The biennial World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House, Ireland was a learning experience for the young Indian contingent.
The boys’ team comprising Aadil Bedi (aged 17), Kshitij Naveed Kaul (17) and Rayhan Thomas (18) finished T-31. Thomas, who is the highest ranked Indian on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), recorded the best-ever score by an Indian golfer at the 31st Eisenhower Trophy (September 5-8), shooting 15-under 275 and finishing T-8 individually. In so doing, he bettered Udayan Mane‘s effort. The Bengalurean had finished T-13 in the 2014 edition of the event.
In the women’s competition, the 28th Espirito Santo Trophy (August 29-September 1), India finished T-25. 17-year-olds Diksha Dagar, Ridhima Dilawari and Sifat Sagoo represented the country.
Named after the 34th President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was himself a keen golfer, the Eisenhower Trophy features teams from over 70 countries. Here is a list of US Presidents and how many rounds they played over the course of their tenure in the White House:
FACTS ABOUT EISENHOWER TROPHY
l This was the first staging of the Eisenhower Trophy in Ireland. The inaugural championship
was held at St. Andrews in 1958
l USA has been dominant at this event, winning it 15 times. Australia and Great Britain are
next with four titles apiece
l Denmark registered their first win at the event this year. Their best finish till now was a
runner-up showing in 2010 and the team—Lucas Bjerregaard (European Tour), Joachim
Brandt Hansen and Morten Ørum Madsen (Challenge Tour, both)—has since turned pro
(Read more in the October issue of Golf Digest India. Download here.)