Two golfers from Eastern Ontario are leading the way for Canada after round one of the 2013 Copa de las Americas.
In Thursday’s opening round at the par-72 TPC Blue Monster Course at Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls shot 71, the lowest round by any female competitor. Matched with the 76 by fellow Team Canada member, Augusta James of Bath, Ontario, the pair tied for the lowest score of the day in the women’s competition.
Henderson, of Canada, was the lone female player to return a subpar score.
“It’s a beautiful course and I just enjoyed playing it,” said the 15-year-old Henderson, who won on the Canadian Women’s Tour in 2012. “I was striking the ball well, which helped. I missed a few short putts, but overall, it was a great day.”
Henderson pointed to a 20-foot downhill birdie putt at the par-4 17th as the key moment of her round.
“I was just thinking get it in two and I’d be happy! So that helped my round,” she said.
The Canadian Men’s Team of Albin Choi (76) and Corey Conners (77) are 8th among the men after round one.
Combining both the men’s and women’s scores, the Canadian team sits in 5th place overall at 12-over 300. That puts them 7 shots off the lead of Team Argentina.
The Argentines returned a four-person score of 5-over 293, with Colombia and the USA at 7-over 295. Mexico is fourth at 10-over 298, while Canada rounds out the top five at 12-over 300.
The 2013 Copa de las Americas, conducted by the Americas Golf Association and hosted by the United States Golf Association, is a team event for amateurs in North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. It consists of three 72-hole stroke-play competitions – overall, men and women – and the competitions end on Sunday.
Miami – Results from Thursday’s first day of stroke play at the 2013 Copa de las Americas, being conducted at the par-72 TPC Blue Monster Course at Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami (men, 7,099 yards; women, 6,205 yards):
Overall Championship
293 Argentina (Alejandro Tosti 36-36–72; María Olivero 35-37–72; Jaime López Rivarola 35-39–74; Delfina Acosta 37-38—75)
295 Colombia (Ricardo José Celia 37-33–70; Carlos Ernesto Rodriguez 32-39–71; Laura Blanco 36-39–75; Camila Serrano 39-40—79)
295 USA (Chris Williams 35-36–71; Erynne Lee 36-37–73; Steven Fox 37-38–75; Lindy Duncan 38-38—76)
298 Mexico (Carlos Ortiz 33-35–68; Gabriela López 37-36–73; Rodolfo Cazaubon 37-40–77; Fabiola Arriaga 38-42—80)
300 Canada (Brooke Mackenzie Henderson 35-36–71; Albin Choi 38-38–76; Augusta James 38-38–76; Corey Conners 38-39—77)
311 Venezuela (Gustavo Morantes 38-35–73; Jorge Garcia 35-39–74; Claudia de Antonio 40-42–82; María Alejandra Merchán 43-39—82)
312 Trinidad and Tobago (Matthew Marquez 33-39–72; Monifa Sealy 40-38–78; Talin Rajendranath 39-41–80; Kelsey Lou-Hing 40-42—82)
335 Guatemala (Lucia Polo 38-38–76; Rodrigo Olivero 42-39–81; Sebastian Barnoya 40-42–82; Pilar Echeverría 43-53—96)
Men’s Championship
141 Colombia (Ricardo José Celia 37-33–70; Carlos Ernesto Rodriguez 32-39–71)
145 Mexico (Carlos Ortiz 33-35–68; Rodolfo Cazaubon 37-40–77)
146 Argentina (Alejandro Tosti 36-36–72; Jaime López Rivarola 35-39–74)
146 USA (Chris Williams 35-36–71; Steven Fox 37-38–75)
147 Venezuela (Gustavo Morantes 38-35–73; Jorge Garcia 35-39–74)
149 Puerto Rico (Erick Morales 39-35–74; Edward Figueroa 37-38–75)
152 Trinidad and Tobago (Matthew Marquez 33-39–72; Talin Rajendranath 39-41–80)
153 Canada (Albin Choi 38-38–76; Corey Conners 38-39–77)
154 Panama (Omar Tejeira 37-37–74; Miguel Ordoñez 40-40–80)
155 Peru (Joaquin Lolas 36-40–76; Miguel Tola 42-37–79)
163 Guatemala (Rodrigo Olivero 42-39–81; Sebastian Barnoya 40-42—82)
Women’s Championship
147 Argentina (María Olivero 35-37–72; Delfina Acosta 37-38–75)
147 Canada (Brooke Mackenzie Henderson 35-36–71; Augusta James 38-38–76)
149 USA (Erynne Lee 36-37–73; Lindy Duncan 38-38–76)
153 Mexico (Gabriela López 37-36–73; Fabiola Arriaga 38-42–80)
154 Colombia (Laura Blanco 36-39–75; Camila Serrano 39-40–79)
160 Trinidad and Tobago (Monifa Sealy 40-38–78; Kelsey Lou-Hing 40-42–82)
164 Venezuela (Claudia de Antonio 40-42–82; María Alejandra Merchán 43-39–82)
172 Guatemala (Lucia Polo 38-38–76; Pilar Echeverría 43-53–96)
