Mary Hauk and Robert Neal Lead Team USA after day one at the 2011 World Championships

Team USA at JFK International Airport

Day one of the 2011 World Golfers Championship and WG Invitational in South Africa  have concluded with Mary Hauk and Robert Neal leading the USA Team to stay in contention with the hopes to bring home a World Championship. 

For 2011 The USA has fielded two teams. First team is a five person team which consist of the five 2011 USA National Champions in their respected flights. ( Robert Neal (TX), Mark Thomas (MI), Eddie Stephens (IL), Ivan Marin (FL) and David Weatherspoon (CO)). They will be competing in the Championship which takes the lowest four net scores of the five team members each day for four days. Each team member also is competing for individual honors in their respective flights.

The second team is a two person team who will be competing in the Invitational. Team Captain and Owner of World Golfers USA Anders Bengston from Florida will be playing with Mary Hauk from Michigan. The invitational will be decided by the lowest combined net scores for all four days by both team members and they also will be competing for individual honors in there respective flights. 

The WG Invitational 

Mary Hauk

Mary Hauk finds her self in first place with a comfortable lead of six strokes in flight 3 (HDC  11-15) over Leszek Gorski (Poland), Obong Bassey (Nigeria) and Inga Doetsch (Germany) who are all tied for 2nd with a net score of 79.  Mary’s day was a tale of two nines, starting off with four double bogies and three bogies on the first eight holes to eventually shot a gross 47 for a net 39 on the front nine, but she was able to put it all together on the back nine recording 4 pars and 5 bogies for a gross 41 net 34.

Teammate Anders Bengtson finds himself in the middle of the pack in the forth flight (HDC 16-20) despite recording an uncharacteristic score of 110 for a net 92. The entire flight struggled where only three players recorded a sub 100 score lead by Pierpaola Beruffaldi of Italy who shot a gross 92 for a net 72.

Team USA is currently Tied for 8th place out of 38 teams and thanks to Mary’s strong back nine on day one they are only 22 strokes back with 54 holes to go.

The WG Championship

Rober Neal

Robert Neal leads USA in round one by recording the lowest round of the tournament with a gross 75. Robert was very consistent with 10 pars 5 bogies and two birdies. Individually his net score of 74 currently has him in a two way tie in flight one (HDC 0-5) for 2nd place with Indrek Mannik (79/74) of Russia and only one stroke back of the current leader Jean Pierre Le Roux (78/73) of South Africa. 

Flight Four (HDC 16-20) team member Ivan Marin recorded USA’s 2nd best net score with an 80. Currently Ivan finds himself tied for 5th place in his flight but leader Liliana Stepanov from Italy recorded the tournaments lowest net score with an impressive 67. This leaves Ivan with a 13 stroke up hill battle over the next 54 holes, but if anyone can do it Ivan has proven to be a fighter as he displayed coming from behind to win the USA National Championship.

USA third best net score of day one was shot my flight two (HDC 6-10) National Champion Mark Thomas. Mark shot a gross 89 for a net 81 putting him a 5 way tie for 13th place and 9 strokes off the lead. currently there is a two way tie for first at net 72 with Josef Karas from the Czech Republic and Deja Klalasikich from Thailand.

The fourth and final score out of five that was recorded in the team USA’s total was turned in by Flight 5 (HDC 21-25) National Champion David Weatherspoon. David had a rough day recorded three 8’s and three 9‘son his way to shooting a gross 113 for a net 92. Currently this puts David in a tie for 20th place and 23 strokes back from the leader Andre Beer from Sweden.

Eddie Stephens score of 109 for a net 96 will be Team USA’s “throw out score”  for day one. Eddie is currently in last place in Flight 3 (HNC 11-15) and 27 strokes behind leader Vincent N Kusame of Indonesia. Even though Eddie may have shoot him self out of an individual Championship on the first day, Team USA will be looking forward to him rebounding over the next three days.

After Day One Team USA is in 14th place with a Team net total of 327. Leading the Championship is Team Thailand with a net 300, 2nd is Team Indonesia with a net 306 and third Team Italy, Switzerland and Sweden at net 310.

To view all results go to www.9n9.co.za