Steven Fox
Far Hills, N.J. (Oct. 22, 2012) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced the four amateur players who have been named to the USA Teams that will compete in the 2013 Copa de las Americas, Jan. 3-6, 2013, at Doral Resort and Spa in Miami, Fla.
The players named to the men’s team are Steven Fox, 21, of Hendersonville, Tenn., and Chris Williams, 21, of Moscow, Idaho.
The players named to the women’s team are Lindy Duncan, 21, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Erynne Lee, 19, of Silverdale, Wash.
The captain of the USA Teams is Jim Williams, of Orinda, Calif., a member of the USGA Executive Committee and a member of the USGA International Team Selection Committee.
“These four players are to be congratulated for being named to the USA Teams and for outstanding achievements throughout their careers,” said Williams. “They are undoubtedly up to this challenge, and I am honored to serve as their captain.”
The Copa de las Americas is an amateur team competition for countries in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. There are three 72-hole competitions – men’s, women’s and overall – with 18 holes played on each of the four days. This will be the fifth playing of the Copa de las Americas, and the first time the championship will be conducted in the United States. The USA won the 2010 overall championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jessica Korda and Jennifer Song of the USA won the women’s portion of the championship, while the USA’s Nathan Smith and Peter Uihlein finished second to the team from Argentina.
Duncan, a senior at Duke University, represented the USA at the 2012 Curtis Cup Match. She was a semifinalist in the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur at age 15 and finished as the second-lowest amateur at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open. Duncan is a three-time National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-American and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year.
Fox, the 2012 U.S. Amateur champion, is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Fox defeated Michael Weaver of Fresno, Calif., in 37 holes in the championship match of the U.S. Amateur. He advanced to the round of 16 at the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and is a two-time All-Southern Conference selection. In 2011, Fox won the Tennessee Golf Association Match Play Championship.
Lee is a sophomore at the University of California, Los Angeles. During her freshman season, she won the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and earned NGCA Freshman of the Year and All-America First Team honors. She reached the semifinals of the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the quarterfinals in 2010-12, and has competed in two U.S. Women’s Opens.
Williams, who won the 2012 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was a quarterfinalist at the 2012 U.S. Amateur and a member of the USA Team at the 2011 Walker Cup Match. He won the 2012 Western Amateur, while also earning stroke-play medalist honors there in 2011 and 2012. The University of Washington senior earned 2012 All-America First Team honors after winning two tournaments in 2011-12, including the NCAA Southwest Regional.
The alternates for the men’s team are, in order of ranking, Justin Thomas, 19, of Goshen, Ky., and Patrick Rodgers, 20, of Avon, Ind. The alternates for the women’s team are, in order of ranking, Amy Anderson, 20, of Oxbow, N.D., and Alison Lee, 17, of Valencia, Calif.
“The Copa de las Americas is a wonderful opportunity for the USGA to further our relationships with golf organizations from other nations,” said Jim Williams. “Not only do these four days represent the best of international competition and camaraderie, they help establish and strengthen partnerships that help promote and sustain the game around the world.”
USA Team Member Bios
Lindy Duncan, 21, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Lindy Duncan made the cut at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, and also competed in the 2009 Women’s Open. She was a semifinalist at the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur at age 15 and has competed in that championship each year since. She also appeared in four U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships. Duncan went 1-3-0 at the 2012 Curtis Cup Match, winning her opening foursomes match with Lisa McCloskey, 5 and 4, over Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow.
Duncan is a senior at Duke University, where she is majoring in psychology. Her standout 2011-12 season, in which she took four victories, including the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, earned her Division I Player of the Year honors from the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA). Duncan also won the Golfstat Cup, which is presented to the player with the season’s lowest stroke average. Duncan has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year each of her three years at Duke, and was named to the NGCA’s All-America first team in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Duncan has won six collegiate tournaments for the Blue Devils, and captured the 2010 Dixie Amateur Championship.
Duncan is the daughter of David Duncan and Debbie Beckett. She has one younger sister, McKenzie. She was born Jan. 16, 1991, in Plantation, Fla.
Steven Fox, 21, Hendersonville, Tenn.
