NUMBER OF TEAMS – A total of 42 teams, second-most in the history of the championship, will be participating in South Africa. Only in Puerto Rico in 2004 were there more teams (48).

FIRST TIME PARTICIPANTS – A total of nine teams, six from the continent of Africa, will be participating in the World Amateur Team Championships for the first time in 2006. Those countries are: Bosnia and Herzegovina (men only), Botswana (men only), Bulgaria (men only), Gabon, Honduras (men only), Mauritius (men only), Morocco, Namibia (men only), and Zambia (women only).

CURTIS CUP REUNION -- Two members of the USA team – Amanda Blumenherst and Jennie Lee – and five members of the Great Britain and Ireland team – Melissa Reid, Claire Coughlin, Martina Gillen, Breanna Loucks and Tricia Mangan – will be representing their respective countries.

YOUNGSTERS -- Jessica Korda, of the Czech Republic, is 13 years old and the daughter of international tennis great Petr Korda. She is enrolled at the Pendleton School in Bradenton, Fla. USA.  Two of the three members of the Puerto Rico team are also 13 -- Patricia Garcia of Guayanbo, and Kyle Roigis of San Juan. Monifa Sealy, of Glencoe, Trinidad and Tobago, is also 13. She has won the viola competition in the annual music festival twice. These players tie for the youngest in the championship’s history with Mary Navarro of Spain in 1984.

Members of the Italtian team sign autographs for young spectators after the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Women's World Amateur Team Championship in Stellenbosch, South Africa. (USGA/Carl Fourie)

COLLEGE PLAYERS -- The top finishers at the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships in the USA included many players who will be participating in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championships. Of the top 10 finishers, six are representing their countries in South Africa, as well as 13 of the top 35.  The top finishers were individual champion Dewi Schreefel of the Netherlands (University of Southern California); 2nd -- Jennie Lee of the USA (Duke University); T4th -- Sandra Gal of Germany (University of Florida); T4th -- Eileen Vargas of Colombia (Pepperdine University); T6th -- Azahara Munoz of Spain (Arizona State University); and T9th – Amanda Blumenherst of the USA (Duke University). Duke University won the team title.

Manuela Tarazona, 20, of Bahia Blanca, Argentina, attends Jacksonville State University in Alabama in the USA.

Mariana de Biase, 23, of Rio de Janiero, Brazil, was a four-time All-American at Rollins College in Florida of the USA. Her team won four consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II championships and she was the individual winner in 2006 by making two consecutive birdies on her final two holes.

Kira Meixner, 20, of Richmond, BC, Canada, plays at Kent State in Ohio of the USA. She placed T12th at the 2006 U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships.

Alejandra Shaw, 21, of Santiago, Chile, is a senior at Campbell University in North Carolina in the USA. She won the Atlantic Sun Conference championship in 2006.

Eileen Vargas, 21, of Ibague, Colombia, plays at Pepperdine University in California in the USA. She finished T4th at the 2006 NCAA Championships.

Carolina Llano, 21, of Bogota, Colombia, also plays at Pepperdine. She has won four collegiate tournaments and is a three-time conference Player of the Year.

Sandra Gal, 21, of Leichlingen, Germany, plays at the University of Florida in the USA.

Erina Hara, 18, of Tokyo, Japan, plays at Tohuku Fukushi University. She won the 2006 Japan Women’s Collegiate Championship and was the Japanese Junior Champion in 2004 and 2005.

Tanya Dergal, 22, of Durango, Mexico, plays at the University of Southern California in the USA. This is her fourth Espirito Santo competition.

Violeta Retamoza, 23, of Aguascalientes, Mexico, just finished her degree in finance and international business at the University of Tennessee in the USA. She is a two-time All-American. She teamed with LPGA star Lorena Ochoa, in 2001, to win the Spirit International.

Liliana Alvarez, 22, of Durango, Mexico, also just graduated from Northwestern University near Chicago in the USA, where she played college golf.

Christel Boeljon, 19, of Bewerwijk, Netherlands, is a sophomore at Purdue University in Indiana, USA. She scored a hole-in-one during her winning performance at the 2006 Netherlands National Stroke Play Championship.

Dewi-Claire Schreefel, 20, of Alkmaar, Netherlands, is the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association individual champion. She is a two-time All-America choice and is playing in her four Espirito Santo competiton.

Natasha Krishna, 18, Wellington, New Zealand, is a first-year student at the University of Nevada in the USA.

Lene Krog, 19, of Lier, Norway, plays for East Carolina University in South Carolina in the USA.

Laura Diaz, 22, of Puerto Rico, just graduated from East Tennessee State University in the USA with a degree in mass communications and public relations. She is playing in her third Espirito Santo.

Belen Mozo, 18, of Cadiz, Spain, plays college golf at the University of Southern California in the USA. She won the 2006 European Amateur, the British Girls and the British Amateur.

Azahara Munoz, 18, of Malaga, Spain, plays at Arizona State University in the USA. She was an All-American in 2006 and finished T6th at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship.

