When: 9 October 2025

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

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

Rapid Recap:

World No. 6 Christian Maas recorded his second 6-under 66 of the week to give South Africa a five-stroke lead at 14-under 274 after the second round of the 34th World Amateur Team Championship.

Playing off No. 10 on Thursday afternoon, the University of Texas senior recorded his first and only bogey through 36 holes on the par-4 second of Tanah Merah’s Tampines Course. He tallied seven birdies on the day and was helped by his fellow Longhorn Daniel Bennett, who carded a 3-under 69 for a team 9-under 135. Teammate Charl Barnard posted a non-counting 76.

“I don’t think I hit it as good as yesterday,” Mass said. “Well, I didn’t hit my driver as good, but [it was] almost [as] good... It’s great to see that we’re up there. Hopefully we can continue doing that.”

The trio tied for second place at 9-under 279 includes Australia, England and France. Of those three, England recorded the lowest second-round score with a 7-under 137 led by Tyler Weaver and Charlier Forster, who both represented GB&I in the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point and posted rounds of 4-under 68 and 3-under 69, respectively. Eliot Baker, who competed alongside Weaver and Forster in the Walker Cup, carded a non-counting 72.

“Yeah, that was a really, really solid round. I didn’t have a bogey for a long time,” said Weaver, who also competed in the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club earlier this summer. “I’ve been lucky enough to represent England quite a lot, and I love it. We know we have a good enough team to go and win this, so that’s our aim.”

Australians Harry Takis and Declan O’Donovan each turned in rounds of 3-under 69 for a team 6-under 138 in the second round, with the latter chipping in for eagle on the Tampines Course’s par-5 closing hole. Teammate Billy Dowling recorded a non-counting 71.

“Incredibly happy… shooting that round today, 6-under for Australia has put us in a really nice position going into the last two rounds,” said O’Donovan, who won the Canadian Amateur Championship in July. “Not the best through nine holes, but I really brought something together and was fortunate to finish really well.”

Oscar Couilleau, of France, tallied six birdies against a single bogey for a 5-under 67, and teammate Louis Anceaux held on for an even-par 72 to help the team finish 5-under for the day. Huge Le Goff, who represented France in the championship in 2023, recorded a non-counting 3-over 75.

Host country Singapore turned in an even-par 144 on Thursday, falling to T-12 after beginning the day tied fourth. Hiroshi Tai led the way once again with a 1-under 71, while Brayden Lee added a counting 1-over 73. Troy Storm carded a non-counting 77.

Quotable:

Benjamin Gorvett, England Captain: “Fantastic. They played really solid golf. We had three dropped shots between three players, plenty of birdies over there, few putts here and there that could have dropped… So, really good day for us. We're really pleased with where we’re sat in the field, looking forward to go into third round now tomorrow, and we're going to try to kick on again.”

Christian Maas, South Africa: “It’s pretty surprising that [South Africa hasn’t] done better, seeing how many great amateurs we’ve had. I feel like we've just not really stepped up once we get here… Daniel and I have played in some of the biggest amateur events around the world for the last three years, and we have a very competitive schedule at a collegiate level. So, it's just another event, and hopefully we can keep on playing and post some sort of record score.”

Declan O’Donovan, Australia: “I think we definitely want to win. We're loving the competition, loving the pressure, and we're having a lot of fun as well. I think the three of us, Billy, Harry and I are really, really enjoying ourselves.”

Tyler Weaver, England: “I’ve been lucky enough to represent England quite a lot, and yeah, I love it every time. Putting on the badge is an honor, and I love it… I’ve got a lot of trust in those guys to go out and play well, so that takes a lot of pressure of me as well.”

Mason Howell, USA: "We were obviously very frustrated [with] how yesterday went. But we know we all have the game to get right back in this, and hopefully this is a small step. We still need two huge days. We know what's in front of us, and I think we know we can overcome it."

Notable:

• The championship sustained a 1 hour and 24-minute suspension on Thursday morning due to dangerous weather in the area.
• South Africa is seeking its first victory in the Eisenhower Trophy, and a medalist finish this week would be its first since earning silver in 1980. South Africa was the bronze medalist in 1970 and 1972.
• Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell turned in a bogey-free 68 to help the defending champion USA turn things around on day two, climbing 10 places. USA posted a team 5-under in the second round, helped by Ethan Fang, who won The Amateur Championship in June and recorded a 1-under 71. Preston Stout, who earned medalist honors in the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in August, carded a non-counting 72. USA currently sits T-22 with Norway at 1-over 289.
• Christian Maas, of South Africa, is the solo individual leader through 36 holes at 12 under par, four strokes ahead of Singapore’s Hiroshi Tai, a senior at Georgia Tech University who won the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Individual Championship and became the first player representing Singapore to compete in the U.S. Open and the Masters Tournament.
• Ireland made the largest move of the day, jumping 14 places to T-14 after 2025 Walker Cupper Stuart Grehan posted a 4-under 68, paired with 32-year-old Caolan Rafferty’s 2-under 70. St Andrews Links Trophy runner-up John Doyle, 18, recorded a non-counting 73.
• Morocco made the second-largest jump on day two, rising 11 positions to T-14 with Ireland, Wales and 2022 champion Italy. Texas Tech junior Adam Bresnu led the way with a 4-under 68. Prior to becoming a Red Raider, Bresnu played for Odessa College, a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) program, where he won nine times and tallied 30 top 10 finishes in two seasons. He earned both NJCAA Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year and NJCAA Gary Player International Golfer of the Year honors in 2025.
• While no country is fielding the same three players from the 2023 edition of the championship, Panama’s Omar Tejeira, Miguel Ordoñez and Raúl Carbonell competed together in 2022. Ordoñez is competing in his third WATC, and Panama currently sits 34th.

What’s Next:

Round 3 begins Friday 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.