TEAM CANADA ANNOUNCED FOR 2007 COPA DE LAS AMERICAS
- Matthews, Sherlock, Fortin-Simard and Wasylowich look to defend team title on home soil at Beacon Hall Golf Club -
Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) – The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) announced today the National Amateur Team members who have been selected to represent Team Canada at the 2007 Copa de las Americas, June 18-24 at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
 Comprising this year’s team and looking to defend Canada’s title from 2005 is veteran Laura Matthews of Essex, Ont. as well as newcomers Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., Keven Fortin-Simard of Roberval, Que. and Kris Wasylowich of Lethbridge, Alta.
The women’s team is led by Matthews, who helped lead Canada at both the 2003 and 2005 Copa de las Americas. The four-time Royale Cup National Women’s Amateur runner-up and champion in 2005 was also the runner up in the women’s individual standing at the 2005 Copa de las Americas. Joining Matthews on the Women’s Team is Stephanie Sherlock who comes in riding high off a runner-up finish at last week’s CN Canadian Women’s Tour event in Vancouver.
The men’s team of Kevin Fortin-Simard and Kris Wasylowich comes to Beacon Hall with a wealth of national, collegiate and international experience under their respective belts. Fortin-Simard is a two-time winner of both the Quebec Amateur and Junior Championships while Wasylowich hopes to repeat his tremendous success from 2006 that saw him win both the Alberta Amateur and Canadian Mid-Amateur titles.
The 2007 Copa de las Americas at the prestigious Beacon Hall Golf Club will welcome teams representing 16 countries from North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean.
“The RCGA is honoured to be hosting the Copa de las Americas, one of the most prestigious amateur golf events in the world,” said Jeff Thompson, RCGA Managing Director of Player and Program Development. “As defending champions, Team Canada will be challenged by several top golf nations and some of world’s best amateur competitors. We look forward to continuing our excellent performances and keep the 2007 title right here in Canada.”
If Canada hopes to successfully defend their title, they’ll need to get past a formidable United States team that features top US collegiates Jonathan Moore of Oklahoma State University and Webb Simpson of Wake Forest University on the men’s side as well as Stacy Lewis from the University of Arkansas and Jennie Lee of Duke University.
The third bi-annual Copa de las Americas will see teams compete over four rounds of stroke play with both team and individual titles up for grabs.
Besides Matthews, Canada’s victorious squad from 2005 included Toronto native Lindsay Knowlton as well as current professionals James Lepp of Abbottsford, B.C. and Richard Scott of Kingsville, Ont. Scott, the three-time Canadian Men’s Amateur champion also took home top honours in the men’s individual standings from the 2005 Copas championship. Scott and Lepp won the men’s division while Matthews and Knowlton were runner-up in the women’s division. Canada also won the men’s, women’s and overall combined titles at the 2003 Copa de las Americas with Peter Laws of Mississauga, Ont. taking home top men’s individual honours.
The following is a listing of countries competing in the 2007 Copa de las Americas, June 18-24 at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Peru
Puerto Rico
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
USA
For more information including a full field of competitors, start times and post-round results please visit the Royal Canadian Golf Association website at www.rcga.org.
ABOUT THE RCGA NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM
The RCGA delivers a world-class high performance program through its National Team initiative. The National Team Program annually identifies the best 32-35 players through published selection criteria. The program, comprised of both a National Junior Team and National Amateur Team, is designed to offer players a year-round program incorporating state-of-the-art coaching, sport science expertise, training camps and world-class competition. The RCGA allocates over $1 million of its resources annually to the National Team Program encompassing strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition, biomechanics and technique development. Players who are selected to the National Amateur and National Junior Teams will also represent “Team Canada” at 6-10 internationally-sanctioned golf competitions throughout the year. The intent of this aggressive program is to aid Canada’s top up-and-coming amateur players in all areas of their development to help Canada produce the best golfers in the world.
ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1650 clubs across the country. Some of the RCGA’s core services include the Rules of Golf, handicapping and course rating, support of turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while six regional junior championships, 10 national amateur championships and the CN Canadian Women’s Tour showcase the best of Canadian golf. For more information please visit www.rcga.org.
-30-
For more information please contact:
Dan Pino
Manager, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
(t) 1-800-263-0009 x 406
(c) 416-434-5525
(e) dpino@rcga.org
www.rcga.org
Senior Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
(t) 1-800-263-0009 x 230
(c) 905-467-2944
(e) mgrobe@rcga.org
|
