NEAR RECORD NUMBER OF TEAMS – A total of 69 teams are competing in the 27th World Amateur Team Championship, one short of the previous high of 70 from South Africa (2006).

FIRST-TIME PARTICIPANTS – Guam, the Republic of Serbia and the United Republic of Tanzania are making their first appearances in the World Amateur Team Championships. Kenya is participating for only the second time and is making its first appearance since the inaugural championship in Scotland in 1958.

DEFENDING CHAMPION – Scotland is vying to become the first team to win back-to-back Eisenhower Trophies in this competition since the USA won in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

HOST NATION – Argentina is playing in its 25th Eisenhower Trophy competition. The best finish for the Argentine men is fifth place twice, solo in 1958 and tied for fifth in 1972 at Olivos Golf Club in Buenos Aires, the last time the World Amateur was contested in Argentina. The last host nation to win the Eisenhower Trophy was the USA in 1980, the only time that has occurred since the championship began in 1958.

CLOSE TO HOME – Ronnie Damm, the golf course superintendent at Olivos Golf Club, played in the World Amateur Team Championship for Argentina in New Zealand in 1990.

TOP 10 FROM 2008 – Three teams that finished in the top 10 in 2008 have at least two players returning for the 2010 championship. The third-place finisher from 2008, Sweden, has Jesper Kennegard and Henrik Norlander back. Italy, which tied for fourth in 2008, returns Andrea Pavan and Nino Bertasio. The host Argentines, who tied for ninth in 2008, has Jorge Fernandez-Valdes and Emiliano Grillo as returners.

SAME TEAM FROM 2008 – Pakistan is the only nation to field the same team as in 2008. Muhammad Safdar Khan, Muhammad Ali Hai and Hamaz Taimur Amin finished 47th in 2008.

SAME COURSES, DIFFERENT CHAMPIONSHIP – In January of 2010, the Copa de las Americas, a team event for nations in the Americas region, was played at Olivos Golf Club and Buenos Aires Golf Club. The United States of America won the overall and women’s championships and finished second in the men’s competition. Peter Uihlein, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was a member of the men’s team. Argentina won the men’s event by five strokes over the USA with two members also on the 2010 World Amateur team – Grillo and Tomas Cocha. Grillo was the lowest individual scorer in the men’s event at 279, including a 64 in the third round at Buenos Aires Golf Club, which is the lowest score in the four Copa de las Americas competitions.

COLLEGE ALL-AMERICANS – Four players who were named to the 2010 College Golf Coaches Association first-team  All-America squad are playing in Argentina: Scott Langley (USA for the University of Illinois and the 2010 Arnold Palmer Award winner as the NCAA Division I Men’s individual champion), Andrea Pavan (Italy for Texas A&M University), Peter Uihlein (USA for Oklahoma State University) and Eugene Wong (Canada for the University of Oregon and the 2010 Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the Division I player of the year).  Pavan was a member of Texas A&M’s NCAA Championship team in 2009. Norlander (Sweden for Augusta State University, which won the 2010 NCAA Division I Team Championship) was a second-team selection. David Chung (USA for Stanford University), Dylan Frittelli (South Africa for the University of Texas) and Kennegard (Sweden for Arizona State University) were named to the third team. Espen Kofstad (Norway for the University of Denver) was an honorable mention selection.

YOUNGEST – At 15 years old, Gonzalo Leon of Ecuador is believed to be the youngest player, although not all biographical forms have been returned.  Jose Hernandez of the Dominican Republic is also 15 but turns 16 next month.  At 49, Guam’s playing captain Lon Lindsey, is believed to be the oldest player. He won the Marianas Invitational seven times between 1979-1994.  

2009 ARGENTINE AMATEUR FINALISTS RETURN – The 2009 Argentine Amateur was played at Buenos Aires Golf Club and the two finalists are playing for their countries at the World Amateur. Romain Wattel of France defeated Ross Kellett of Scotland, 7 and 5, in the final on Nov. 22, 2009.

Storylines By Country

AUSTRALIA

Bryden MacPherson is a sophomore at the University of Georgia. He was the 2009 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2010. He made an 80-foot eagle putt while playing in the final group of an Australasian Tour event in 2009. He has played drums for 14 years and guitar for eight.

