A Final Look at the World Club Championship
Source: A Final Look at the World Club Championship
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (November 8, 2012) - Seminole Golf Club of USA represented by David Abell and Kelly Miller, became the 2012 World Club Championship winners on Friday, November 2, 2012, when they narrowly defeated St. George's Golf and Country Club, Canada at The Dunes Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Abell and Miller joined 19 other teams from around the world at Diamante Cabo San Lucas for a week of competitive play. The World Club Championship invites the club champion and a partner from clubs who are listed on GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Courses in the World. The Dunes Course, designed by Davis Love III and Love Golf Design, opened in 2009 and debuted at #58 on the 2011GOLF Magazine's Top 100 list.
"The World Club Championship embraces the finest in amateur golf and we saw that on display this week at Diamante," said Ken Jowdy, CEO of Diamante Cabo San Lucas. "The level of competition and camaraderie were tremendous."
The prestigious amateur tournament began with a moving opening ceremony. In memory of Norman Swenson, who passed away traveling home following the 2011 WCC, the driver he used at Pine Valley was presented to the defending champions from Durban Country Club in South Africa. The Durban Club Champion, Ryan Birnie, hit the first ball with the driver as a tribute to Swenson, a three-time participant, to kick off the first round of competition.
"This year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the World Club Championship at Diamante in Mexico, the fourth country to host the Championship, where we enjoyed matches between the most competitive teams fielded in ten years," said World Club Championship Founder and Director, David V Smith. "The Championship has grown in stature around the world and we look to the future for club invitations that will become more coveted and future sites that will vie for the opportunity to host this great amateur Championship."
After two days of 18-Hole Four Ball Stroke Play, the top four teams moved on to the semifinals and Match Play competition. Durban's team of Birnie and Sean Fenger were defeated by the Canadian team from St. George's Golf and Country Club. In the other semifinal, Seminole beat the Irish Portmarnock Golf Club team of John Greene and Geoff Lenehan.
The Match Play Final between Seminole and St. George's was a tight match from start to finish. Going to the final hole, Seminole was 1 up. Elgner hit a putt from the fringe that was conceded but Miller hit a 15 foot putt to win the match.
The Seminole veteran team of Abell and Miller, who won the 2006 WCC for Pine Valley, USA have played together at the WCC four times always finishing near the top. St. George's Golf and Country Club were represented by Mark Elgner, who played in 2006 WCC and Colin Flabbi, who played in 2011 WCC.
In the third and fourth place playoff, it came down to the 18th hole again between the defending champs Sean Fenger and Ryan Birnie of Durban and John Greene and Geoff Lenehan of Portmarnock with Pormarnock winning 1 up at 18.
The Chairman's Division Final was made up of the 16 teams who missed the cut for the Match Play semifinals. Royal Troon of Scotland's team of Paul Moultrie and Michal Smyth won finishing 5 under and one stroke ahead of the Los Angeles Country Club, USA and Oitavos Dunes, Potrugal.
The winner and runners-up, along with the Chairman's Division winner, received an automatic invitation to the 2013 WCC, which will take place at The Club at Nine Bridges, South Korea May 20-24, 2013.
Seminole Golf Club was presented the Jay Lee Trophy at the Closing Ceremonies, were congratulated by all the participants at the Official Closing Dinner and were entertained by fire dancers and VIP guests from around the world.
"The World Club Championship is a first class event and we were honored to be its host," said Jowdy.
The 2012 World Club Championship will be telecast throughout the world. The Golf Channel will air a one and a half hour special on Monday, December 17 at 12:30 PM ET with a repeat on Wednesday, December 19 at 4:00 PM ET. Sky Television will broadcast throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
| USA | Seminole GC | David Abell, Kelly Miller | Champions |
| Canada | St. George's G&CC | Colin Flabbi, Mark Elgner | Runners Up |
| Ireland | Portmarnock GC | John Greene, Geoff Lenehan | Third Place |
| South Africa | Durban CC | Ryan Birnie, Sean Fenger | Chairman's Division: Winner Royal Troon receives automatic invitation for 2013 |
| Scotland | Royal Troon GC | Paul Moultrie, Michael Smyth | -5 Champions |
| USA | Los Angeles CC | Taylor Haden, John Meek | -4 |
| Portugal | Oitavos Dunes | Ruben Figueiredo, Pierre-Alexis Rolland | -4 |
| N. Ireland | Royal Portrush | Matt McAlpin, Patrick McCrudden | -3 |
| Mexico | Diamante GC | Enrique Guzman, Mason Jones | -3 |
| England | Walton Heath GC | Tom Cordiner, Jonathan Greener | -3 |
| USA | Pine Valley GC | Tristan Lewis, Bob Lewis | -3 |
| USA | Medinah CC | C.J Koroll, John Madden | -1 |
| France | Morfontaine GC | Pascal Grizot, Gérard Zivy | -1 |
| Spain | Valderrama GC | José Manuel Martínez, Javier Reviriego | -1 |
| USA | Riviera CC | Jeff Johnson, Mike Riedel | E |
| Japan | Tokyo GC | Masahiro Katsumata, Atsushi Yao | E |
| USA | Winged Foot GC | Rob Christie, Matthew Hultquist | +1 |
| Australia | Royal Melbourne GC | Paul Little, Tom Stephens | +1 |
| USA | Merion GC | Gordy Jamieson, Bob Wagner | +1 |
| South Korea | Nine Bridges | Stanley Kim, Chris Kwon | +5 |
