Stellenbosch, South Africa (27 October) – With a 5-under-par team total of 139, Canada responded to the major moves of defending champion USA, Mexico and the Netherlands to maintain its place atop the leader board by one stroke after the second round of the 2006 World Amateur Golf Championship.

"It was hard not to notice the board,” Canada captain Doug Roxburgh said. “The golf course was perfect, the weather was perfect and the quality of this tournament means the scores are going to be low. We knew we needed some more good rounds.”

Canada's Andrew Parr shot his second sub-par round as his team maintained their first-place position at the 2006 World Amateur Team Championship in South Africa. (Carl Fourie/USGA)

Richard Scott shot 4-under-par 68 and Andrew Parr added a 1-under 71 for a two-round total of 278 to thwart a push by the 13-time champion team from USA. The defending champions rode a 66 from Chris Kirk and a 70 from Trip Kuehne to move into sole second place at 279.

The Netherlands and Mexico shared third place at 281 and fast-moving Sweden stood in fifth at 282.

"We didn’t have a number in mind,” said Canada’s Scott. “But, when we started to warm up and felt just a little wind, we knew that some of the teams would shoot some good scores.”

Parr concurred with his teammate: “At a world event, you are going to have to shoot under par to maintain a lead or continue to build on it. We know we have to play well. Shooting under par here is not going to hurt you.”

The USA took that low-scoring mentality to heart.

"Chris’ round was a magnificent score and his ball-striking was good and his putter went with it,” said USA captain Reed Mackenzie. “From tee to green, he was excellent.”

Kirk replaced his friend, the injured Webb Simpson on the USA team just eight days ago. In his round, he registered an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys to tie for the low round of the day with Sweden’s Bjorn Akesson and Oscar Floren, and England’s Oliver Fisher.

"I got the call very quickly and very suddenly,” said Kirk, a college All-American at the University of Georgia. “But, my game is in tournament shape. I had a lot of confidence and knew I was going to shoot a good score today so I just let it happen.”

In the most drastic re-positioning of the day, Sweden tied for the lowest single day team score in history with a 12-under-par 132. They rose from a tie for 36th into the top five. The total tied the score shot by the USA in the first round in 2004 in Puerto Rico. (see sidebar)

It was also the lowest score in any second round by four strokes, better than the 136 shot by the USA in 2004.

Trip Kuehne of the USA had the second counting score for the Americans on Day 2. (Carl Fourie/USGA)

In almost perfect scoring conditions, 28 of the top 30 teams all recorded under-par team scores.

In the World Amateur, the team’s two best individual scores count. For rounds three and four, the teams at the top half of the leader board will play Stellenbosch Golf Club on Saturday and De Zalze Golf Club on Sunday. The bottom half teams will play the opposite schedule.

The International Golf Federation was founded in 1958 to encourage the international development of the game and to employ golf as a vehicle to foster friendship and sportsmanship. The IGF is the recognized international federation for golf for the International Olympic Committee and comprises the national governing bodies of golf of more than 100 countries.

For more information and scoring visit www.internationalgolffederation.org and click on the WATC Scoring icon.

Story written by Pete Kowalski, IGF Media Officer. E-mail him with questions or comments at pkowalski@usga.org.

Stellenbosch, South Africa – Results of the second round of the 2006 World Amateur Team Championship, conducted by the International Golf Federation, at

(1) De Zalze Golf Club (par and yardage/meters: 36-36—72, 6,835/6,247) and (2) Stellenbosch Golf Club (par and yardage/meters: 36-36—72, 6,966/6,369):

Current

Pos.    Team                                        Scoring  Rounds        Total Score 

                                                           To Par           1  2 

1    Canada 1                                         -10  F    -5  139  139  278 

2    United States of America 2             -9  F    -8  143  136  279 

T3    Netherlands 1                                -7  F    -4  141  140  281 

T3    Mexico 2                                           -7  F    -6  143  138  281 

5    Sweden 2                                          -6  F    -12  150  132  282 

6    Korea 1                                              -5  F    -7  146  137  283 

T7    France 2                                          -4  F    -2  142  142  284 

T7    Japan 1                                            -4  F    -5  145  139  284 

T7    Ireland 1                                          -4  F    -6  146  138  284 

