Canada's Mens World Amateur Team Announced

(Official release from the RCGA)

The biennial World Amateur Team Championship is set for October 16-19 at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club and the West course of the Grange Golf Club. Teams from around the world will compete for the Eisenhower Trophy with the best two scores each day counting towards the team total. Contested over 72 holes of stroke play, the event will feature both a team and individual component.

Taylor, (right) the National Men's Amateur Champion in 2007, Irwin, the 2008 Pacific Coast Amateur medalist, and Markle will be looking to build upon Team Canada's second place finish at the 2006 event in South Africa.

Matt Hill of Bright's Grove, Ont. will be the team's first alternate while Doug Roxburgh of Vncouver, a seven-time member of Canada's World Amateur Team, will return as non-playing captain.

"This year's men's team is an extremely gifted group of golfers," said Roxburgh, RCGA Director of High Performance. "We are pleased to have Nick, Jordan and David representing Team Canada and the RCGA at this prestigious international championship. They have all played extremely well and have justly earned the right to represent Canada on the world stage."

The final selection for the Men's World Amateur Team took place following the U.S. Amateur.

Last week the RCGA announced that BC Amateur Champion Kira Miexner of Richmond, Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont. and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Windsor, Que., had been selected for the Women's Team to compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy October 8-11 at the West and East courses of the Grange Golf Club.

Team Canada's best showing in the Men's event came in 1986 when they claimed top honours. Members of the team thatyar included Mark Brewer, Brent Franklin, Jack Kay, Jr., and Warren Sye. Canada's Men's Team also finished fourth in 1996, tied for fourth in 2004 and second in 2006.

The biennial World Amateur Golf Team Championships features two consecutive tournaments - the women's event for the Espirito Santo Trophy followed by the men's event for the Eisenhower Trophy.

The 2008 World Amateur will see a record 125 teams competing with Australia hosting for the second time in the event's 50-year history.

More information about the World Amateur Team Championship is available on-line at www.internationalgolffederation.org. A link to pairings, start times and post-round results during the World Amateur Team Championship will also be available at www.rcga.org.

ABOUT THE RCGA NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM
The RCGA National Team Program incorporates advanced coaching, sport science expertise, training camps and world-class competition. The RCGA allocates over $1 million of its resources annually to the National Team program, encompassing strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition, biomechanics and technique development. Players who are selected to the National Amateur and National Developmental Teams represent Canada at six to 10 internationally-sanctioned golf competitions throughout the year. The intent of this comprehensive program is to aid Canada's top up-and-coming amateur players in all areas of their development, helping Canada produce the best golfers in the world.

Team Canada, the pinnacle of the RCGA's High Performance Program, provides access to world class resources including coaching, nutrition, sport science, mental management, equipment and elite competitive opportunities.

For more information about Team Canada or to make a donation towards the development of Canada's future golf stars, visit www.rcga.org.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA's mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, CN Future Links, Canada's national junior golf program, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada's most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women's Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.

For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community visit www.rcga.org.