When: 8 October 2025

What: 34th World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy

Where: Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course), Singapore

Carlos Astiazarán and Eduardo Derbez led Mexico to the top of the leader board after the first round of the 34th World Amateur Team Championship at Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore. Astiazarán and Derbez posted rounds of 68 and 69, respectively, combining for nine birdies and just two bogeys en route to a 7-under 137. Teammate Gerardo Gómez posted a non-counting 1-over 73.

“We put some solid rounds together and definitely have some good momentum building going forward,” said Astiazarán, a junior at Vanderbilt University and the reigning North & South Amateur champion. “I love representing Mexico… it definitely makes it a little more special this week.”

Mexico will enter the second round two strokes ahead of South Africa, marking the first time in the country’s 32 appearances in the WATC that it leads after the first round.

“Amazing, honestly,” said Marcelo Treviño Derbez, who is Eduardo’s cousin and the team’s coach and manager this week. “Seeing the name of Mexico on top of the leader board, of course, is very rewarding and exciting. We have a good team, and we have a lot of confidence.”

World No. 6 Christian Maas posted a bogey-free, 6-under 66 highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 eighth on Wednesday morning to lead South Africa to a 5-under 139. Maas, a senior at the University of Texas, hit 3-wood from 286 yards, into the wind, and rolled his ball just past the flagstick to six feet, converting the putt. Daniel Bennett, a fellow Longhorn to Maas, recorded a counting 73, and Charl Barnard posted a non-counting 75.

“Just wanted to get it up and around the green, and it came out perfectly… yeah, pretty perfect shot,” Maas said. “Pretty happy. It’s good to get off to a good start. Hopefully, I can keep it up.”

France finished the first round in solo third, posting a 4-under 140 following rounds of 2-under 70 from Hugo Le Goff and Louise Anceaux, who both competed for Team Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup in September. Playing off No. 10 in the afternoon wave, both players were 3-under and bogey-free through 14 and 15, respectively, before they each bogeyed to bring France a stroke back of South Africa. Louis Anceaux carded a non-counting 73.

"We are just doing our thing, doing what we can do," said Le Goff, who won the Lytham Trophy earlier this summer and is competing in his second WATC. "Representing France, it's just unbelievable. We're trying to compete to be world champions as a team... it's really a huge honor."

Host country Singapore sits four strokes back in a four-way knot for fourth place with Sweden, Czechia and Australia at 3-under 141 following Hiroshi Tai’s 7-under 65. Tai carded the low round of the day and is the solo individual leader entering the second round. Despite teammate Brayden Lee posting a counting score of 4-over, Singapore recorded its lowest ever first-round team score in the competition. Troy Storm, 16, recorded a non-counting 84.

“It’s memorable for me. Playing at home and playing well, it’s always nice,” said Tai, who won the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Individual Championship. “Overall, pretty good and really happy with how I played.”

Quotable:

Murray Smit, Singapore Captain: “I think Hiroshi’s round was just out of this world, to shoot 7-under on this golf course, just shows why he's one of the top amateurs in the world, and why he's won some of the biggest events.”

Marcelo Treviño Derbez, Mexico Captain: “Well, honestly, I just let them play… These guys play at top schools, week in and week out… I don’t want to interfere that much. I just want to be there to help them if they need [it]… help with some planning of shots, course strategy. But at the end of the day, just give them some confidence and be with them along the way.”

Christian Maas, South Africa: “My teammates need to start stepping up. No, I'm just kidding. Daniel is with me on the team in Texas, and I know what he's capable of. Charlie also very good, but if Daniel can step up to the way he plays in college, we should be good. So yeah, hopefully we can do that.”

Hiroshi Tai, Singapore: “I think the day I stop getting nervous before a round, I'll probably stop playing golf. I'll go do something else.”

Timotej Formanek, Czechia: “It’s the biggest honor [to represent Czechia]… we still have a lot of days to go. If we can keep it going, it would be nice so we’re in contention on the last day.”

Notable:

• Singapore’s Hiroshi Tai had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot on Wednesday morning. Tai is a senior at Georgia Tech University, and he made history as the first player representing Singapore to compete in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 a year ago. He also became the first player representing Singapore to compete in the Masters Tournament in April.
• Tai’s first-round 65 was one stroke shy of matching the course record on Tanah Merah’s Tampines Course. The 8-under mark was set by David Puig, of Spain, during the Asian Tour’s 2023 International Series. Puig represented Spain in the 2022 WATC.
• Twelve of 36 teams completed Round 1 under par.
• 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship winner Santiago De la Fuente, of Mexico, is on site at Tanah Merah this week supporting Team Mexico. He is currently competing on the Asian Tour, and after a week in Indonesia for the Jakarta International Championship, he made a stop in Singapore to help motivate his countrymen.
• Defending champion United States of America turned in a first-round 6-over 150, with all three players posting scores of 3-over 75.
• A total of 20 players in the field competed in the 2023 WATC at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. No country is fielding the same three players as two years ago.
• Temperatures reached 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) with a heat index of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

What’s Next:

Round 2 begins Thursday at 7:15 a.m. with a two-tee start on the Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club.

Media Contacts

Adrian Godoy – agodoy@usga.org

International Golf Federation – communications@igfmail.org

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About the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC)

The World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur golf competition conducted by the International Golf Federation. The women contest the Espirito Santo Trophy while the men compete for the Eisenhower Trophy. This year marks the 31^st edition of the women’s WATC which was first played in 1964 in France. The men’s Championship was first played in 1958 on the Old Course of St. Andrews and 2025 is its 34^th edition.

About the International Golf Federation (IGF)

The IGF is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the international federation for golf. In addition to the World Amateur Team Championships, the IGF also organises the golf competitions at the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games. The IGF is composed of 153 member federations from 150 countries.

About the Singapore Golf Association (SGA)

The SGA is the National Sport Association governing the game of golf in Singapore. Its objective is to encourage and promote the game of golf in Singapore. The SGA is currently comprised of 11 Full Members, 7 Associate Members and 6 Affiliate Members. It is a member of the International Golf Federation, Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, ASEAN Golf Federation, Asia Golf Leaders Forum and the Singapore National Olympic Council.

About Tanah Merah Country Club

As one of Singapore’s and Asia’s most prestigious clubs, Tanah Merah Country Club has built a distinguished reputation for excellence since its official opening in 1984. Its two championship courses, the Garden Course and Tampines Course, are celebrated for their masterful design, impeccable year-round maintenance, and commitment to sustainability—both proudly holding the prestigious GEO Certified® accreditation. Renowned for hosting world-class tournaments, Tanah Merah Country Club has a rich history of staging international events, including the Johnnie Walker Classic, Lexus Cup, and HSBC Women’s Champions. More recently, the club welcomed the Asian Tour’s International Series Singapore (ISS), and the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open (HFGSWO). With numerous industry accolades and affiliations with top foreign clubs, Tanah Merah Country Club remains the premier destination for championship tournaments, as well as exclusive private and corporate golf events.