Stacy Lewis returns to lead Team USA at Spirit International
Courtesy The Spirit International
Stacy Lewis, a 13-time LPGA champion and accomplished international competitor, will return to captain Team USA for the 2021 Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship (The Spirit).
Lewis was previously captain of the 2019 team, which included the eventual men’s team champions Andy Ogletree and Cole Hammer, as well as women’s competitors Kaitlyn Papp and Emilia Migliaccio.
The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship is a first-class golf event in which the world’s best amateur golfers represent their respective countries in team and individual competitions. The event, which takes place every two years, is for 1.-7. Planned November 2021 at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas. The event is hosted by the Spirit Golf Association, which promotes amateur golf through philanthropy and has raised more than $ 13 million since its inception in 1999.
“The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship is such a unique and fun event for so many reasons,” said Lewis. “I look forward to coming back this year and building on the success Team USA has seen in this competition over the years.”
Congratulations to all of our #SpiritAlumni who made it into the top 20 at @AIGWomensOpen 2021. Keep up the great work! pic.twitter.com/kC4aZlBK7g
– Spirit International (@thespiritgolf) August 24, 2021 The Spirit includes 80 participants from 20 countries representing six continents. It is a 54-hole competition with five simultaneous competition categories: international team, men’s team and women’s team. Individual competitions for men and women will be new for 2021. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top three golfers in each competition.
“There is so much to look forward to in Spirit 2021, including updates to the Whispering Pines championship course and the addition of the men’s and women’s stroke play competition,” said Charlie Epps, president of the Spirit Golf Association and captain of Team USA at the first Spirit -Event 2001. “We are also very excited to have Stacy back as Team USA captain as she is a local product and a prime example for these young players of how they can represent your country and the game.”
Stacy Lewis (far left) with 2019 Team USA participants Andy Ogletree, Cole Hammer, Kaitlynn Papp, Emilia Migliaccio and Assistant Captain Alli Jarrett.
Lewis is no stranger to international competition. As a player, she is a five-time member of the United States’ Solheim Cup team (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) and also serves as the assistant captain for the 2021 event, which will take place September 4-6 at the Inverness Club in Toledo takes place. Lewis became the first player to win 5-0 in a single Curtis Cup in 2008, and she also represented the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In her professional career, Lewis won 13 times on the LPGA Tour, including two major championships: the ANA Inspiration 2011 and the British Women’s Open 2013. She made a total of 113 times in the top 10 and was LPGA Player of the Year in 2012 and 2014. Lewis won the 2017 Cambria Portland Classic and donated all of her winnings to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Last August, she won the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.
Team USA was successful at The Spirit. Under Lewis, the four American college amateurs fight for the sixth overall victory for Team USA in 10 events. Their last win came in 2015. The 2017 event was canceled due to Hurricane Harvey. The 2019 women’s team (Kaitlynn Papp and Emilia Migliaccio) was disqualified for signing a false scorecard, excluding the USA from the overall competition. Hammer finished second in the men’s individual standings, while Ogletree finished 19th.
About the Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship
Eighty participants from 20 countries compete for gold medals in the 54-hole four-ball stroke play competition at the Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship. Each country is represented by two amateur golfers and two men. Past Spirit International participants who are now professionals on the LPGA and PGA TOUR include Lorena Ochoa, Brooke Henderson, Jordan Spieth, Francesco Molinari, Lexi Thompson, Brandt Snedeker, Paula Creamer, Jason Day, Bronte Law, Martin Kaymer, Maria Fassi and Viktor Hovland. Spirit alumni have won more than 650 professional titles, 25 major championships and 17 Olympic participations, including 16 PGA Tour winners, 25 European Tour winners, 23 LPGA winners and 21 Ladies European Tour winners. The Spirit Golf Association is committed to promoting amateur golf for the benefit of health. It organizes and oversees the tournament together with the Texas Golf Association.
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 shows 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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