Monet Chun and Lauren Kim are T5 at 3-under and one-shot back of the leaders
Spain, bolstered by two of the top-5 ranked amateurs in the world, holds a one-stroke lead over Canada following Wednesday’s opening round of the 30th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio, No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®, posted a 4-under-par 68 and 2023 European Ladies’ Amateur champion Julia Lopez Ramirez (No. 5) added a 69 to position Spain at 7-under-par 137, one head of the Canadians and two in front of Ireland.
Fernandez Garcia-Poggio’s round included six birdies against two bogeys. Lopez Ramirez, who was one of two amateurs to make the 36-hole cut in the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, totaled four birdies and a bogey, while teammate Carla Bernat Escuder posted a non-counting 70.
Spain, which finished fifth last year in France after a heartbreaking double-bogey from Fernandez Garcia-Poggio on the 72nd hole to fall out of the lead, is seeking its first WWATC medal since claiming silver in 2008 in Australia.
Canada rode a pair of 3-under 68s in the afternoon from 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur runner-up Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont. and 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. to post a 6-under total of 138. Chun, who became the first Canadian to make the cut at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April, tallied six birdies and three bogeys. Teammate Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. finished the day at 2-over 74.
“There’s a lot of golf to play but a good start is always helpful,” said Chun, a senior at the University of Michigan. “I’m hitting it pretty consistent. Some of the putts went in so that really helped with the birdies, but hopefully tomorrow I’ll make less bogeys and put in a good round.”
Ireland’s Sara Byrne, India’s Avani Prashanth and Japan’s Mamika Shinchi matched Fernandez Garcia-Poggio’s 4-under 68 for the low rounds of the day. Ireland used a combination of Byrne’s 68 and a 71 from Beth Coulter to post a 5-under 139 and hold solo third place.
Germany, India and the Republic of Korea share fourth place at 140, three strokes behind Spain.
Playing in its sixth WWATC, India had its best start in competition history on the strength of Prashanth’s 68 and an even-par 72 from Mannat Brar.
Germany was led by a bogey-free, 3-under 69 from Chiara Horder, the team’s playing captain who is a junior at Texas Tech University, and a 71 from Celina Sattelkau.
The host nation United Arab Emirates, which is competing in its first WWATC, is in 31st place (6-over 150) after the opening round.
Notable:
Defending champion Sweden posted a 2-under 142 and sits tied for 10th. All three Swedes recorded 71’s, including world No. 1 Ingrid Lindblad. Sweden is vying to win consecutive Espirito Santo trophies for the first time in team history.
The United States of America, which finished second a year ago in France, also posted an opening-round total of 142 including a 2-under 70 from Rachel Kuehn.
Morocco’s Sofia Cherif Essakali, 14, is the youngest player in the field. She recorded a 2-under 70 to position Morocco in a tie for 17th. Last Feburary, she was the only amateur to make the 36-hole cut in the Lalla Meryem Cup, becoming one of the youngest players to achieve that feat in a Ladies European Tour event.
Avani Prashanth’s bogey-free 68 was the lowest round by a player from India in WWATC history.
Sixteen of the 36 teams finished under par on Day 1.
A total of 48 players in the field competed in the 2022 WWATC. Belgium, Chinese Taipei, England, Morocco and New Zealand are fielding the same three players as last year.
Temperatures at Abu Dhabi Golf Club reached 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) with a heat index of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) during Round 1.
What’s Next:
Round 2 begins Thursday at 6:30 a.m. with a two-tee start on the National Course.
