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(Daily coach&aposs report from Shani Waugh, ALPG president and coach for the Australian team at the World Amateur Championships)
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Final Round
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Sunday 30 September
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Who would have thought the highly fancied Koreans would only be able to manage a -2 team score on the final day of the World Amateur Teams Championship? They still managed to win but must have had a few nervous moments as a rampaging German team shot -7 and moved to -10 total. Our -4 on the back of Bre’s 69 (-3) and Whitney’s 71 moved us into a tie for 3rd on -9 with a jubilant Finland who also managed a final day -7 team score.
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rnI know our girls were very happy to receive their bronze medals last night in front of 400 people but there would have been an air of “what could have been”. But after having been with the team that finished 3rd at the Queen Sirikit Cup earlier in the year (a massive 27 shots behind the Koreans over only 3 rounds) our girls should take great heart in finishing only 4 shots behind them here over 4 rounds.
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rnFor the girls now, they head off in all different directions. Bre is already on her way to Stage 2 of USLPGA Qualifying School in Sarasota Florida where I am predicting she will get thru without too much stress. She was our “rock” this week with her score counting every day and her last hole birdie ensuring our “podium” finish. A far cry from the golfer early in the week that was aiming in the right trees and only her talent allowing her to get the ball into play during the practice rounds.
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rnMinjee will head home to Perth to enjoy her school holidays and a well-deserved break. I know deep down she was a little disappointed with her play and I am sure she will work really hard with coach Ritchie Smith to rectify this. She is a wonderful talent and I am sure Golf Australia are very happy she is only 16 and will form the backbone of the 2014 Team in Tokyo.
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rnFor Whitney she has a decision to make. Does she head off to European Q-School in a few months or does she sign up for another year as an amateur?? Her week here in Turkey was a real roller-coaster ride for her with scores of 80, 71, 79, 71 but she ‘ham and egg-ed’ beautifully with Minjee to keep us well and truly in contention. She has tremendous heart and can flat out play and when she can keep herself more level during rounds she will do very well out on tour.
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rnCaptain Matt Cutler (GA’s High Performance Manager) is very keen to get home to Melbourne and his 3 girls. He is great to work with and things could not have gone smoother with him at the helm. He has a wonderful rapport with our players and is so good to bounce things off for me as coach. I really value his opinion as he spends so much time working with Australia’s elite players.
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rnFor us we are off to Sweden for 10 days with my great mate Catrin Nilsmark and family. Apparently there is a 9 hole grudge match against 2 other buddies from our lives out on tour. It will be VERY competitive, but probably not the highest standard ever seen, although I have spent the last week watching 3 fantastic swings and I’m hoping they might have rubbed off on mine a little. It has been a pleasure and an honour to have been the Australian Coach at this year’s World Amateur Teams Championship. Thanks Matt, Whitney, Minjee and Bre!
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Shani Waugh (ALPG President and former LPGA and ALPG Tour player)
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World Amateur Teams Championship (WATC)
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Third Round
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Saturday 29 September
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On another perfect 30 degree day our girls put in another solid performance. Minjee shot 70 (-2) and Bre 72 to move us to -5 for the tournament and 6 shots behind Korea. New Zealand are in second position at -6 after a fabulous 67 by none other than teen sensation Lydia Ko
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I’m not sure how they do the draw in this event but we are out in the second last grouping which might end up being an advantage to us if we can get off to a fast start. I know the girls are disappointed to not be teeing it up with the Koreans and Kiwis but it does give us a better chance to concentrate on our own golf rather than watching the opposition.
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Tonight I told the girls that only 6 other Australian women have tasted World Amateur Team success and that it would be a wonderful achievement to be numbers 7, 8, and 9 on that list. They are a very calm and non-demonstrative group so I’m hoping the enormity of being only the 3rd ever team to win might sink in overnight. 6 shots sounds like a big gap but each day has proven to me that a good run of holes at the same time that another team drops a few shots can see a huge shift in fortunes. All we can control tomorrow is our own games and in reality the girls will probably have to shoot a pair of 67’s to be competitive but all three are more than capable and I am looking forward to watching them have a crack at it.
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World Amateur Teams Championship (WATC).jpg)
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Second Round
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Friday 28th September
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Today we learnt just how determined Whitney Hillier can be. After a disappointing opening round of 80 yesterday Whitney bounced back on the more difficult Old course to have her 71 (-1) count in Australia’s Team Score. Coupled with Bre Elliott’s 70 the Aussie Team climbed into equal second place only 5 shots behind the Korean’s. Minjee Lee ‘made’ absolutely nothing on the greens and doubled the 16th to shoot 74….I’m predicting her worst score for the week. We are looking for the little champ to fire over the weekend and give the team a great chance to pressure the leaders.
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