The Philippines is hoping to score victories in the World Amateur Team Championships slated 25 to 28 October at the National Course of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
It will bank on Rianne Malixi, Junia Gabasa, Grace Quintanilla and team captain Myka Romulo, chasing the Espirito Santo Trophy.
The 16-year-old Malixi is expected to banner the team given her impressive performance all year in the international stage. She is set to enter Duke University for college this school year.
The biennial meet is being held for the first time in the Middle East with 152 national federations from 149 countries seeing action.
Last week, the United States team captured the men’s title or the Eisenhower Trophy.
It was the first time since 2014 that the Americans held the title.
David Ford, the No. 5-ranked amateur in the world, posted an eight-under-par 64, while 2023 US Amateur champion Nick Dunlap contributed a four-under 68.
“I just feel so happy for these guys,” USA Captain Mark Newell said. “This is a great championship filled with lots of good players and they really earned their victory with great play all four rounds and especially today.”
The USA’s 72-hole hole score of 36-under-par 540 was 11 strokes better than the silver-medal winning Australia and Norway teams. The 11-shot victory was the largest championship margin since Australia’s 19-stroke win in 2016.
Australia used a strong finish by Jack Buchanan (4-under 68), who birdied four of his final five holes, and a counting score from Karl Vilips (2-under 70) to close at 25-under-par 551.
Norway’s silver is its first medal in the country’s 26 Eisenhower appearances. The Norwegians, whose previous best finish was fourth place in 2022, used a 3-under 69 from Herman Sekne and a 2-under 70 from Michael Mjaaseth for a team total of 551.
