooth.
Team captain Danielle McVeigh played in the event in Australia in 2008 and Argentina in 2010 and she believes they have the talent to take on the likes of defending champions South Korea or the United States, who boast the top three players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
"They've been at this tournament before so I'm really telling them nothing they don't know already," McVeigh said.
"It's more about removing all of the obstacles and hopefully making their life as easy as possible so they can literally just go and play golf."
Grant, 24, played in Japan four years ago while 17-year old Wilson and 20-year old Mehaffey won bronze alongside Leona Maguire, now a professional, in Mexico two years ago.
And all three believe they have improved vastly since they last played in the event.
"When I played the last worlds, I had just started university so there was a lot of parts of my game that I wasn't really happy with," Mehaffey said. "I'd say I'm probably hitting it 20 yards further. I'm striking it better. I feel like since the world's two years ago I'm a completely different player. I think I've really moved my game along."
Asked if Ireland were ready to win, McVeigh said: "That's why we're here."
"I think our preparation has been brilliant," Wilson said. "During the winter we came down and played both courses three or four times whereas other teams haven't.
"They're just coming here this week haven't seen the course so that's a big advantage. Also, we've got our coaches that have been here the days we've been here giving us tips and helping us prepare the best that we can for this week."
South Korea will be going for their fourth win in five editions since 2010 with Seo Yun Kwon, Yae Eun Hong and Ayean Cho flying the flag for the holders.
The USA is on a mission in Maynooth with the top three players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking all determined to bring home the trophy for the first time in 20 years.
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But team captain Stasia Collins insists they are taking nothing for granted despite the presence of world No 1 Jennifer Kupcho, No 2 Lila Vu and No 3 Kristen Gillman, the current US Amateur champion.
Drawn with hosts Ireland and holders South Korea for the first two rounds— they go off in the first three threeballs on the Montgomerie Course from 7:45 am today — Collins insists they've got their work cut out.
“In these international competitions, it’s hard because there are teams that we’re not familiar with,” the American captain said. "A lot of the Asian teams don’t play in the events that go into the WAGR ranking.
"Although we are thrilled with the way that we’re playing, you just never know so we’ve got to go out there every day and do our best.
"We don’t have a federation or government-sponsored golf, so these girls and their families have all done it on their own where they haven’t had help from the United States government to do it which I think is a big difference from some of the other countries out there."
All three were members of the USA team that trounced Great Britain and Ireland by a record-breaking 17-3 margin at Quaker Ridge in June.
But while respect the home team, which includes GB&I Curtis Cup players Mehaffey and Grant, their mission is clear.
"Bring it home," said world No 1 Kupcho (21). "I think if we go out there and hit every shot with confidence and just play our game I think we’ll have a good shot at bringing the trophy home."
Women’s World Amateur Team Championships, Espirito Santo Trophy, Carton House
Tee-times, First tee
Montgomerie Course
- 7:45 Olivia Mehaffey (Ire), Seo Yun Kwon (Kor), Kristen Gillman (USA);
- 7:56 Paula Grant (Ire), Yae Eun Hong (Kor), Lilia Vu (USA);
- 8:07 Annabel Wilson (Ire), Ayean Cho (Kor), Jennifer Kupcho, (USA);
- 8:18 Rebecca Kay (Aus), Silvia Margarita Garces Escalante (Col), Karen Svanholm Fredgaard (Den);
- 8:29 Grace Kim (Aus), Valentina Giraldo Roys( Col), Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen (Den);
