First-round leaders Scotland finish 11th in Mexico

Australia run away with world amateur team championship for Eisenhower Trophy

• Jamie Marcuson of  The Age

Australia has won the men's World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower TRophy on Mexico's Caribbean coast in dominant fashion.
Coming into the event as hot favourites, the team consisting of Cameron Davis, Curtis Luck and Harrison Endycott shot 38-under, a 19-shot margin over second-placed England.

Champions: The Australian world amateur team championship winners. Photo: Golf Australia

Davis won the event individually, with the 2015 Australian Amateur Champ shooting 17-under.
"I'm happy to win that," Davis said.
"But it really didn't matter as long as we got the big trophy. This was all about the team and everyone did an amazing job. Everyone."
Luck came second individually with 15-under, and Endycott falling back to tied for 16th.
It is Australia's fourth time winning the Eisenhower Trophy.
"To share this with these guys is something I already appreciate, but this week is right there with anything I've ever done and to be able to share it with them in years to come is going to be awesome," Luck said.
"This is an amazing accomplishment, not only for this team, but also for Australian golf and everyone who's helped us get here and all the guys we play with and against at home. It's just a great moment."
Coach Dean Kinney had challenged the team to dominate their opposition and go 1-2-3. That didn't eventuate in its entirety, but the team were unstoppable across the four rounds.
"I did put it on them to give their best and remember the week fondly for the rest of their lives," the New South Wales national coach said.
"And they took it exactly how I hoped they might. They believed in everything everyone around Golf Australia and their state programs has been telling them for the last few years and dominated.
"What a great day for Australian golf, and hopefully a few more to come."
Ireland slipped from second into a tie for third due to the squad’s difficulties on the final hole, but still captured their first WATC medal.
 Jack Hume, a member of the winning 2015 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team, was bitten by a double bogey after earlier making six consecutive birdies on the outward nine. Hume settled for a 3-under 69. Stuart Grehan, who had a 1-over 72, and Paul McBride, who had a non-counting 73, made bogeys on the closing hole.
Victor Hovland fired a 6-under 65, the lowest round of the championship and playing captain Kristoffer Ventura added a 71 as Norway was fifth at 17-under 555. The team’s previous best finish was a tie for sixth in 2012.
New Zealand and the USA tied for sixth at 557. Ryan Chisnall, of New Zealand, shot a 68 after scoring in the mid-70s in the first three rounds, while teammate Luke Toomey had a 70. Chisnall, who was the co-medalist at the 2015 Amateur Championship at Carnoustie, holed birdie putts of 25- and 20-feet at Nos. 16 and 17, respectively.
“We really wanted to get on the podium this week, so the last three holes were really important,” said Chisnall, who finished third at the Mexican Amateur in May. “It was very pleasing for me. It’s a big event and very important for our nation.”
The USA struggled to an even-par 142 and failed to medal in this championship for the first time since 1998 when the team was seventh. Brad Dalke, last month’s U.S. Amateur runner-up, had a 70, while Stanford University All-American Maverick McNealy shot a 72. Scottie Scheffler, a junior at the University of Texas, posted a non-counting 73.
“It was a difficult day for all of them,” said USA captain Paul Caruso. “I guess it is unusual that that happens and all three of them did not have their best today.”
Poland was eighth for its first top-10 WATC finish. Adrian Meronk, who is a playing captain, carded a 69, his third round in the 60s during the championship. Mateuz Gradecki had a 72. The two players, who were teammates at East Tennessee State University, competed in their third WATC together.
Scotland, the first-round leaders, finished a disappointing 11th after their brilliant start. Robert MacIntyre, Grant Forrest and Connor Syme had daily team totals of 134, 144, 143 and 140 for an aggregate of  561.
MacIntyre had a personal total of 283 (69 71 72 71); Forrest 286 (68 73 71 74) and Syme also 286 (66 73 78 69).
Mexico, the host nation, tied for 16th at 564. Alvaro Ortiz, a junior at the University of Arkansas, and Isidro Benitez, each shot an even-par 71.
Twenty-six of the 71 teams had 72-hole scores under par. The field recorded 35 sub-par individual counted scores in the fourth round.