Results from Wednesday’s first round of the 2023 Women’s World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
1 Spain – 137
Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio – 68
Julia Lopez Ramirez – 69
Carla Bernat Escuder – 70
2 Canada – 138
Monet Chun – 69
Lauren Kim – 69
Katie Cranston – 74
3 Ireland – 139
Sara Byrne – 68
Beth Coulter – 71
Aine Donegan – 74
T4 India – 140
Avani Prashanth – 68
Mannat Brar – 72
Nishna Patel – 75
T4 Republic of Korea – 140
Kyorim Seo – 69
Hyosong Lee – 71
Minsol Kim – 73
T4 Germany – 140
Chiara Horder – 69
Celina Sattelkau – 71
Helen Briem – 72
T7 Australia – 141
Justice Bosio – 69
Maddison Hinson-Tolchard – 72
Caitlin Peirce – 77
T7 Scotland – 141
Hannah Darling – 70
Carmen Griffiths – 71
Lorna McClymont – 73
T7 Thailand – 141
Navaporn Soontreeyapas – 69
Suvichaya Vinijchaitham – 72
Eila Galitsky – 72
T10 Sweden – 142
Kajsa Arwefjall – 71
Meja Ortengren – 71
Ingrid Lindblad – 71
T10 United States of America – 142
Rachel Kuehn – 70
Megan Schofill – 72
Anna Davis – 73
T10 Colombia – 142
Ana Sofía Murcia – 71
Cristina Ochoa – 71
María Hoyos – 71
T13 Italy – 143
Natalia Aparicio – 70
Francesca Fiorellini – 73
Matilde Partele – 75
T13 Philippines – 143
Junia Louise Gabasa – 69
Rianne Malixi – 74
Grace Pauline Quintanilla – 80
T13 Czechia – 143
Patricie Mackova – 71
Denisa Vodickova – 72
Veronika Kedronova – 73
T13 Norway – 143
Mia Lussand – 70
Silje Torvund Ohma – 73
Anna Krekling – 74
T17 Belgium – 144
Sophie Bert – 71
Savannah De Bock – 73
Celine Manche – 73
T17 Mexico – 144
Vania Alicia Simont – 71
Cory Lopez – 73
Lauren Olivares – 75
T17 Morocco – 144
Sofia Cherif Essakali – 70
Malak Bouraeda – 74
Rim Imni – 80
T17 Chinese Taipei – 144
Hsin Chun Liao – 72
Huai-Chieu Hsu – 72
Ting-Hsuan Huang – 76
T17 England – 144
Lottie Woad – 72
Charlotte Heath – 72
Caley McGinty – 77
T17 Switzerland – 144
Caroline Sturdza – 71
Victoria Levy – 73
Yana Beeli – 77
T23 Hong Kong, China – 145
Arianna Lau – 71
Sophie Han – 74
Hoi Ki Lau – 79
T23 Japan – 145
Mamika Shinchi – 68
Mizuki Hashimoto – 77
Miku Ueta – 78
T23 Singapore – 145
Inez Ng – 72
Aloysa Atienza – 73
Xingtong Chen – 75
26 France – 146
Adela Cernousek – 72
Louise Uma Landgraf – 74
Vairana Heck – 75
27 Netherlands – 147
Anne den Dunnen – 72
Rosanna Boere – 75
Lynn van der Sluijs – 77
T28 Finland – 148
Henni Mustonen – 73
Katri Bakker – 75
Emilia Vaisto – 75
T28 New Zealand – 148
Vivian Lu – 74
Eunseo Choi – 74
Fiona Xu – 74
30 South Africa – 149
Caitlyn Macnab – 73
Megan Streicher – 76
Kajal Mistry – 76
31 United Arab Emirates – 150
Lara El Chaib – 74
Intissar Rich – 76
Jamie Camero – 78
T32 Pakistan – 151
Humna Amjad – 73
Parkha Ijaz – 78
Rimsha Ijaz – 84
T32 Denmark – 151
Cecilie Leth-Nissen – 75
Olivia Grønborg – 76
Natacha Host Husted – 78
34 People’s Republic of China – 152
Xinyu Cao – 73
Zixin Ni – 79
Tong An – 80
35 Chile – 153
Carolina Alcaino – 75
Amelia Ruiz – 78
Michelle Melandri – 78
36 Bolivia – 162
Connie Quiroga – 80
Victoria Suarez – 82
Florencia Cuellar Gutierrez – 87