Conducted by the International Golf Federation (IGFgolf.org)
Hosted by the Emirates Golf Federation (egfgolf.ae)
@OlympicGolf | #WATC2023
33rd World Amateur Team Championship: 18-21 Oct. 2023
30th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship: 25-28 Oct. 2023
Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
WHAT ARE THE WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS?
Conducted by the International Golf Federation (IGF), the World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur golf competition. The men compete for the Eisenhower Trophy and the women compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy. (igfgolf.org/watc)
ENTRIES
There are 36 teams competing in each championship in 2023. For the first time since the event’s inception in 1958, the number of teams was limited to 36 for both the men’s and women’s competition to lessen the cost and complexity of hosting the event, as approved at the IGF’s 2018 biennial meeting. In 2022, 72 teams entered the Eisenhower Trophy men’s competition and 56 teams entered the Espirito Santo Trophy women’s competition.
The men’s and women’s team lists for 2023 can be viewed here.
MOST APPEARANCES
Seven countries have entered all 33 World Amateur Team Championships since its inception in 1958 – Germany, Great Britain and Ireland (since 2002 – England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales), Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States of America. Five nations have entered all 30 Women’s World Amateur Team Championships since its inception in 1964 – Australia, France, Japan, Sweden and the United States of America.
FORMAT
Each team has two or three players, who each play 18 holes of stroke play over four days. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team’s score for the championship.
ELIGIBILITY
Players must be amateur golfers under the Rules of Amateur Status and nationals of the countries they represent.
SCHEDULE
During the Eisenhower Trophy competition for men, 18 holes of stroke play will be conducted Wednesday 18 October through Saturday 21 October. Similarly, 18 holes of stroke play will be conducted Wednesday 25 October through Saturday 28 October for the Espirito Santo Trophy competition for women.
PRIZES
The winning team in the men’s competition receives custody of the Eisenhower Trophy until the next World Amateur Team Championship is held. The winning team in the women’s competition receives custody of the Espirito Santo Trophy until the next Women’s World Amateur Team Championship is held. Members of the winning teams receive gold medals; members of the second-place teams receive silvers medals and members of the third-place teams receive bronze medals. The player with the lowest score in each championship is recognized at the respective closing ceremony, but no prize is awarded.
ABOUT ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB
Abu Dhabi Golf Club, designed by Peter Harradine and opened for play in May 2000, is located just 20 minutes from the city center. The club’s iconic clubhouse, built in the shape of a falcon with its wings outstretched, has become a symbol of golf in the Middle East. Set against a stunning desert landscape, it features 27 holes including the 18-hole, par-72 National Course and a floodlit 9-hole course.
The National Course features an undulating terrain meandering through pockets of palms and ornamental shrubs and trees, lush fairways, strategically placed bunkers, generous greens and seven salt-water lakes throughout the property.
Abu Dhabi Golf Club hosted 16 consecutive editions of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship between 2006-2021, with a list of recent winners that includes Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Rickie Fowler. Most recently, the club hosted the Hero Cup and the Challenge Tour’s Abu Dhabi Challenge in 2023.
ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB PAR AND YARDS/METERS (Eisenhower)
The National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club will be set up at 7,552 yards/6,901 meters and will play to a par of 36-36–72 for the men.
ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB HOLE BY HOLE (Eisenhower)
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 4 5 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 36
Yards 405 600 439 158 440 469 200 572 456 3,739
Meters 370 548 401 144 402 429 183 523 417 3,417
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 5 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 5 36
Yards 582 460 176 414 490 199 475 460 557 3,813
Meters 532 420 161 378 448 182 434 420 509 3,484
Note: Distances subject to change.
ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB PAR AND YARDS/METERS (Espirito Santo)
The National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club will be set up at 6,497 yards/5,940 meters and will play to a par of 36-36–72 for the women.
ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB HOLE BY HOLE (Espirito Santo)
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 4 5 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 36
Yards 347 517 362 137 379 423 153 510 390 3,218
Meters 317 473 331 125 346 387 140 466 356 2,941
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 5 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 5 36
Yards 517 376 166 342 419 194 400 385 480 3,279
Meters 473 344 152 313 383 177 366 352 439 2,999
Note: Distances subject to change.
NOTABLE EVENTS AT ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB
2023 Hero Cup (Continental Europe)
2023 Abu Dhabi Challenge (Ricardo Gouveia)
2021 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Tyrrell Hatton)
2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Lee Westwood)
2019 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Shane Lowry)
2018 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Tommy Fleetwood)
2017 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Tommy Fleetwood)
2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Rickie Fowler)
2015 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Gary Stal)
2014 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Pablo Larrazabal)
2013 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Jamie Donaldson)
2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Robert Rock)
2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Martin Kaymer)
2010 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Martin Kaymer)
2009 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Paul Casey)
2008 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Martin Kaymer)
2007 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Paul Casey)
2006 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Chris DiMarco)
CONDUCTING ORGANIZATION
The International Golf Federation, previously known as the World Amateur Golf Council, is comprised of 152 national governing bodies of golf in 149 countries, representing more than 66 million people who play golf, and tours and organizations conducting major championships, and conducts the biennial World Amateur Team Championships and is the international federation for golf for the International Olympic Committee.
