GolfRSA has named two strong teams to represent South Africa at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships, which will be hosted by the Singapore Golf Association at the Tanah Merah Country Club in October.
Former GolfRSA No 1 Kyra van Kan will make her debut in the Espirito Santo Trophy alongside University of North Carolina standout Megan Streicher and reigning GolfRSA International Amateur champion Bobbi Brown, who previously represented South Africa in 2022 and 2023.
The trio will be aiming to replicate South Africa’s historic 2006 victory in the Espirito Santo Trophy, when Ashleigh Buhai, Stacy Bregman and Kelli Shean claimed the title on home soil.
South Africa’s top-ranked amateur, Christiaan Maas, returns for his third appearance in the Eisenhower Trophy after representing the country in France in 2022 and Abu Dhabi in 2023.
He is joined by Eisenhower debutants Daniel Bennett and Charl Barnard.
In 2023, Maas teamed up with Christo Lamprecht and Altin van der Merwe to secure a seventh-place finish – the country’s best result at the World Amateur Team Championships since a runner-up finish in 1982.
The women will compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy from 1-4 October, while the men’s Eisenhower Trophy will be contested from 8-11 October.
Both championships consist of 72 holes of stroke play.
Teams comprise two or three players, with the best two scores in each 18-hole round counting toward the team’s daily score.
The team with the lowest combined total over four rounds will be crowned champions.
'BOTH TEAM CAN GO ALL THE WAY'
GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn praised the depth of talent in the national squads.
“We congratulate the selectors on naming two powerful teams who can put up compelling performances and challenge for the ultimate prize in amateur golf.
“It was no doubt a difficult choice because the talent pool in South Africa runs very deep. The World Amateur Team Championships are played at the highest level of competition, and I have no doubt that these six GolfRSA National Squad members will rise to the occasion. They have all enjoyed strong performances this year and we are very proud of their achievements. Both teams have a strong mix of experience and youth and can go all the way.”
South African Golf Association Vice-President Peet van Schalkwyk and GolfRSA National Squad conditioning coach Gavin Groves will accompany the men’s team.
South African Golf Association President Henk Smith expressed confidence in the men’s side.
“High expectations are part and parcel of this event, but we believe that we have selected a strong team, and we are going to Singapore with a winning mindset. We know that we will be up against the world’s very best golfers, but we have three superbly talented players in Christiaan, Dan, and Charl, who have worked exceptionally hard and have produced the results to earn the honour of representing South Africa. We believe that they will do South Africa proud.”
Women’s Golf South Africa President Susan Andrew and National Women’s Squad coach Val Holland will travel with the women’s team.
Olivia Wood has been named the non-travelling reserve for the women’s team.
Andrew was equally optimistic about the women’s team.
“The Espirito Santo Trophy is the pinnacle of women’s amateur golf, and I am delighted that we have been able to assemble such a strong team for this year’s event in Singapore. They have all earned their spots with consistently strong performances and excellent results over the past two seasons.
“Megan and Kyra, who just completed her first season at the University of Tennessee, were dominant performers on the GolfRSA circuit in the past, and Bobbi has had a remarkable resurgence this year coming back from injury. All three women are performing exceptionally well, and their experience competing at international level will be invaluable. We are confident in their ability to compete at the highest level in Singapore.”