Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Oct. 21) – Canada maintained its first-day lead by finishing at 6-under-par 282 after the second round of the 2004 Women's World Amateur Team Championship at Rio Mar Country Club.

Canada's Lindsay Knowlton (facing) receives a hug from teammate Laura Matthews.  (John Mummert/USGA).

The 282 total ties the second-lowest 36-hole score in the championship's history. Canada leads Sweden, at 3-under-par 285, by three strokes and third-place USA (286) by four strokes. All of those teams played the Ocean Course.

Laura Matthews, who was a member of the winning team at the 2003 Copa de las Americas at Rio Mar, led the Canadians with a 2-under-par 70. Matthews is the assistant women's golf coach at her alma mater, the University of Georgia in the USA. Lindsay Knowlton, a senior at Ohio State University, added a 3-over 75.

“We're very comfortable with the lead,” said Canadian captain Jackie Little. “All of these players are used to winning.”

The start of play was delayed more than two hours because of morning lightning and necessary course preparations after an evening of rain on Wednesday. Teams were re-paired and play went off both the first and 10th tees of both courses. Winds picked up during the day and the conditions were wet and often sloppy.

“It was a difficult day, a day of patience,” Little added. “Our players hung in there.”

Sweden, with 2004 NCAA Division I runner-up Karin Sjodin shooting 2-under-par 70 and 2004 Ladies British Amateur champion Louise Stahle shooting 1-under 71, charged into second place after starting the day in a tie for fifth. Sjodin (Oklahoma State) and Stahle (Arizona State) play college golf in the USA.

Sweden's Karin Sjodin blasts from a bunker as her team moved into second place.  (John Mummert/USGA)

“We had a good day,” said Swedish captain Birgitta Ljung. “On the back nine, the birdies kept rolling in.”

Sjodin made four birdies on her incoming nine and Stahle added three.

The USA, which dropped one place to third, admitted to a frustrating day particularly on the greens, in shooting 3-over-par 147 for the day. Reigning U.S. Women's Amateur champion Jane Park from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., shot 71 and Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., posted a 76.

“We have to go out there and make some putts,” said Park. “We are struggling with our putting. I hit the ball like a pro but couldn't putt.”

Trailing Canada by seven strokes in a tie for fourth were Spain and Colombia at 289. Korea stood in sixth at 290, followed by Japan in seventh at 294. Chinese Taipei, Belgium and the Russian Federation were tied for eighth at 295. Defending champion Australia was tied for 22nd position at 306. Russia has not finished lower than 29th in two previous appearances in this championship.

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 100 countries, the Women's World Amateur Team Championship is a biennial international amateur competition, which is rotated among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, American and European-African. This year the event is hosted by the Puerto Rico Golf Association. The teams play for the Espirito Santo Trophy.

Each team, which has two or three players, 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.

Story written by Pete Kowalski, manager of media relations for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at pkowalski@usga.org.

Rio Grande, Puerto Rico – Results of Thursday's (Oct. 21) second round of the Women's World Amateur Team Championship, played at Rio Mar Country Club (Ocean Course=1: par 36-36—72, 6,159 yards, 5,629 meters; River Course=2: par 36-36—72, 5,956 yards, 5,444 meters):