FAR HILLS, N.J. (November 9, 2017) – Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. and Stasia Collins will serve as USA captains for the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship and 2018 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, respectively. The Women’s World Amateur Team Championship will be contested Aug. 29-Sept. 1, followed by the World Amateur Team Championship Sept. 5-8, at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland.

“The USGA is pleased to have Tom and Stasia represent our teams as captains,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “Their leadership at the USGA will serve the teams well as they compete in this historic international team competition. We thank them for their distinguished service.”

O’Toole served on the USGA Executive Committee for eight years, culminating in a two-year stint as president from 2014-2015. He also served four years as an officer – he was secretary in 2010 and vice president from 2011-2013 – and chaired the USGA Championship Committee for four years. He was a member of the Rules of Golf Committee for 10 years.

O’Toole’s service to the USGA began in 1988. As a certified Rules of Golf expert since 1990, he has served as a Rules official at more than 135 USGA championships and has been the lead official in conducting more than 130 qualifying rounds for USGA championships. In 1992, he founded the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association, which serves golfers throughout the St. Louis, Mo., metro area and central Illinois. He is a partner in the law firm of Mickes O’Toole LLC and resides in St. Louis.

“The World Amateur is one of golf’s finest competitions. I am looking forward to visiting my family’s homeland in Ireland and celebrating my personal Irish heritage by representing the USA in this exciting team competition,” said O’Toole. “This is a cherished opportunity for me.”

Collins has been a member of the USGA Women’s Committee since 2008, serving as chair in 2016 and 2017. Previously, she served as chair of the Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship Committee and was a member of the Joe Dey Award Committee, Bob Jones Award Committee, Senior Women’s Amateur Committee and the Regional Associations Committee. She has worked as a Rules official at more than 50 USGA championships and competed in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. She resides in Baltimore, Md.

“One of the most rewarding achievements working in golf is to represent your country,” said Collins. “I am so honored to lead our team in this prestigious championship.”

Both championships consist of 72 holes of stroke play (18 holes a day over four days). In each round, the total of the two lowest scores by the three players from each team constitutes the team score for that round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship. The women play for the Espirito Santo Trophy and the men play for the Eisenhower Trophy.

The 2016 World Amateur Team Championships were played at El Camaleón Golf Club and Coral Riviera Maya Resort in Cancun, Mexico. Australia captured the Eisenhower Trophy for the third time in the 30th men’s championship, while the Republic of Korea won the Espirito Santo Trophy for the fourth time in the 27th women’s championship. Among the players who have competed in these two championships are: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Price, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak, Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

The World Amateur Team Championship began in 1958, followed by the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in 1964. The International Golf Federation (IGF) was founded in 1958 to encourage the international development of golf through friendship and sportsmanship. Today, the IGF consists of 135 national governing bodies of golf representing 129 countries, and is the international federation of golf for the International Olympic Committee. One of its main functions is to conduct the biennial World Amateur Team Championships for men and women.

The World Amateur Team championships are rotated biennially among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, Americas and Europe-Africa. The 2018 championships in Dublin will be hosted by the Golfing Union of Ireland and the 2020 championships will be hosted by the Hong Kong Golf Association. The 2020 World Amateur Team championship will be contested at The Hong Kong Golf Club (Composite Course) and The Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club. The Women’s World Amateur Team Championship will be played on the Old and New courses at The Hong Kong Golf Club.

About the USGA
The USGA celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf's premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world's golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association's Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world's most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.