The IGF conducts the golf competitions at the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games. Golf made its return to the Olympic Games after 112 years in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. The competition course for the 2024 Olympic Games in France is Le Golf National, one of the host courses of last year’s World Amateur Team Championships.
INTERNATIONAL GOLF FEDERATION MISSION STATEMENT
According to the constitution of the IGF, the objects of International Golf Federation are:
a) to encourage the international development of the sport of golf;
b) to foster friendship and sportsmanship among the peoples of the world by organising biennially amateur team championships for the Eisenhower Trophy (for men) and the Espirito Santo Trophy (for women);
c) to promote golf as an Olympic and Paralympic sport;
d) to act as the international federation for golf in the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and thereby to establish and enforce, in accordance with the Olympic Charter and IPC Handbook, the rules concerning the playing of golf in the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to fulfill in respect of the sport of golf the mission and role of an international federation within the Olympic and Paralympic movements;
e) to encourage and support measures among its competitions and members (and their athletes) that safeguard the integrity of golf and protect clean athletes through the fight against doping and the prevention of the manipulation of competitions;
f) to encourage and support measures related to the medical care and health of the athletes that participate in International Golf Federation competitions; and
g) to secure the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Constitution without discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
HOST ORGANIZATION
Founded in 1995, the Emirates Golf Federation is the host of this year’s championships. The EGF sanctions all professional and amateur golf events in the United Arab Emirates. There are over 7,500 members of the EGF and its 22 golf clubs in the UAE.
2022 EISENHOWER TROPHY CHAMPION
A bogey-free 6-under 66 from teenager Marco Floriolo and a 3-under 68 from Pietro Bovari led Italy to its first Eisenhower Trophy in the men’s World Amateur Team Championship at Le Golf National in Paris, France. Italy beat Sweden by one stroke, and the United States finished in third, four strokes behind Italy.
THE EISENHOWER TROPHY
The Eisenhower Trophy, named for the 34th president of the United States of America, Dwight D. Eisenhower, was presented via the United States Golf Association and The R&A by the Friends of American Golf for the inaugural World Amateur Team Championship, which was played on the Old Course at St. Andrews in 1958.
EISENHOWER HISTORY
The idea of a World Amateur Team Championship and the World Amateur Golf Council grew out of a suggestion that the USGA received to consider the possibility of a team match between the USA and Japan in 1957.
The USGA, which was fortunate to have received many such invitations from other countries, simply could not accept them all. The USGA instead suggested a team competition that would bring together the best players of all countries, accommodating all possible interests. Even those American advocates of adding golf to the Olympics seemed satisfied with the World Amateur Team Championship idea.
In January 1958, the USGA Executive Committee approved in principle a plan for such a championship. In March of that year, a group of USGA representatives met with officials of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club to discuss the plan. St Andrews was proposed as the site of the first championship later that year. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club joined in implementing the idea. In May, representatives of the national amateur golf associations of 35 countries attended a planning conference in Washington, D.C., and formed the World Amateur Golf Council. The council had 32 member organizations and planned the first championship.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower received the delegates in the Rose Garden of the White House and consented to the naming of the championship prize as the Eisenhower Trophy, saying, “Both officially and personally, I am interested in the plan advanced by the USGA for an amateur team golf championship among nations. I visualize it, as you do, as a potent force for establishing goodwill and friendship between yet another segment of the populations of nations.”
The championship received yet another stroke of good luck when Bob Jones agreed to be captain of the first USA Team. Jones had won the first leg of his 1930 Grand Slam at St Andrews by winning The Amateur Championship but 22 years had passed since he had last visited. The first championship was played on the Old Course of St Andrews in October 1958, and 115 players, representing 29 countries, competed. Australia won in a playoff with the USA. The lowest individual scores for the 72 holes were 301s by William Hyndman III of the USA, Bruce Devlin of Australia and Reid Jack of Great Britain & Ireland.
Jack Nicklaus, who represented the USA in 1960 at Merion Golf Club (East Course), in Ardmore, Pa., held the 72-hole individual scoring record of 269 for 54 years until Jon Rahm of Spain shot 70-64-62-67 for 23-under-par 263 in 2014.
Prominent players who have participated include Jack Nicklaus (USA), Vijay Singh (Fiji), Colin Montgomerie (GB&I), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Phil Mickelson (USA), Tiger Woods (USA), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Luke Donald (GB&I), Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), Francesco Molinari (Italy), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Rory McIlroy (Ireland), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Justin Thomas (USA), Jon Rahm (Spain), Viktor Hovland (Norway) and Colin Morikawa (USA).
