It was the only edition of the World Amateur Team Championship in which the 15-time Major winner participated; the team representing Argentina consisted of Martín Travella, Martín Lonardi, Francisco Alemán, and Ariel Cañete.

Martín Travella was one of Argentina's best amateurs during the 80s and 90s along with Fernando Chiesa and Francisco “Paco” Alemán. Emerging from Olivos Golf Club and owner of a powerful drive but also a great touch, he stood out among high-level players in those years.

He was fortunate to play in three consecutive amateur world cups, and in one of them, alongside Paco Alemán, Martín Lonardi, and Ariel Cañete they shared the competition with Tiger Woods, in what was his only participation in 1994, at Le Golf National in Paris, a design by Robert Von Hagge (Buenos Aires Golf Club) and host of the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Below, Martín shares a summary of that year's World Cup.

The Eisenhower Trophy is, in many cases, the global showcase for amateurs. For many, it is the last tournament before turning professional; a trend that has grown significantly in recent years. Looking at the Argentine teams from the last 20 years, almost all have turned pro, with some winning on the world's main tours.

The USA team that won the Eisenhower Trophy: Grant Spaeth (captain), Tiger Woods, Todd Demsey, John Harris, and Allen Doyle.

From Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazabal, Rory McIlroy to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, many prominent professional golf stars have played the Eisenhower Trophy, and it is always a point of pride for us amateurs who shared the course with any of them to tell our stories.

Le Golf National, which hosted the 1994 Amateur World Cup, is the regular venue for the Open de France and where the 2018 Ryder Cup was played.

Tiger Woods participated in only one edition of the World Amateur Team Championship, played at Le Golf National, in Paris, in 1994, after winning his first U.S. Amateur at TPC Sawgrass (prior to this victory, he won three consecutive U.S. Junior Opens). In that World Cup, I had the privilege of representing Argentina for the second time following the 1992 experience in Vancouver, Canada. The Argentine team had only one change from the group that competed in Canada: the rising Ariel Cañete was present, replacing Fernando Chiesa.

Tiger participated in the 1994 Amateur World Cup after winning the first of three U.S. Amateurs. 

Another factor that made my experience strong was the Le Golf National course itself, as I had worked at the Buenos Aires Golf Club, and the similarities between both courses were remarkable. I believe it even gave both Paco and me an advantage in interpreting how to play each hole.

Today, with the passage of time and Tiger's meteoric career, I am faced with an experience that was, is, and will be unique. Having walked the same fairways and greens during a competition of such relevance is surely one of the treasures I will keep as the eternal amateur I am.

Tiger Woods, the great star of the championship, had recently won the U.S. Amateur at TPC Sawgrass.

Our team was Ariel Cañete (in a practice round he holed out from 190 yds on hole 7, a spectacular par 4, and was perhaps the most notable appearance among the youths, with enviable swing and ball-striking) Francisco Alemán (who almost stepped on Tiger in the locker room, he was from my generation and besides starting his steps in journalism he had also participated in the Buenos Aires Golf Club) and Martin Lonardi (he had done his university career in the USA competing there, he was my roommate and suffered through the thousands of cigarettes I smoked at that time). Completing the team was our super captain: Roberto “Cope” Benito, with whom we shared an anecdote to remember. Cope had played in the 1960 World Cup at Merion and had the honor of being there when they unveiled the plaque in honor of Bobby Jones on the 11th hole of that course.

The Argentine team that played in Paris in 1994, with Roberto "Cope" Benito as captain. 

The anecdote involving Cope and me happened during one of the competition days. It turns out I was on the driving range warming up my swing; there were few people and in the stall behind me was Tiger, with whom we had exchanged only a greeting and a: “Did you like the course? What did you think?”, and his short reply was: “Yes, awesome,” in a quite friendly tone. Cope arrived to watch me practice and after a couple of tips and occasional chat, he stayed quiet while I kept hitting shots. One, two, five shots and nothing. I look up and, of course, he was watching Tiger who at that moment also looked up and, somewhat defiantly, told Cope with his eyes to stop looking at him and keep looking at me. He already looked like a star, jealous of anyone analyzing his swing but perhaps also showing Cope that the important thing was to focus on his player rather than the swing of an 18-year-old amateur.

USA was crowned team champion and Allen Doyle (who turned pro at 46 and won 11 times on the PGA Tour Champions) won the individual competition. 

26 years have passed, I continue to play golf with the same passion and competitive drive, and that moment is one of the strongest memories of my competitions abroad.

Argentina finished in twenty-first place in the 1994 Amateur World Cup.