Team USA Wins Can-Am Junior Team Matches

On the second day of the Can-Am Junior Team Matches, the American team earned 157 ½ of 288 possible points to defeat the Canadian squad 233 ½ to 198 ½ to earn the 2011 title of Can Am Champions.

Sunday’s format featured singles match play with the South Carolina junior golfers facing off against junior golfers from the Canadian Province of Ontario.  Eighteen points were available per match – one per each hole.  In the event of a tie, each team gets ½ of a point.
 

The first day of the Can-Am Junior Team Matches had the American team holding a narrow margin over the Canadian juniors 76 to 68 at Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, SC. 

The young ladies led off the Matches Sunday and narrowed the first day lead of the American team with some solid play starting off the day.  Reona Hirai (Summerville) and Louise Oxner (Greenville) both dominated their matches and truly set the tone for the day.  After the eight Matches had concluded, the Americans added 16 points to their first day lead.  Matthew Nesmith (N. Augusta) also started the boys matches off well with an eight point victory. The next few Matches, contested by the boys were close and the margin was trimmed down.  However the final two Matches featuring the top two young men from both South Carolina and Ontario sealed the win for the American Team.  Florence, SC native Stephen Behr battled Lucas Kim and earned a three point win.  Cody Proveaux of Leesville took on Brandon Ng (the only player to play on either team for four years) of Ontario.  Experience didn’t prevail as Proveaux earned an additional six points and put an exclamation point on the American win.  After a 2010 where the Joseph T. Simons Can Am Trophy spent a year in Ontario, it is now coming back to South Carolina.

Overall, the 2011 Can Am Junior Team Matches were a success in terms of growing the game and strengthening the relationship between neighboring countries, especially with the addition of the females this year.  The American win of the 13th annual edition of the Matches put the record to a 10-3 margin in the win-loss column in the 13 year history of the event in favor of the U.S.

A special note that this event would not be possible without the continued support from Wachesaw Plantation and more specifically a group of its members who help fund this event, appropriately named the “Wachesaw Warriors.”  Also, a special thanks to all of the host families that housed some of the players this year.

The matches were contested over the 6,853 (boys) / 5,940 (girls) yard par 72 Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, SC.  Wachesaw Plantation has hosted the matches since 2002 and has agreed to host the event through 2013.   The series stands at 9 – 3 in favor of the SC junior boys.  The team from South Carolina is selected by using the HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION RANKINGS System from the previous December’s point standings.  The top eight ranked players are invited.  

Overall Results
USA – 233 ½, Canada – 198 ½ 

Day 2 Results
USA – 157 ½, Canada – 130 ½
Reona Hirai – 12, Maya Parsons – 6
Louise Oxner – 11 ½, Stephanie Tucker – 6 ½
Elizabeth Thompson – 9 ½, Yoo Rim Kang – 8 ½ 
Kaitlin Matheson – 10, Jenna Hague – 8
Chelsey Couch – 7 ½, Meghan McDougall – 10 ½
Katelyn Dambaugh – 10, Katlyn Elliott – 8

Collins Bradshaw – 10, Elizabeth Tong – 8
McKenzie Talbert – 9 ½, Vivian Tsui – 8 ½
Matthew Nesmith – 13, Taewon Kim – 5
Austin Langdale – 10, Matt Lemay – 8
Caleb Sturgeon – 8, Brett McIntosh – 10
Taylor Zoller – 8, Turner Southey-Gordon – 10
Hayden Garrett – 8, Michael Nedoszytko – 10
Blake Kennedy – 8, Lucas Kim – 10
Stephen Behr – 10 ½, Blair Hamilton – 7 ½
Cody Proveaux – 12, Brandon Ng – 6

Day One Results
USA – 76, Canada – 68
Proveaux / Kennedy – 11, Ng / T. Kim – 7
Behr / Garrett – 10, L. Kim / Lemay – 8
Nesmith / Sturgeon – 10 ½, Gordon / Nagindas – 7 ½ 
Langdale / Zoller – 9, Nedoszytko / McIntosh – 9
Talbert / Matheson – 9, Tsui / Kang – 9
Dambaugh / Bradshaw – 9 ½, McDougall / Hague – 8 ½ 
Oxner / Couch – 8 ½, Tong / Parsons – 9 ½
Hirai / Thompson – 8 ½, Elliott / Tucker – 9 ½ 

South Carolina Team
Cody Proveaux – Leesville, SC                McKenzie Talbert – North Augusta, SC
Matthew Nesmith – North Augusta, SC            Collins Bradshaw – Columbia, SC
Austin Langdale – Townville, SC                Chelsey Couch – Ware Shoals, SC
Caleb Sturgeon – Laurens, SC                Kaitlin Matheson – Easley, SC
Hayden Garrett – Easley, SC                Elizabeth Thompson – Charleston, SC
Blake Kennedy – Moore, SC                Katelyn Dambaugh – Goose Creek, SC   
Taylor Zoller – North Charleston, SC            Reona Hirai – Summerville, SC
Stephen Behr – Florence, SC                Louise Oxner – Greenville, SC
Coaches: Joe Quick, Justin Fleming & Lorraine Ballerano

Canadian Team
Brandon Ng – Toronto, Ontario                Vivian Tsui – Markham, Ontario
Lucas Kim – Toronto, Ontario                Elizabeth Tong – Thornhill, Ontario
Mike Nedoszytko – Scarborough, Ontario            Katlyn Elliott – Peterborough, Ontario
Turner Southey-Gordon – Toronto, Ontario            Meghan McDougall – Orangeville, Ontario
Brett McIntosh – London, Ontario                Jenna Hague – Burlington, Ontario
Matt Lemay – Waterloo, Ontario                Yoorim Kang – Toronto, Ontario
Taewon Kim – Richmond Hill, Ontario            Stephanie Tucker – Orangeville, Ontario
Shyamal Nagindas – Aurora, Ontario            Maya Parsons – Whitby, Ontario
Coaches: Mike Kelly, Jon Roy, Cathy Sherk & Mary Ann Lapointe