T7    Austria 2                                          -4  F    -3  143  141  284 

11    Malaysia 2                                       -3  F    -2  143  142  285 

T12    Spain 2                                          -2  F    -3  145  141  286 

T12    New Zealand 2                            -2  F    -6  148  138  286 

T12    Scotland 1                                     -2  F    -2  144  142  286 

T15    England 2                                     -1  F    -6  149  138  287 

T15    Chinese Taipei 2                          -1  F    -4  147  140  287 

T15    Wales 1                                          -1  F    -1  144  143  287 

T15    Germany 2                                     -1  F    -3  146  141  287 

T19    South Africa 2                                 E  F    +1  143  145  288 

T19    Australia 1                                       E  F    -3  147  141  288 

T19    Denmark 1                                      E  F    -1  145  143  288 

T19    Portugal 2                                       E  F    -1  145  143  288 

T23    Italy 1                                                +1  F    -2  147  142  289 

T23    Norway 2                                        +1  F    -1  146  143  289 

T23    Switzerland 2                                 +1  F    -1  146  143  289 

T26    Belgium 2                                       +2  F    -4  150  140  290 

T26    Argentina 1                                    +2  F    -2  148  142  290 

T26    Chile 2                                            +2  F    -1  147  143  290 

T29    India 1                                             +3  F    -1  148  143  291 

T29    Finland 2                                        +3  F    +2  145  146  291 

31    Trinidad and Tobago 1                  +5  F    +2  147  146  293 

T32    Colombia 2                                    +8  F    +4  148  148  296 

T32    Iceland 2                                        +8  F    +1  151  145  296 

34    Czech Republic 2                           +9  F    +1  152  145  297 

T35    Brazil 1                                           +10  F    +8  146  152  298 

T35    Puerto Rico 2                               +10  F    +2  152  146  298 

T37    Russian Federation 1                 +14  F    +9  149  153  302 

T37    Venezuela 1                                   +14  F    +4  154  148  302 

39    Zimbabwe 1                                     +15  F    +12  147  156  303 

T40    Bermuda 2                                     +16  F    +6  154  150  304 

T40    Bolivia 1                                          +16  F    +2  158  146  304 

T40    Philippines 1                                 +16  F    +6  154  150  304 

T40    Pakistan 2                                      +16  F    +4  156  148  304 

T40    Namibia 2                                      +16  F    +11  149  155  304 

T45    Hong Kong, China 2                    +17  F    +8  153  152  305 

T45    Peru 1                                             +17  F    +4  157  148  305 

T45    El Salvador 2                                 +17  F    +12  149  156  305 

48    Guatemala 1                                    +22  F    +7  159  151  310 

T49    Tunisia 1                                        +23  F    +11  156  155  311 

T49    Fiji 2                                                +23  F    +12  155  156  311 

T51    Turkey 1                                          +25  F    +8  161  152  313 

T51    Honduras 2                                   +25  F    +14  155  158  313 

T53    Uruguay 1                                      +26  F    +15  155  159  314 

T53    Ecuador 2                                        +26  F    +9  161  153  314 

T55    Latvia 2                                           +33  F    +12  165  156  321 

T55    Estonia 1                                        +33  F    +14  163  158  321 

T57    Greece 1                                        +35  F    +16  163  160  323 

T57    Egypt 1                                            +35  F    +20  159  164  323 

59    U.S. Virgin Islands 1                          +37  F    +20  161  164  325 

60    Slovakia 1                                         +40  F    +17  167  161  328 

61    Botswana 2                                      +45  F    +24  165  168  333 

T62    Cote d'Ivoire 1                               +50  F    +24  170  168  338 

T62    Saudi Arabia 2                              +50  F    +18  176  162  338 

64    Croatia 2                                           +54  F    +25  173  169  342 

65    United Arab Emirates 1                 +58  F    +28  174  172  346 

66    Bosnia and Herzegovina 1            +65  F    +29  180  173  353 

67    Gabon 1                                            +68  F    +25  187  169  356 

68    Bulgaria 1                                         +78  F    +32  190  176  366 

69    Nigeria 2                                           +88  F    +34  198  178  376 

70    Mauritius 1                                     +106  F    +54  196  198  394