The World Amateur Team Championship has now been conducted in 26 nations.
2022 ESPIRITO SANTO CHAMPION
Bolstered by the No. 2 ranked amateur Ingrid Lindblad’s 3-under 69 and Meja Ortengren’s 2-under 70 in the final round, Sweden won the Espirito Santo Trophy for the third time on a tiebreaker over the United States at the 29th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Paris, France. Sweden and the U.S. tied at 13-under 559 after four rounds of stroke play. After comparing non-counting scores, a 1-over-par 73 from Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist was one stroke better than the American Rachel Kuehn’s 74, giving Sweden the gold medal and the USA the silver. Germany and Japan tied for the bronze-medal position one stroke behind.
THE ESPIRITO SANTO TROPHY
The Espirito Santo Trophy was presented in 1964 as the prize for the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship of the International Golf Federation (then called the World Amateur Golf Council) by Silvia Espirito Santo Silva of the Ricardo Espirito Santo family of Portugal. The trophy was presented through the Portuguese Golf Federation.
ESPIRITO SANTO HISTORY
What began as a proposal match in 1964 between the USA and France grew into the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. The impetus for this championship was an invitation for the USA Curtis Cup Team to stop off in France for an informal match after that year’s Curtis Cup Match. The USGA accepted the invitation, but also suggested inviting other nations to create a women’s counterpart to the World Amateur Team Championship. A total of 25 teams and 75 players participated, which instantly established the competition as a member of international golf’s family of championships. In 1966, the World Amateur Golf Council assumed sponsorship of future Women’s World Amateur Team Championships. For the first time, in 2002, the championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy was played on two courses.
Lydia Ko, who represented New Zealand in 2012 at Gloria Golf Club in Antalya, Turkey, holds the individual 72-hole scoring record of 274.
Prominent players who have participated include: Annika Sorenstam (Sweden), Se Ri Pak (Republic of Korea), Karrie Webb (Australia), Lorena Ochoa (Mexico), Ai Miyazato (Japan), Paula Creamer (USA), Yani Tseng (Chinese Taipei), Melissa Reid (England), So Yeon Ryu (Korea), Carlota Ciganda (Spain), Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Caroline Hedwall (Sweden), Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Minjee Lee (Australia), Brooke Henderson (Canada), Celine Boutier (France) and Leona Maguire (Ireland).
WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE UAE
This year marks the first time that the championships will be played in the Middle East.
MOST MEDALS (EISENHOWER)
| Country | Total | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| United States of America | 27 | 15 | 9 | 3 |
| Australia | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| Great Britain & Ireland | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Canada | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Sweden | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
MOST MEDALS (ESPIRITO SANTO)
| Country | Total | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| United States of America | 21 | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| France | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Republic of Korea | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Sweden | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Great Britain & Ireland | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Australia | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
LONGEST COURSES IN CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY (EISENHOWER)
7,552 yards / 6,901 meters, Abu Dhabi G.C. (National Course), Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2023
7,215 yards / 6,593 meters, Royal Adelaide G.C., Adelaide, Australia, 2008 7,179 yards / 6,560 meters, Carton House G.C. (Montgomerie Course), Maynooth, Ireland, 2018 7,125 yards / 6,515 meters, Club de Golf, Mexico City, Mexico, 1966 7,070 yards / 6,462 meters, Carton House G.C. (O'Meara Course), Maynooth, Ireland, 2018 7,043 yards / 6,440 meters, Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain, 1970
LONGEST COURSES IN CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY (ESPIRITO SANTO)
6,497 yards / 5,940 meters, Abu Dhabi G.C. (National Course), Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2023
6,365 yards / 5,818 meters, Carton House G.C. (Montgomerie Course), Maynooth, Ireland, 2018
6,336 yards / 5,791 meters, Carton House G.C. (O’Meara Course), Maynooth, Ireland, 2018
6,318 yards / 5,775 meters, Le Golf National (Albatross Course), Paris, France, 2022
6,311 yards / 5,768 meters, Iriyama Course, Karuizawa 72 Golf East, Karuizawa, Japan, 2014
6,309 yards / 5,765 meters, Oshitate Course, Karuizawa 72 Golf East, Karuizawa, Japan, 2014
FUTURE WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP SITES
2025 – Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course), Singapore
2027 – Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco
MEDIA INFORMATION
The IGF will offer daily reports/notes/quotes for distribution and posting on the IGF website.
Complimentary videos and high-resolution photographs from the World Amateur Team Championships will be available for editorial use via this link.
Contact Joey Geske for more information regarding the World Amateur Team Championships:
- Joey Geske, jgeske@usga.org; +1 651.328.3000