USA Takes Lead After Second Round Of Copa de las Americas In Canada


June 21, 2007

By Mary Kate Brennan, USGA

Aurora, Ontario, Canada - The United States of America's team is in first place after the second day of the 2007 Copa de las Americas at Beacon Hill Golf Club. Both the men's and women's teams now lead their respective fields. Jennie Lee, who recorded a combined score of 150, is tied individually for first on the women's side. (For complete results, visit www.rcga.org).

The Copa de las Americas is an international team golf competition played every two years for countries in the Western Hemisphere. Three competitions of 72 holes - 18 holes for four days - overall (both men's and women's totals) are being conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association in conjunction with the USGA and The R&A. This year, 10 countries are participating in the competition - 15 in the men's competition and 10 in the women's.

Overall, the United States leads Canada by 10 strokes. Argentina fell to third with a combined score of 610.

The women, with a score of 304, are 11 strokes ahead of second place Canada and Argentina, who are both tied for second.  Lee, a member of the 2006 USA Curtis Cup squad as well as the 2006 and 2007 NCAA championship teams at Duke, shot a 72.  Her combined score of 150 placed her in a tie for first with Stephanie Sherlock of Canada.  Lee's partner, Stacy Lewis, an All-American at Arkansas, shot 77 for the second day in a row.  She's tied for third with Argentina's Agostina Parmigiani with a combined score of 154.   

With a collective 295 that put them in first, the men narrowly head into Friday's action one stroke ahead of Canada. Oklahoma State's Jonathan Moore, who competed in the 2006 U.S. Open, and teammate Webb Simpson (a member of Wake Forest's squad and who has been named to the 2007 U.S.A. Palmer Cup team) shot 77.  Moore, with a combined score of 146, was tied for third individually with Andres Felipe Echavarria Botero of Colombia.  With 149, Simpson was in seventh.

United States of America head coach Loren Singletary said that while the temperature had improved since Wednesday, strong winds continued to be a factor in the tournament. 

Despite extreme wind gusts on the 16th hole, arguably one of the hardest on the course, Lee recorded the first and only birdie during the event. Moore, who double bogeyed the hole, was impressed with Lee's performance. 

"It is an extremely hard hole," said Moore. "It is a par three, right into the wind."

Said Lee: "I had a really good shot off the tee. I just hit a three wood.  It went a little bit right, but just enough to catch the green." 

Lee then had a 25- to 30-foot putt for birdie.

"I putted a lot better today than yesterday," said Lee. "I definitely made some good par threes and some more birdies. That was a really important factor."

The third round begins 7:30 a.m. on Friday.

Mary Kate Brennan is an intern with the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at mbrennan@usga.org.