Matt Jager is arguably the best player in his country after winning the Australian Amateur and Australian Stroke Play as well as the New Zealand Amateur in 2010. Not all of his wins, however, are in that part of the world. He was also the 2008 winner of the Jockey Club de Rosario in Buenos Aires.

BERMUDA

Non-playing team captain Robert Vallis has played in three Eisenhower Trophy competitions. In 2009, he won the British Senior Amateur Championship at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. He also played in the 2010 British Senior Open at Carnoustie in Scotland.

BOTSWANA

Diane Percy Lucas, 37, works as am earthmoving machinery technician at the Debswana Diamond Mine.  As a 20-year-old, he killed a python that was nearly 20 feet long after it had eaten one of the family goats. He used only a knobkerrie, which is a short, heavy wooden club with a knob on the end. He has won the Central Open and the Makgadikgadi Open in 2010.

BRAZIL

Daniel Stapff is the second member of his family to play in the 2010 World Amateur Team Championships. His sister, Isadora, played for Brazil in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship last week. Both attend Barry University in Florida of the USA.

BULGARIA

Todor Krastev, 32, is the owner of a building company in Varna. He began playing golf at age 27 but was named Bulgaria’s best player by the national Olympic Committee for 2010.

CANADA

Captain Doug Roxburgh played in seven Eisenhower Trophy competitions. His first was in 1972 at Olivos Golf Club in Argentina and his last was in 1992 in Canada when he was the team’s best scorer at 285. The team finished 11th. He has been the Canadian captain five times.

DENMARK

Lucas Bjerregaard is playing in his second Eisenhower Trophy. He is the reigning European Amateur Champion, having won the title at Linna Golf in Finland in August.  He shot an 8-under-par 64 in the third round.

Morten Orum Madsen is playing in his second World Amateur and attends Oregon State University in the USA. He is a Danish citizen living in the USA and his parents live in Beijing, China.

GERMANY

Captain Christian Schunck works for the bid company that is attempting to bring the 2018 Ryder Cup to Germany. He was also captain in 2008.

IRELAND

Kevin Phelan was born in New York in the USA but grew up in Waterford, Ireland. His father played squash for Ireland and won the U.S. Nationals while living in New York. Phelan played in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California and was a semifinalist at the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

Paul Cutler was a member of Ireland’s European Team Champions in 2008 and also played for his country in the Eisenhower Trophy competition in 2008. He won the Lytham Trophy Championship in 2010.

KENYA

Collins Omondi was named player of the tournament playing for Kenya in U-19 Cricket against New Zealand.

NIGERIA

Stephen Ezeh Uche is a greenkeeper at Green Elephant Golf Course in Sagamu.  He won the Tiger Open in 2010, one of the most respected amateur events in Nigeria.

NEW ZEALAND

Ryan Fox is the third generation of his family to represent New Zealand in international sports competition. His father, Grant, played rugby for the All Blacks from 1984-93 and his grandfather played cricket for New Zealand from 1936-53.

PERU

Jean Pierre Peglau is a publicist for Clear Channel, a communications group. He is playing in his second World Amateur.

SCOTLAND

James Byrne, who plays collegiate golf at Arizona State University, was the runner-up at the 2010 British Amateur. Prior to concentrating on golf, he was a competitive swimmer.

SOUTH AFRICA

Dylan Frittelli plays collegiate golf at the University of Texas and won Big 12 Conference Player of the Year honors in 2010. He also won the 2007 Junior Worlds.

SPAIN

Adrian Otaegui played at the European Amateur in Finland and had to leave the early the next day for the British Boys Championship. That morning, he slept through his alarm, which was set for 4:30 a.m. yet miraculously made his flight to Scotland where he won the British Boys. Now, he says he always uses more than one alarm clock.

Ignacio “Nacho” Elvira was a member of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Division I Team Champion playing for Texas A&M University along with Italy’s Andrea Pavan. He claims, however, that winning the Spanish Amateur in 2008 is his most memorable moment in golf.

SWAZILAND

Team captain Dr. Sithembosi Mbelu is a dentist.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Fred Ridley is a lawyer by trade but he has a long golf legacy. He is a past president of the United States Golf Association and was the joint chairman of the IGF; he won the 1975 U.S.  Amateur (the last winner not to turn professional); he played for the USA in the 1976 World Amateur; and he won the 2006 PGA Distinguished Service Award.

Compiled by Pete Kowalski.