July 18, 2008

Michael MacEachern, Sports Information Director, Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.)

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Savannah College of Art and Design women's golfer Katina Ruest has been selected as one of three players that will represent Guatemala in the 2008 World Amateur Team Championship. The biennial women's event will be contested Oct. 8-11 on the East and West courses at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia.

Ruest, a 5-foot-6 rising junior from Guatemala City, Guatemala, became the first NAIA All-American for the Bees in women's golf.

"I feel very excited not only for being able to go to the World Championship, but to represent Guatemala in such an important team event," said Ruest. "Participating will definitely show me the best level of amateur golf and I am anxious to go out there and give my best, for my country and for SCAD as well."

Ruest was ranked 21st individually nationally in the NAIA by Golfstat with a 79.55 scoring average in 22 rounds for the Bees this season. She finished in the top 20 in eight of the 10 tournaments SCAD played. She also recorded 13 rounds in the 70s during the season.

She helped the Bees finish in 10th place at the NAIA National Championship in May with her 16th-place overall finish. Ruest's career-low round of 73 in the first round of nationals gave her the opening day lead. That round was also the lowest fired by any of the 120 golfers during the 72-hole event.

She was named to the All-Florida Sun Conference and All-NAIA Region XIV teams in 2008 after finishing in third place at NAIA Region XIV/Florida Sun Tournament. She was also named to the 2008 all-tournament team with her second-place finish at the Jekyll Island Women's Collegiate.

"What an enormous honor for Katina," said SCAD head coach Amanda Workman.  "To represent your country is something anyone would be thrilled to do, but not many are fortunate enough to do.  With the absence of golf in the Olympics, this event is the closest golf comes to replicating that international stage with so many countries represented. 

"I know I speak for the entire SCAD women's golf team and supporters when I say how excited and proud we all are of Katina," added Workman. "This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  I know she will embrace this incredible experience."

The World Amateur Team Championship is the most prestigious golfing event on the amateur calendar.  It is a biennial event that started in 1958 and is run by the International Golf Federation.  The IGF is the recognized international federation for golf for the International Olympic Committee and was founded to encourage the international development of the game and to employ golf as a vehicle to foster friendship and sportsmanship.  Over 100 men's and women's teams come from all over the world to compete. 

Introduced with United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower's stamp of approval, the inaugural tournament was held on The Old Course at St. Andrews in 1958.  This October's championship will return to Australia for just the second time and first time since 1968. 

Notable competitors in this international event include Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Colin Montgomerie, Jack Nicklaus (whose career started with the World Amateur Team Championship back in 1960), Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Juli Inkster, Se Ri Pak and Nancy Lopez.  The long and distinguished list of talent displayed at past championships include winners of all four majors for both men and women, the Presidents Cups, Ryder and Solheim Cups, Accenture World Match Play Championships, Order of Merits and a host of PGA, LPGA, Asian and European Tour events. 

To learn more about Savannah College of Art and Design athletics click here. 
To learn more about the World Amateur Tournament click here.