Crazy Little Thing Called World Amateur Team Championship

There’s a crazy little thing called the World Amateur Team Championship going on in South Africa. I’m a bit late checking in, but better late than early (wait, that’s not how it goes…) In team competition, Canada held a one-stroke lead over the USA after round two, although Argentina and Denmark closed fast in round three.

The format is a simple one…each country provides three players, and the low two scores count. Ergo, with Sebastian Saavedra tossing six birds, one aguila, and a bogey, and companero Estanislao Goya (no relation to the food) cheeping in with 4 birds and a bogey, the Platenses climbed to -10 on day three, -8 overall. The incredibly hispanic Alan Wagner shot even-par 72, and was nowhere near counting for his team.

Mark Flindt Haastrup at 67 and Peter Baunsoe on 70 brought the Danes to -7 for the day and overall, certainly in the thick of things.

The USA story is seasoned with a bit of drama. A week or so ago, team member Webb Simpson of RonMon’s alma mater, Wake Forest, broke a bone in his hand, and was excused from the team.

Wake Forest golfer out with broken finger

WINSTON-SALEM – Wake Forest junior Webb Simpson, one of the nation’s top amateur golfers who’s a two-time All-ACC player, won’t be able to play until at least December after breaking a finger, school officials said.

“He just did it horsing around and he came down wrong on it,” coach Jerry Haas told the Winston-Salem Journal.

Simpson will miss the World Amateur Team Championships this month in South Africa because of the injury.

He helped the Deacons tie for third in the spring’s NCAA Championships and this past summer Simpson made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur. – AP

Filling in is the inappropriately-prepared Chris Kirk of Georgia, who weakly posted -1 & -7 to lead the whole individual thing at the halfway point. Career am Trip Kuehne recovered from a jet-lagged 78 to sign for 70 in round two. Jonathan Moore, aka Mr. Par, logged a pair of 72s, and is poised for another round of 72, opening round three with (you guessed it) a par.

At the other end of the spectrum, far from the bright lights of the leaderboard headboard, are the Mauritius, the Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Nigeria of the golfing world. Averaging +20s per player each round, it is the representation, the participation, that compels these players. In between, you’ll find a bit of everything spicy and savory from around the amateur golfing world.

As for me, my eyes tomorrow will be on Sweden’s Peter Svajlen. He’s due for a 63, by my count. The lad opened with 87, descended to a decadent 79, then absolutely lost his mind in a third-round 71. Having lopped 8 strokes off on each of days two and three from his previous tally, I’m counting on him for the magical 63. I’ll keep you posted.