- 8:40 Kirsty Hodgkins (Aus), Maria Camila Serrano Silva (Col), Malene Krolboll Hansen (Den);
- 8:51 Ela Anacona (Arg), Albane Valenzuela (Sui), Julianne Alvarez (NZ);
- 9:02 Valentina Rossi (Arg), Yael Berger (Sui), Amelia Garvey (NZ);
- 9:13 Magdalena Simmermacher (Arg), Elena Moosmann (Sui), Wenyung Keh (NZ);
- 9:35 Natalia Heckova,(Svk), Micaela Farah (Per), Sena Ersoy (Tur);
- 9:46 Katarina Drocarova (Svk), Daniela Ballesteros (Per), Damla Bilgic (Tur);
- 9:57 Anika Bolcikova,(Svk), Josefina Fernandez-Davila (Per), Selin Timur (Tur);
- 10:08 Inja Fric (Slo), Diksha Dagar (Ind), Clara Aveling (Bel);
- 10:19 Vida Obersnel (Slo), Ridhima Dilawari (Ind), Clarisse Louis (Bel);
- 10:30 Lara Jecnik (Slo), Sifat Sagoo (Ind), Elodie Van Dievoet (Bel);
- 10:41 Napabhach Boon-In (Tha), Naomi Ko (Can), Frida Kinhult (Swe);
- 10:52 Tunrada Piddon (Tha), Jaclyn Lee (Can), Beatrice Wallin (Swe);
- 11:03 Rina Tatematsu (Tha), Maddie Szeryk (Can), Linn Grant (Swe);
- 11:25 Bethan Morris (Wal), Katrina Jana Gustafssone (Lat). Sofa Morgan (Chi);
- 11:36 Jordan Ryan (Wal), Marija Luize Jucmane (Lat), Antonia Matte (Chi);
- 11:47 Katherine O'Connor (Wal), Anna Estere Marksa (Lat), Natalia Villavicencio (Chi);
- 11:58 Maria Fernanda Escauriza Stoeckl (Par), Yuri Yoshida (Jpn), Caterina Don (Ita);
- 12:09 Sofia Linette Garcia Peralta (Par), Yuka Yasuda (Jpn), Emilie Alba Paltrinieri (Ita);
- 12:20 Anahi Servin (Par), Yuna Nishimura (Jpn), Alessia Nobilio (Ita);
- 12:31 Callista Chen (Sgp), Priscilla Schmid (Uru), Nicole Polivchak (Pol);
- 12:42 Inez Xin Yi Ng (Sgp), Jimena Marques (Uru), Dominika Gradecka (Pol);
- 12:53 Shannon Tan (Sgp), Sofia Garcia Austt Marques (Uru), Dorota Zalewska (Pol);
- 1:04 Annabell Fuller (Eng), Siti Zulaikhaa Shaari (Mas), Zhen Bontan (Ned);
- 1:15 Hollie Muse (Eng), Geraldine Xiao Xuan Wong (Mas), Romy Meekers (Ned);
- 1:26 Sophie Lamb (Eng), Liyana Azizan Durisic (Mas), Dewi Weber (Ned);
O'Meara Course
- 7:45 Mohan Du (Chn), Cory Lopez (Mex), Leonie Harm (Ger);
- 7:56 Wenbo Liu (Chn), Ana Lizeth Ruiz Laphond (Mex), Sophie Hausmann (Ger);
- 8:07 Ruoning Yin (Chn), Maria Fassi (Mex), Esther Emily Henseleit (Ger);
- 8:18 Paz Marfa Sans (Esp), Kaleigh Telfer (RSA), Tze-Han Lin (TPE);
- 8:29 Elena Hualde Zuniga (Esp), Kajal Mistry (RSA), Kuan-Yu Lin (TPE);
- 8:40 Marta Perez Sanmartin (Esp), Caitlyn MacNab (RSA), Yu Ping Huang (TPE);
- 8:51 Pilar Echeverria (Gua), Leonie Bettel (Aut), Anna Backman (Fin);
- 9:02 Valeria Mendizabal Riepele (Gua), Janika Ruettimann (Aut), Elina Saksa (Fin);
- 9:13 Beatriz Arenas (Gua), Emma Spitz (Aut), Kiira Riihijarvi (Fin);
- 9:35 Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (Fra), Ana Raga (Ven), Hana Ryskova (Cze);
- 9:46 Emma Broze (Fra), Valentina Gilly (Ven), Katerina Vlasinova (Cze);
- 9:57 Agathe Laisne (Fra), Claudia De Antonio (Ven), Sara Kouskova (Cze);
- 10:08 Connie Jaffrey (Sco), Michelle Cheung (HKg), Karoline Stormo (Nor);
- 10:19 Hannah McCook (Sco), Mimi Ho (HKg), Dorthea Charlotte Forbrigd (Nor);
- 10:30 Shannon McWilliam (Sco), Isabella Leung (HKg), Renate Hjelle Grimstad (Nor);
- 10:41 Magdalena Borisova (Bul), Brenda Corrie-Kuehn (Dom), Kenza Ladhari (Tun);
- 10:52 Ivana Simeonova (Bul), Yae Eun Kim(Dom), Hedia Mansouri (Tun);
- 11:03 Stefani Skokanska (Bul), Rachel Kuehn (Dom), Ghozlene Saki (Tun);
- 11:25 Rose Tarpley (Gum), Elvira Rastvortseva (Ukr), Ines Laklalech (Mar);
- 11:36 Nalathai Vongjalorn (Gum), Daria Horokhovska (Ukr), Intissar Rich (Mar);
- 11:47 Rachael Peterson (Gum), Valeriia Sapronova (Ukr), Lina Belmati (Mar);
- 11:58 Ragnhildur Kristinsdottir (Ice), Sofia Barroso Sa (Por, Yudika Ann Rodriguez (Pur);
- 12:09 Saga Traustadottir (Ice), Leonor Bessa (Por), Johany Rivera (Pur);
- 12:20 Helga Kristin Einarsdottir (Ice), Sara Gouveia (Por), Valeria Pacheco Claudio (Pur);
- 12:31 Lauren Grinberg (Bra), Saule Jarasunaite (Ltu) Lea Assaf (Lbn);
- 12:42 Maria Fernanda Lacaz Martins (Bra), Gile Bite Starkute (Ltu), Venessa Richani (Lbn);
- 12:53 Laura Helena de Araujo Caetano (Bra), Sarah Assaf (Lbn).