Fox, the 2012 U.S. Amateur champion, is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He advanced to match play as the No. 63 seed in a 17-for-14 playoff and defeated Michael Weaver in 37 holes in the championship match at Cherry Hills Country Club, rallying from 2 down with two holes to play. With his victory, he moved from No. 127 to No. 18 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He advanced to the round of 16 at the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, and was a member of the winning USA Team at the 2012 World Amateur Team Championship, which set a 54-hole scoring record en route to victory.
Fox is a two-time All-Southern Conference selection who made the conference All-Freshman team in 2010. He had four top 10s during his junior season, including a tie for third at the NCAA Bowling Green Regional and a tie for fourth at the Southern Conference Championship.
In 2011, Fox won the Tennessee Golf Association (TGA) Match Play Championship. A year earlier, he was a semifinalist in the TGA Match Play Championship. In 2009, he tied for second at the Tennessee State Open.
At the U.S. Amateur, Fox advanced to match play through a 17-for-14 playoff and won his first match, 3 and 2, over Jeff Osberg of Philadelphia, Pa. In order, he then defeated Douglas Hanzel of Savannah, Ga., 3 and 2; Zack Munroe of Charlotte, N.C., 2 up; Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho, 3 and 2; and Brandon Hagy of Westlake Village, Calif., 2 up, in the semifinals before his match with Weaver.
Fox is the son of Maureen and Alan Fox. He has one older sister, Ashley, and one younger sister, Kristen. He was born Jan. 14, 1991, in Greenville, S.C.
Erynne Lee, 19, Silverdale, Wash.
Erynne Lee is a sophomore at the University of California, Los Angeles. During her standout freshman season, she won the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate. She went on to earn Pac-12 Conference and Division I Freshman of the Year honors and was named to the NGCA All-America first team.
During her junior career, Lee garnered four wins on the American Junior Golf Association circuit: the 2010 Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions, the 2008 and 2009 Kathy Whitworth Invitationals and the 2008 AJGA at Wenatchee. She was a member of the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup Team, as well as the 2007 Evian Junior Cup Team USA.
Lee advanced to the semifinals of the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur, where she lost to eventual champion Amanda Blumenherst, and was a tri-medalist at the 2010 championship, where she lost in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Jessica Korda. Lee also reached the quarterfinals at the 2011 and 2012 Women’s Amateurs. She has competed in two U.S. Women’s Opens, in 2008 and 2011, along with the 2008-10 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships. Lee was a member of the USA Team for the 2012 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, which finished in eighth place, seven strokes behind the champion Republic of Korea.
Lee is the daughter of Brian Lee and the late Debbie Kim. She has one younger sister, Katie, who also competed in the 2010 Women’s Amateur. She was born Feb. 19, 1993, in Silverdale, Wash.
Chris Williams, 21, Moscow, Idaho
Williams, a senior at the University of Washington and a member of the 2011 USA Walker Cup Team, won the 2012 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Williams won the 2012 Western Amateur, while also earning stroke-play medalist honors there in 2011 and 2012. He also won the 2012 NCAA Southwest Regional and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship. Williams was a member of the USA Team that captured the 2012 World Amateur Team Championship in Antalya, Turkey, with a record 54-hole score in the rain-shortened event.
In 2012, Williams earned NGCA All-America first-team honors and was a first-team all-Pacific-12 Conference selection. In 2011, he earned second-team All-America honors as well as all-Pac-10 honors. He was a second-team all-Pac-10 choice in 2010.
Among his other amateur tournament victories are the 2011 Sahalee Players Championship, the 2011 Pacific Coast Amateur, the 2011 Duck Invitational, the 2011 Bandon Dunes Collegiate, the 2010 Arizona State Thunderbird and the 2010 Battle of the Beach. He was second at the 2010 NCAA West Regional with a final-round 65.
Williams played in the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club, missing the cut by two strokes. He lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship to eventual champion Lion Kim.
In 2010, he won the Phil Mickelson Award as the NCAA Freshman of the Year and was Pac-10 Freshman of the Year while earning third-team All-America honors. He was a member of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 USA Palmer Cup teams.
Williams is the son of Linda and Varnel Williams. He has two brothers – Pete, who was a professional golfer in 2006-2008, and Jeff, who played ice hockey at the University of Idaho – as well as a sister, Julie. He was born June 21, 1991, in Moscow, Idaho.