Royal Melbourne Take Home the Merrins-Crow Plate
Seoul, South Korea (May 19, 2015) - The 2015 World Club Championship returned to its home course, The Club at Nine Bridges, which is ranked #45 on GOLF Magazine’s list of Top 100 Courses in the World.
Invited from GOLF Magazine’s 2013 Top 100 list, 22 clubs from 13 countries are participating this year including the two hosts Haesley Nine Bridges and Nine Bridges Jeju. All teams will compete for the Jay Lee Trophy named for the Founding Patron. His son has taken the baton and Sunho Lee has made a lifelong commitment to supporting the WCC and helping it evolve to even greater heights.
On Sunday, May 17th Haesley Nine Bridges, acknowledged as one of the 100 Platinum Clubs of the World, kicked off the Championship week by hosting an AM/AM of members and competitors competing for the 2nd Merrins – Crow Plate. The plate honors fourteen years of contributions by the Committee Chairman, Eddie Merrins from Bel – Air Country Club and Championship Referee, Tom Crow, former Australian amateur Champion and founder of the Cobra Golf Company.
In the inaugural year, Royal Melbourne Golf Club from Australia took home the Plate. In 2015, they will return home holding the 2nd Plate. The team of veteran Paul Little and the 16 year old Club Champion Matias Sanchez won by three strokes after two holes of an aggregate scoring playoff which was held over to Jeju due to darkness at Haesley.. They defeated Mark Elgner and Mark Baines who are the WCC defending champions from St. George’s Golf and Country Club of Canada.
Tuesday marked the official declaration of the Opening of the tournament by Chairman Eddie Merrins at the Opening Ceremony. This also marked a time for golf dignitaries from around the world to reconnect with old friends and to meet new ones. The same was true for each team member. Teams were also introduced to their caddies.
On the course, players were given a chance to practice and get acquainted with Nine Bridges. There are 17 returning players from years past who might have an advantage, although Nine Bridges is perpetually making strategic changes to improve the course, so some of the holes may play differently. Nine Bridges is a competitive course whether you have played it before or not.
Also of note in the field, there are four players under the age of 20 years old and two are their club champions: Matias Sanchez, 16, the Club Champion of Royal Melbourne GC; 17 year old Jason Broomhead, club champion of Durban Country Club, South Africa; 18 year old Ruben Figueiredo of Oitavos Dunes, Portugal; and 19 year old Andrew Mulholland of Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
The three-day tournament begins Wednesday.
