The Spirit International Brings 80 Amateur Golfers From 20 Countries to Texas

The 12th Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship takes place November 11 through 14 at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, featuring 80 amateur golfers representing 20 countries.

The championship includes collegiate golfers from universities across the United States competing for their respective national teams.

Each country fields four players, consisting of two men and two women. The tournament features 54 holes of four ball stroke play, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in the international team, men’s team and women’s team competitions, along with individual honors.

November 11 is designated for practice, with competition scheduled for November 12 through 14.

Source: The Spirit International 2026 Championship

Team USA Led by Sam Saunders

Team USA features four collegiate golfers representing Oklahoma State, Florida, Auburn and Texas.

The American roster includes:

• Ethan Fang: Oklahoma State
• Jack Turner: Florida
• Anna Davis: Auburn
• Farah O’Keefe: Texas

Turner, a three time All American at Florida, joined the American roster as a replacement for Miles Russell.

Davis and O’Keefe enter the championship with two individual victories apiece during the fall collegiate season.

Former professional golfer and Spirit International participant Sam Saunders will captain Team USA, assisted by Alli Jarrett.

Sources: Golfweek: Team USA Roster | Golfweek: Sam Saunders Returns as Team USA Captain

Australia Features Four Collegiate Golfers

Australia’s roster includes:

• Harry Takis: San Diego State
• Chun Ta Wu: Minnesota
• Raegan Denton: LSU
• Amelia Harris: North Carolina

Takis has earned Arnold Palmer Cup recognition and established a program scoring average record at San Diego State.

Wu, a sophomore at Minnesota, recently captured the Moraine Intercollegiate individual championship, while Denton previously won the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur.

Source: Golf Australia: Australian Team Preview

Ireland Features Players From Four NCAA Programs

Ireland’s roster includes:

• Kate Dillon: Arizona State
• Katie Poots: Indiana
• Patrick Keeling: Louisville
• Gavin O’Neil: Grand Canyon

The four players will represent Ireland in the international team competition, with the men’s and women’s pairs also competing for medals.

Source: The Irish Times: Irish Amateurs Chase Success at The Spirit

England Returns With Four Collegiate Golfers

England’s roster includes:

• Jack Whaley: Indiana
• Tyler Weaver: Texas
• Charlotte Naughton: Texas
• Sophia Fullbrook: Texas

Whaley enters the championship as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion.

Weaver, Naughton and Fullbrook all compete for Texas, giving the Longhorns three representatives on England’s roster.

Fullbrook and Team USA’s Farah O’Keefe are teammates at Texas but will represent different countries during the championship.

Sources: The Spirit International: England Team Announcement | The Spirit International Instagram

South Africa Features Golfers From San Diego State, Mississippi State, Tennessee and USC

South Africa’s roster includes:

• Bryan Newman: San Diego State
• Samantha Whateley: Mississippi State
• Kyra van Kan: Tennessee
• Jack Buchanan: USC

The four players will represent South Africa across the international team, men’s team and women’s team competitions.

Source: The Spirit International: South Africa Team Announcement

Spain Includes Players From Four Collegiate Programs

Spain’s roster includes:

• Álvaro Pastor: Texas Tech
• Sergio Jiménez: Utah
• Balma Davalos: Auburn
• Paula Francisco: Florida

Spain’s lineup includes two men’s golfers from Texas Tech and Utah and two women’s golfers from Auburn and Florida.

Source: Florida Gators: Spirit International Selections

Mexico Features Two Arkansas Golfers

Arkansas will have two players representing Mexico at the championship:

• Clarisa Temelo: Arkansas
• Gerardo Gómez: Arkansas

Both will compete for Mexico in the international team competition, with their respective pairs also participating in the men’s and women’s team events.

Canada Includes Chattanooga and California Golfers

Canada’s collegiate representatives include:

• Braeden Cooper: Chattanooga
• Anna Huang: California

Cooper and Huang will represent Canada in their respective team competitions.

Florida Golfers Represent Multiple Countries

Florida will have four golfers competing in the championship, representing three countries.

Alongside Turner on Team USA, Yu-Chen Bai and Tommy Swanwick will represent New Zealand, while Paula Francisco will compete for Spain.

Source: Florida Gators: Four Golfers Selected for Spirit International

Additional Collegiate Players in the International Field

Other NCAA golfers participating in the championship include:

• Sarah Ubelhart: Clemson, Switzerland
• Tomas Restrepo: Ole Miss, Colombia
• Eunseo Choi: Pepperdine, New Zealand
• Ebba Norstedt: Kansas, Sweden
• Willhelm Ryding: South Florida, Sweden
• Valentine Delon: Virginia Tech, France
• Mercedes Aldana: South Alabama, Argentina

Aldana will represent Argentina while competing as a collegiate golfer at South Alabama.

Source: South Alabama Athletics: Mercedes Aldana Selected for The Spirit

Tournament Format and Schedule

The Spirit International features three rounds of four ball stroke play, with teams competing simultaneously for medals in multiple categories.

Tournament details:

• Dates: November 11 through 14, 2026
• Competition: November 12 through 14
• Location: Whispering Pines Golf Club, Trinity, Texas
• Field: 80 amateur golfers representing 20 countries
• Team composition: Two men and two women per country
• Format: 54 holes of four ball stroke play
• Medals: International team, men’s team, women’s team and individual honors

The championship concludes November 14, when the final medal standings will be determined.

Official tournament information, updates and scoring are available through the Spirit International Championship website.