10. Spirit International Amateur Set November 4-6 in Texas
The Spirit Golf Association (SGA) will host the Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship from November 4-6, presented by the Will Erwin Headache Research Foundation (The Spirit) on the shores of Lake Livingston at the Whispering Pines Golf Club. The biennial event, which will be held for the 10th time in 2021, is a first-class amateur competition that brings together the world’s best amateur golfers and golfers, representing their respective countries in team and individual play.
The Will Erwin Headache Research Foundation is the title sponsor of Spirit 2021 and a beneficiary of SGA’s ongoing fundraising campaign with nationwide golf events.
“The Spirit International Golf Championship is the flagship of the Spirit Golf Association and one of the top destinations for amateur golfers around the world,” said Charlie Epps, president of the Spirit Golf Association. “We are very excited to host the 2021 event for these young men and women, to raise funds for the Will Erwin Headache Research Foundation and to hold our very first single punch game competition.”
The Spirit includes 80 participants from 20 countries. It is a 54-hole competition with five simultaneous competition categories: international team, men’s and women’s team, and individual stroke play competitions for men and women. Up until this year, the individual competition was a count of each player’s total holes under par. Starting with the 2021 event, the individual competition will be a traditional Stoke Play. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top three golfers in each competition.
The Spirit has been a proving ground for international players over the years, many of whom have enjoyed success on professional tours. Notable alumni of The Spirit include Jordan Spieth, Lorena Ochoa, Jason Day, Lexi Thompson, Francesco Molinari, Paula Creamer, and many others. There will be 23 women and 16 men in the 2021 Olympics, bringing the total to 56 golfers at all Olympics.
France will return to The Spirit this year to defend their combined team championship from 2019. The US team of Cole Hammer and Andy Ogletree won the 2019 men’s team event, while the Republic of South Korea won the women’s team title. The Australian Jack Trent won the single game with a total of 20 birdies and an eagle. The women’s individual winner was Jeonghyun Lee from the Republic of Korea with 17 birdies.
Spirit’s host golf course, Whispering Pines Golf Club, is widely recognized as the best golf course in the state of Texas. The beautiful 18-hole championship golf course is carved through pine forests, streams, lakes and natural dunes. It was originally designed in 1998 by Texas golf course architect Chet Williams with the Nicklaus Design Group. In December 2019, Williams returned to building the course during the season closure. The 2021 Spirit will be the first to play on the updated layout.
Founded in 2014, the Will Erwin Headache Research Foundation is raising funds to support research aimed at understanding the causes and finding a cure for debilitating headaches, including migraines and cluster headaches. The foundation was established to commemorate Will Erwin, whose history and further information about the foundation can be found at www.cureheadaches.org.
Other sponsors whose contributions support The Spirit are Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Chevron, Insperity, John Deere / Brookside Equipment Sales, Inc., Taylormade, EZGO and Munich Re Tradding LLC. The competition starts at The Spirit on Thursday November 4th. Live scoring, live streaming and TV information will be announced closer to the event.
ABOUT THE The Spirit International Amateur
The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship is a world-class golf event that is held every two years. It presents the world’s best amateur men and women golfers who represent their respective countries in team and individual competitions. The 96 participants enjoy an Olympic experience from the opening / closing ceremony, the international village and the battle for gold medals.
The World Health & Golf Association and Texas Golf Association invite 24 countries from six continents to participate. The Spirit was founded in 2001 and is a biennial event that alternates tournament years with the World Amateur Team Championships.
The uniqueness of Spirit International includes the five simultaneous competitions: Combined International Championship, Men’s Team Championship, Women’s Team Championship, Men’s Singles and Ladies Singles.
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