Team Canada 7th At Rain-Shortened World Amateur

TEAM CANADA IN SEVENTH PLACE AS THIRD-ROUND PLAY SUSPENDED AT WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

- Championship shortened to 54 holes due to second-round weather delay;

Mackenzie Hughes sits tied for ninth individually, nine shots off the lead -

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – With scores registered for between eight and 10 holes of third-round play Saturday, the Team Canada contingent of Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Albin Choi of Toronto and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is in seventh place at 10-under par at the 2012 World Amateur Team Championship in Antalya, Turkey, fourteen shots back of Team USA which sits atop the leaderboard at 24-under par.

Earlier in the day on Saturday, the Canadian trio completed second-round action at the par-72 Cornelia Golf Club’s Faldo Course which had been suspended on Friday evening after a lengthy weather delay and ultimately called due to darkness. Hughes, Choi and Conners posted a 36-hole tally of 12-under par 274 to sit T3, eight shots off the lead prior to commencing third-round play.

The World Amateur Team Championship was subsequently shortened to 54 holes due to the six-hour weather delay ahead of Friday’s second round.

Playing the par-71 Antalya Golf Club’s PGA Sultan Course in the afternoon, Team Canada was 2-over par when third-round play was called.

“Obviously, we were hoping for another 36 holes and disappointed that it couldn’t happen,” said Team Canada Men’s Squad Head Coach Derek Ingram. “The reality is that we were super prepared for today, but it just didn’t go as planned.”

With scores recorded through 10 holes, Conners, a former member of Team Canada’s National Squad and a junior at Kent State University, led the team in scoring for the day at even-par after posting three birdies and three bogeys.

“Nobody really got off to the start we wanted,” said Conners, who sits T41 at even-par for the championship. “Still, we’re looking forward to making some birdies tomorrow.”

Choi, a member of Team Canada’s National Squad and a junior at North Carolina State University, also registered scores through 10 holes on Saturday afternoon. The 2010 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Choi is at 2-over par for the round and T32 for the championship at 1-under par total.

Hughes, meanwhile, continues to lead the Canadian contingent on the individual leaderboard with a tally of 5-under par for championship. A member of Team Canada’s National Squad and the reigning two-time Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Hughes is T9, nine shots back of co-leaders Chris Williams of the United States and Sebastian Vazquez of Mexico. Hughes was 3-over par on the day through 8 holes of his third round.

Defending champion, Team France, is currently in second place at 16-under par, eight shots back of the United States, while Team Mexico is third at 15-under par. Team Republic of Korea and Team Germany round out the top-5.

A biennial competition, the World Amateur Team Championship has been played since 1958, with the winner taking custody of the Eisenhower Trophy for the ensuing two years and each team member receiving a gold medal. The second-place team members receive silver medals and the third-place team receives bronze medals.

On Sunday, the United States will be vying to win its 14th championship and first since 2004.

In 26 appearances at the World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has captured the Eisenhower Trophy on one occasion (1986), earned runner-up honours four times and posted twenty-three top-10 finishes.

The World Amateur Team title is determined by four days of stroke play. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team’s score for the championship.

The World Amateur Team Championships are conducted by the International Golf Federation, which was founded in 1958 to encourage the international development of the game and to employ golf as a vehicle to foster friendship and sportsmanship. The IGF, the International Olympic Committee’s international federation for golf, comprises the national governing bodies of golf in more than 125 countries, and is the organization that will conduct the golf competition at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

For more information on the 2012 World Amateur Team Championships, visit www.internationalgolffederation.org.

ABOUT CANADA’S NATIONAL AMATEUR TEAM PROGRAM

Canada’s National Amateur Team program incorporates advanced coaching, sport science expertise, training camps and world-class competition. Golf Canada 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 Developmental Teams represent Canada at six to 10 internationally-sanctioned golf competitions throughout the year. The intent of this comprehensive program is to aid Canada’s top up-and-coming amateur players in all areas of their development, helping Canada produce the best golfers in the world.

Team Canada, the pinnacle of Golf Canada’s High Performance Program, provides access to world-class resources including coaching, nutrition, sport science, mental management, equipment and elite competitive opportunities. The program builds on the support team members have received in their development years from their family, member clubs, personal coaches, university programs and provincial golf associations. Golf Canada’s High Performance Program and Team Canada are proudly supported by RBC Wealth Management, Titleist, FootJoy, Under Armour, Under Armour Performance Eyewear, ClubLink and Heritage Canada.

For more information about Team Canada or to make a donation towards the development of Canada’s future golf stars, please visit www.golfcanada.ca/teamcanada.

RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT SUPPORTS THE GAME OF GOLF

RBC Wealth Management is the industry leader in Canada, providing full-service investment and wealth management solutions to affluent and high net worth clients. Along with our parent company, RBC, one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, we proudly support golf around the world through high profile relationships with the PGATOUR, the PGA of America and Golf Canada. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services partner of touring professionals Luke Donald, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Fred Couples, Stephen Ames, Mike Weir, and Morgan Pressel. We are the Official Bank of the PGA of America and title sponsor of the RBC Heritage and RBC Canadian Open. RBC Wealth Management is particularly proud to support emerging Canadian golfers through Golf Canada’s developmental programming, their Canadian Amateur Championships and high performance national team. www.rbcwealthmanagement.com.

GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.

Golf Canada is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing more than 340,000 members at close to 1,500 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sport Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game.

A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada conducts championships, programs and services to help shape the present and future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, Golf in Schools presented by Callaway, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, CN Canadian Women’s Tour and CN Future Links – Canada’s national junior golf program – are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. As the authority for golf in Canada, the association also administers the Rules of Golf, amateur status and handicapping and course rating.

In addition, Golf Canada conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships provide world class competitive opportunities for Canada’s top golfers to showcase their talents.

For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit us online at www.golfcanada.ca.