New Zealand Golf name World Amateur Championship teams

New Zealand Golf has named two strong teams to contest at the World Amateur Teams Championships with leading amateurs Daniel Hillier and Wenyung Keh headlining the selections.

The World Amateur Teams Championships will be held at Carton House in Maynooth, Ireland over 72 holes of stroke play with the women playing from 29 August - 1 September and the men 5 - 8 September 2018.

Espirito Santo Trophy team - Wenyung Keh (Washington State/Auckland), Julianne Alvarez (Washington State/Wellington) and Amelia Garvey (USC/Canterbury).

Eisenhower Trophy team - Daniel Hillier (Wellington), Denzel Ieremia (Iowa State/Waikato) and Kerry Mountcastle (Wellington).

New Zealands leading male amateur Hillier will spearhead the mens team as they contest for the Eisenhower trophy, hoping to emulate the victorious 1992 team and lift the coveted trophy.

Hillier, who is now ranked 25th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) has recently completed a three tournament stretch in Europe, making the match play stages of the Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen in Scotland before finishing with an impressive tied 7th at the European Amateur Championship in the Netherlands.

He now heads to the U.S to play a number of events including the U.S Amateur Championship in late August, but is already looking forward to returning to the UK in September with the fern on his chest.

"I had never been to this side of the world, so to experience links golf in Scotland at the Amateur Championship was great and will hopefully help me to feel more comfortable in Ireland."

"I love representing New Zealand and it would be great for this team to join our 1992 team and have our name on the trophy as well." said Hillier.

Joining Hillier in the three-man team will be U.S based Denzel Ieremia and fellow Wellingtonian, Kerry Mountcastle.

Mountcastle closed off the domestic season in fine style with victories in the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship at Paraparaumu Beach before beating the professionals at the Carrus Open, for his maiden title on the Jennian Homes Charles Tour.

Ieremia has played his way into the team while completing his degree at Iowa State University. He will bring three years of international competitive experience and a number of standout performances for his college team to Ireland.

As for the Espirito Santo Trophy team, it will be Keh who will be hoping to repeat her form from this years inaugural Womens Asia Pacific Championship where she forced her way into a play-off on the Sunday.

That form, along with the experience of fellow Washington State team mate Julianne Alvarez and the big hitting prowess of Amelia Garvey, should see the kiwis well positioned to make a run at the Espirito Trophy.

While Kehs performance in Singapore saw her rise to a career high 79 in the WAGR, Alvarez and Garvey have both carved out their own paths. After winning multiple titles in New Zealand, Alvarez has had a number of successes in the U.S, while Garvey has already made her mark at USC in the six months she has been there.

Keh is looking forward to the challenge that they will face in Ireland.

"College golf has set us up well for when we get to pull on the national colours. We play a lot of team golf over here in the States, with the highlight being winning the NCAA title with Julianne. We are both super excited to play for New Zealand again."

New Zealand Golf High Performance Manager, Gregg Thorpe, is looking forward to seeing what these players can achieve in Ireland.

"The selectors have picked two strong teams, each of whom have already shown how well they can play and who on their day can challenge the very best. The team golf format is an interesting one with only two of the three team scores counting each day. History shows those that if one or two team members can do something special anything can happen," said Thorpe.

"There is no doubt the intensity of an event like the World Amateur Teams Championship is a step up for everyone, but these players all have the skill and experience to thrive in this environment."

The teams will be supported by Liz McKinnon, Jay Carter and Bryce Hamer.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Golf NZ