Gal Concludes Women?s World Amateur Team Championships Tied for 24th
Saturday, October 21, 2006 | Women's Golf
University of Florida junior All-American Sandra Gal (Leichlingen, Germany) carded a one-over 73 in Saturday's finale of the 2006 Women's World Amateur Team Championships in Stellenbosch, South Africa, to finish the international competition tied for 24th place in the field of 125 competitors. Gal's final-round score marked her second-best of the tournament, as she notched a 69 in Wednesday's opening round.
Gal (69-75-74-73=291) began the day on the par-72, 6,080-yard De Zalze Golf Club with a birdie on the opening hole, and then remained at even until the sixth hole after a bogey on the third cost her the one-stroke advantage. A second bogey on the par-4, 403-yard seventh hole set her back a stroke, and she made the turn at one over.
Her score climbed to two over with a bogey on the 11th hole, but birdies on the 13th and 15th holes dropped her score to even. Gal bogeyed the par-4, 301-yard final hole to finish the final round with a 73.
Gal's German trio finished the 72-hole, four-day international affair tied for fifth place with a seven-under 569 (141-139-143-146). South Africa (139-138-141-148=566) withstood a surge be defending champion Sweden (139-145-138-144=566) and won the 2006 Espirito Santo Trophy on a tiebreaker, and became the first victorious host nation since 1980. Colombia (147-141-143-136=567) and France (146-136-142-144-568) claimed third and fourth place, respectively, while Japan (137-144-145-143=569) tied with Germany to round out the top five teams on the leaderboard.
Sweden's Caroline Westrup (72-73-66-69) claimed medalist honors with an eight-under 280. Japan's Rikato Morita (65-72-70-75), who led the tournament until Saturday's final round, dropped to second place with a six-under 282, while Spain's Azahara Munoz (74-72-68-69) and Chinese Taipei's Pei-Lin Yu (66-73-71-73) tied for third with final scores of 283.
Gal will now return to Gainesville and rejoin the Lady Gators before they resume fall tournament action Friday, Oct. 27, at the 2006 Auburn Derby. Live results will be available at www.golfstat.com and www.gatorzone.com.
Final Top-10 Individual Standings
| Place | Name | Country | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1. | Caroline Westrup | Sweden | 72 | 73 | 66 | 69 | 280 (-8) |
| 2. | Rikato Morita | Japan | 65 | 72 | 70 | 75 | 282 (-6) |
| T3. | Azahara Munoz | Spain | 74 | 72 | 68 | 69 | 283 (-5) |
| T3. | Pei-Lin Yu | Chinese Taipei | 66 | 73 | 71 | 73 | 283 (-5) |
| T5. | Carolina Llano | Colombia | 75 | 72 | 71 | 66 | 284 (-4) |
| T5. | Sarah Nicholson | New Zealand | 76 | 73 | 67 | 68 | 284 (-4) |
| T7. | Melodie Bourdy | France | 74 | 68 | 69 | 74 | 285 (-3) |
| T7. | So Yeon Ryu | Korea | 72 | 70 | 74 | 69 | 285 (-3) |
| T7. | Kelli Shean | South Africa | 70 | 69 | 72 | 74 | 285 (-3) |
| T7. | Ashleigh Simon | South Africa | 69 | 69 | 73 | 74 | 285 (-3) |
| T7. | Eileen Vargas | Colombia | 74 | 69 | 72 | 70 | 285 (-3) |
Final Top-10 Countries
| Place | Country | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| T1. | *South Africa | 139 | 138 | 141 | 148 | 566 (-10) |
| T1. | Sweden | 139 | 145 | 138 | 144 | 566 (-10) |
| 3. | Columbia | 147 | 141 | 143 | 136 | 567 (-9) |
| 4. | France | 146 | 136 | 142 | 144 | 568 (-8) |
| T5. | Germany | 141 | 139 | 143 | 146 | 569 (-7) |
| T5. | Japan | 137 | 144 | 145 | 143 | 569 (-7) |
| 7. | New Zealand | 146 | 144 | 139 | 141 | 570 (-6) |
| 8. | Spain | 145 | 146 | 138 | 143 | 572 (-4) |
| 9. | USA | 144 | 146 | 138 | 146 | 574 (-2) |
| 10. | Chinese Taipei | 139 | 147 | 143 | 147 | 576 (E) |
* - won in tiebreaker
-UF-
