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Team England sets combined scoring record en route to win at Spirit International
Team England (Spirit Golf Association/Hugh Hargrave Photo)
Team England (Spirit Golf Association/Hugh Hargrave Photo)

After three rounds and 54 holes of the 2024 Spirit International Golf Championship at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Tex., Team England won the combined men's and women's team scores by five shots over Spain and Korea. England's team consisted of Dominic Clemons, Matthew Dodd-Berry, Nellie Ong, and Patience Rhodes.

They shot 44-under, while Spain and Korea finished 39-under and T2. Denmark and Canada finished T4 at 36-under, and Mexico finished in solo sixth place at 34-under. 

Australia finished in solo seventh place at 33-under, and the United States finished in solo eighth place at 32-under. France, Ireland, and South Africa finished T9 at 31-under to round out the top ten.

Named "The Olympics of Amateur Golf," the event had five concurrent events going on at once, and each of the five events concluded after three rounds on Saturday.

The top three in each competition received a gold, silver, or bronze medal. The men’s and women’s individual competition is based solely on birdies and eagles, with one and two points awarded for each, respectively.

Josiah Gilbert of Australia and Carla Bernat of Spain won the individual titles.

Gilbert finished with 21 points, earning six on the final day to jump Omar Morales of Mexico. The Auburn sophomore is ranked No. 76 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.

Gerardo Gomez of Mexico and Dominic Clemons of England finished T3 with 18 points, and Christiaan Maas of South Africa and Matthew Dodd-Berry of England finished T5 with 17 points to round out the top five.

Carla Bernat finished in first place in the women's individual competition with 21 points, while Soomin Oh of North Korea and Marie Madsen of Denmark finished in solo second and third place with 20 and 17 points, respectively. Adela Cernousek of France finished in solo fourth place with 16 points. 

Bernat made four birdies in her first six holes to take the lead and maintain it throughout the final round. She is ranked No. 25 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's Rankings.

Denmark’s women's team of Marie Madsen and Emma Bunch captured a two-stroke victory over Spain. Madsen had three birdies and an eagle in her last five holes to spur the winning effort. Team Canada finished third and received a bronze medal.

“It’s so easy when you have great players,” Denmark Player/Captain Kristian Bressum told the Spirit Golf Association. “I really didn’t have to do anything but show up and make sure that everyone is having a good time, which we are. The girls really played well this week.”

England’s men’s team of Clemons and Dodd-Berry also shared first place in the Men’s Team Competition with Mexico, which was led by Omar Morales and Gerardo Gomez, who had six birdies and an eagle in the final round. Team Australia finished in third place.

“This is a great honor. Winning a medal at this very prestigious tournament is a great thing,” Morales told the Spirit Golf Association. “We both played really well (all week) and Gerardo played incredible today. Three very solid rounds are hard to beat.”

The 11th edition of The Spirit has brought together 20 countries consisting of teams of two males and two females. The teams play a 54-hole four-ball stroke play competition with Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals presented to the top three finishers in each competition. The event was founded in 2011 by Corby Robertson Jr., owner of Whispering Pines, as a celebration of goodwill through the game of golf.

Previous Spirit International competitors who are now or have previously been professionals on the LPGA and PGA TOUR include Lorena Ochoa, Brooke Henderson, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Francesco Molinari, Lexi Thompson, Brandt Snedeker, Paula Creamer, Jason Day, Bronte Law, Martin Kaymer, Maria Fassi, Viktor Hovland, Rose Zhang and more.

Spirit alumni have gone on to win more than 27 major championships; 675 professional titles won on the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, Challenger Tour, LPGA TOUR, and Ladies DP World Tour; 17 Olympic appearances, 22 PGA Tour winners, 25 European Tour winners, 35 LPGA winners and 21 Ladies European Tour winners.

The Course – Whispering Pines

Whispering Pines Golf Club is one of the best private golf clubs in the country. The club was founded not only to offer its discerning contributors a superior golf experience on an exceptional course but also to promote amateur golf and to benefit charitable causes on a local, national, and international level. Whispering Pines is ranked #1 in Texas, ranks #31 in the top 200 modern courses in the country by Golfweek, and is #11 in America’s Top 50 Greatest Golf Retreats by Golf Digest.

The Host – The Spirit Golf Association

The Spirit Golf Association, 501(c)(3), serves as the host for The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship. The Spirit Golf Association (SGA–formerly the World Health & Golf Association) was formed in 1999 by Houston philanthropist Corbin (Corby) J. Robertson, Jr. With a passionate vision, Corby turned the SGA into reality by establishing a unique charitable organization that benefits health-related causes while promoting the global goodwill of amateur golf. With the encouragement of close friends and family, Corby established the SGA with a mission for philanthropic-minded people to support charitable causes, membership privileges at a world-class golf property, and to conduct The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship.

The Spirit Golf Association contributed to this report

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ABOUT THE The Spirit International Amateur

The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship is world class golf event played every other year. It features the world’s best amateur men and amateur women golfers as they represent their respective country in team and individual competitions. The 96 participants enjoy an Olympic-like experience from the Opening/Closing Ceremonies, international village and competing for gold medals.

The World Health & Golf Association and Texas Golf Association invite 24 countries from six continents to participate. Established in 2001, The Spirit is a biennial event that alternates tournament years with the World Amateur Team Championships.

Part of the uniqueness of the Spirit International are the five simultaneous competitions: Combined International Championship, Men’s Team Championship, Women’s Team Championship, Men’s Individual and Women’s Individual.

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