Article in New England Golf Monthly

THE 2011 WORLD GOLFERS CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE HELD IN SOUTH AFRICA

By: Pam Borges on 10/18/11 05:43 PM

 It surprises me that so few golfers have heard of the World Golfers Championship (WGC).  Can you imagine earning an expense-paid trip to South Africa to represent your country in a world championship final, individually as well as in a team? Anyone with a registered handicap between 0-25 can have that chance.     

Five amateur golfers with handicaps ranging from 0-25 earned a spot on the USA Team in a 36-hole qualifying event at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio earlier this month. The winners from five handicap divisions—Bob Neal of Texas, Mark Thomas of Michigan, Eddie Stephens of Illinois (not  pictured), Ivan Marin of Florida, and David Weatherspoon of Colorado—will represent the U.S. Team at the 17^th annual World Golfers Championship in South Africa Oct. 29-Nov. 5.  There will be 32 countries fielding national five-person teams in the 72-hole competition to be played at the Durban Country Club, the Prince’s Grant Golf Estate, the Umhlali Country Club and the Zimbali Golf Course.

 Founded in 1995, WGC is the largest amateur golfers’ championship involving thousands of golfers in over 40 countries.  Anders Bengtson, president of World Golfers USA, added, “It’s the true Olympics of golf, where amateurs compete on equal terms the way Pierre de Coubertin envisioned it when he created the Olympics.” The tournament begins as a national championship in participating countries, where winners from five handicap flights (0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25) earn expense-paid trips to the world finals where they compete as a five-person team and individually within their flights. The WGC has been staged all over the world including Thailand, Spain, Turkey, and Malaysia. 

 Bengtson indicated that associations and clubs from across the U.S., interested in conducting 18-hole qualifying events to determine representatives from each of the handicap flights for the 2012 U.S. finals, should go towww.worldgolfersusa.com for details on how to enter; or give him a call at 561-313-9083.  Don’t be left out…no qualifying event in your state…no problem…call Anders for accommodations.