Naela El Attar of Egypt admires the Espirito Santo Trophy during the opening ceremony of the 2006 Women's World Amateur Team Championship in Stellenbosch, South Africa. (USGA/Carl Fourie)

Anna Nordquist, 19, of Eskilstuna, Sweden, will be a first-year player at Arizona State University in the USA. She is a two-time Swedish Junior Player of the Year. She scored a hole in one at the Scandinavian TPC, hosted by Annika Sorenstam, in 2005 in front of thousands of spectators.

Caroline Westrup, 20, of Ahus, Sweden, plays her collegiate golf at Florida State University. She was a first-team All-American in 2006 and won the European Championship as well.

Kwan-Chi Lu, 21, of Taipei, is a senior at Taipei Physical Education College, where she plays golf.

Veronica Felibert, 21, of Caracas, Venezuela, plays her collegiate golf at the University of Southern California in the USA.

Stephanie Gelleni, 20, of Caracas, Venezuela, plays at Pepperdine University in California of the USA. She has won three consecutive Venezuelan National Championships.

Amanda Blumenherst, 19, of Scottsdale, Ariz. USA, was the national Freshman of the Year in 2006 and an All-American at Duke University in North Carolina. Duke won the national team championship in 2006. She represented the USA in the Curtis Cup Match.

Jennie Lee, 19, of Henderson, Nev. USA, was also a member of the Duke University national champion team and the USA Curtis Cup squad in 2006. At the national championship, she finished second individually and was an All-American selection. She was born in Korea.

COUNTRY BY COUNTRY STORYLINES

ARGENTINA

Maria Olivero, 32, of Buenos Aires, is playing in her ninth Espirito Santo competition. She has a two-year-old daughter and says: ‘I became a house wife. I have to learn how to cook, to wash and repair clothes and to make my little daughter’s clothes. I can’t recognize myself.’

BRAZIL

Cristina Baldi, 42, of Gramado, is playing in her seventh Women’s World Amateur.

ENGLAND

Melissa Reid, 19, of Derby, England, played in the 2006 Curtis Cup Match against the USA.

Kerry Smith, 34, of Croydon, England, won the 2004 English Championship. She works as a chef.

FINLAND

Captain Nina Johnson of Esbo, has brought her 3-year-old daughter along as a team mascot. She loves to cook and has catered a party for 120 people.

FRANCE

Melodie Bourdy is the sister of Gregory Bourdy, who represented France in the 2002 WATC, when they finished second to the USA. Gregory won the Telkcom PGA in South Africa in 2006.

ICELAND

Anna Lisa Johannsdottir, 22, of Reykjavik, is psychology major at Richmond University in London. She spent the summer as a caretaker of autistic children and plans to travel to Mozambique next summer to work with homeless children because of her interest in cross-cultural psychology.

IRELAND

Claire Coughlin, 26, of Cork, is a gym instructor and lifeguard at leisure center. She represented Great Britain and Ireland at the 2006 Curtis Cup Match.

Tricia Mangan, 32, of County Clare, is also a physical education teacher. A member of the 2006 GB&I Curtis Cup squad, she is employed at Limerick Prison.

ITALY

Laura Benazzo of Torino is serving for her eighth time as the captain of the Italian team.

JAPAN

Mika Miyazato, 16, of Tokyo is a high school student. She became the youngest champion in the history of the Japanese Women’s Amateur at 14, in 2004.

Mayumi Satofuka is serving as the team captain for the seventh time.

NETHERLANDS

Marjet Van der Graff, 24, of Ryswijk, just graduated from University this year with a degree in event management. Although she’ll be concentrating on her golf, she might want to keep her eyes and ears open for how things operate from ‘outside the ropes’ as well.

SOUTH AFRICA

Sandra Winter is a self-employed physiotherapist, who will serve in a dual role as captain and physio. She played for South Africa in 2004.

SWEDEN

Bjorn Engstrom, who has previously been physician for Swedish National Teams, is the captain.

SWITZERLAND

Sheila Gut-Lee, 32, of Zurich, is playing in her fourth World Amateur. She is a project manager in sport sponsorships for UBS.

Caroline Rominger, 23, of Pontresina, is playing in her first Espirito Santo but her brother, Martin, played for Switzerland in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

CHINESE TAIPEI

Ya-Ni Tseng, 17, of Tapei, has an enviable feather in her golfing career. At age 15, she defeated Michelle Wie to win the 2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship.

USA

Kimberly Kim, 15, of Arizona, won the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2006 at age 14, making her the youngest champion in the 111-year history of the event. She also made the 36-hole cut at the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open. She was also the runner-up at the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links championship.

ZAMBIA

Hilda Edwards, 50, of Lusaka, began playing golf at age 22. She is the first woman of color to represent Zambia in golf competitions and she was awarded the Meritorious Medal by the head of state for her contributions to sport in 2005. And, if your computer has trouble, you can call her because she works as an end user consultant and help desk manager in an IT department,

Melissa Nawa, 14, of Lusaka, has only been playing golf for three years. She finished second in the Zambia Ladies Open in 2006. At the All Africa Ladies Championship, she received the ‘Baby Elephant’ Trophy as the best junior player.