FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association will lead a delegation that includes eight junior golfers – four boys and four girls – and will represent the United States in the 2013 USA-China Youth Golf Match, co-sponsored by the USGA and the China Golf Association. The third edition of this international competition that fosters camaraderie and sportsmanship between the two nations will take place August 2-3 at Nanshan International Golf Club in the Shandong Province of China.
The USA team members are all age 16 or younger. Each player, in addition to being an accomplished golfer, is a member of Leadership Links, a jointly administered program of the USGA and the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) that promotes service and volunteerism among aspiring junior golfers.
The boys representing the USA are A.J. Beechler, 13, of Pinehurst, N.C.; Wilson Furr, 15, of Jackson, Miss.; Seiya Liu, 16, of Beverly Hills, Calif.; and Patrick Martin, 16, of Birmingham, Ala. The girls on the team are Dree Fausnaugh, 16, of Maitland, Fla.; Divya Manthena, 15, of Camarillo, Calif.; Ciara Petronzio, 15, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Jean Tyrrell, 16, of Leawood, Kansas. Manthena is the only returning member from last year’s team, which competed at CordeValle Golf Resort outside San Francisco. She was a recipient of the 2013 USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award, given out on July 10 in Lancaster, Pa.
“This match is a wonderful opportunity to build off the success of last year’s event,” said USGA Vice President Daniel B. Burton, who will accompany the team on the trip to China. “The young men and women representing the USA will have the chance to experience the hospitality and culture of China and all of us will share the game’s spirit, traditions and camaraderie with our counterparts at the China Golf Association.”
The USA-China Youth Golf Match will consist of four foursomes (alternate-shot) matches, four four-ball matches and eight singles matches over two days of competition. Prior to last year’s Match at CordeValle, in which China came away the victors, the inaugural match was held in 2008 in China in conjunction with the Beijing Olympics, with USA prevailing.
The team from the United States will arrive in China
on July 30 and spend six days in the country. In addition to the scheduled
golf, the team and USGA representatives will experience cultural activities and
tours, including stops at the Nanshan Buddha and Tourist Resort, Great Wall and
the Forbidden City in Beijing.