History
More than 70 years of competition and excitement
Eisenhower Trophy
In 1957, the United States Golf Association (USGA) received an invitation for a team match between the USA and Japan. An already busy schedule, led to the USGA counter-proposing a team competition to bring together the best players from countries from around the world. Thus, the World Team Championship concept was borne.
In March 1958, USGA representatives met with officials of The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and together they proposed St. Andrews as the site of the first championship. Later that year, 32 member organisations formed the World Amateur Golf Council, and the very first championship was planned. The championship prize, the Eisenhower Trophy, took its name from then USA President, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In October 1958, 115 players representing 29 countries competed in the inaugural championship on the Old Course of St. Andrews. Australia won in a playoff with the USA. The lowest individual scores for the 72 holes were 301s by William Hyndman III of the USA, Bruce Devlin of Australia and Reid Jack of Great Britain and Ireland.
Eispirito Santo Trophy
Similarly for the women, a proposal for a team match between the USA and France in 1964 grew into the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. France hosted the first women’s event at St. Germain Golf Club, near Paris in October 1964. Seventy-five players from 25 countries participated, with France lifting the Espirito Santo Trophy at the end of the championship, prevailing over the USA by one stroke.
Two years later, in 1966, the World Amateur Golf Council assumed the role of conducting all future Women’s World Amateur Team Championships. In 2003, the name of the organisation was changed from the World Amateur Golf Council to its current name, the International Golf Federation.
2023 saw the 33rd and 30th editions respectively of the men’s and women’s World Amateur Team Championships played.
