She is scheduled to tee off in the first threeball at 8am (local time) at the Stellenbosch Golf Club in the winelands near Cape Town with Chinese Taipei's Ya-Ni Tseng and Spain's Belen Mozo.

She will be followed by American team-mates, Jennie Lee and Amada Blumenherst in the two threeball groups immediately behind her.

Kim is clearly something special, having achieved a feat that not even her famous Hawaiian compatriot Michelle Wie could manage, and there must be every possibility that she'll set an early spark to this showpiece of the world best amateurs.

Also playing in the South Africa's first-ever Espirito Santo Trophy event is Katharina Schallenberg, the 23-year-old German student Kim beat in the final of the US Amateur, and Colombia's Eileen Vargas who Kim eliminated in the semifinals.

Schallenberg and Vargas, however, are scheduled to help open the German and Colombian challenges at De Zalze Golf Club, which is just down the road from the Stellenbosch Club and will be sharing the load of accommodating the 45 nations playing in this week's premier amateur team event.

Host nation South Africa is teamed with defending champions Sweden and the always powerful Koreans in the trio of threeballs teeing off from 9.50 at De Zalze with Cape Town's 18-year-old Kelli Sheen in the front threeball with Sweden's Anna Nordqvist and Korea's So Yeon Ryu.

Team-mate Stacy Bregman is in the second three-ball with Sofie Andersson and Jae Eun Chung while coming up behind them, last but certainly not least, is South Africa's best known women's Amateur golfer, 17-year-old Ashleigh Simon, who has twice represented her country in the professional women's World Cup, each time with distinction.

The Johannesburg schoolgirl, who could well be up among the top scorers come the end of the week, is set to play the first round with Swede Caroline Westrup and Korean He Yong Choi.

Her thoughts about the two courses?

"They are very different," she told reporters on Monday.

"Stellenbosch is shorter. but much tighter than De Zalze, while De Zalze is a fair bit longer, so you can have a go off the tee.

"We're going to need different strategies on the two, but we're all playing well - all striking the ball pretty sweetly - and if we get our putters working, we must have a chance of winning," said Simon, the only survivor from the previous women's tournament in Puerto Rico in 2004, when she was 15 and SA could only finish 17th.

The host nation have never won the Espirito trophy, having come closest in 1974 when they finished joint second.

As always the USA, who have won the event 13 times as against the two victories of their nearest challengers, France, Spain and Australia, are being seen as the favourites, but they have not been unbeatable in recent years as France showed by winning in 2000, Australia in 2002 and Sweden in 2004.

England, represented by Mel Reid, Sophie Walker and Kerry Smith will be among the late starters.

They are scheduled to tee off at De Zalze in the day's last three slots with Norway and Guatemala.

Scotland and Wales, in the meanwhile, are both playing their opening rounds at Stellenbosch, the Scots (Jenna Wilson, Krystle Caithness and Heather MacRae) in the company of Japan and Brazil and Wales (Tara Davies, Sahra Massan and Breanne Loucks) with Chile and Austria.

The Championship ends with the fourth and final round and the closing ceremony on Saturday.

Here are all the first and second round starting times:

FIRST ROUND

DE ZALZE GC

8:00: Ebonie Burgess (Ber), Hilda Edwards (Zam)

8:11: Laura Robinson (Ber), Snjezana Crnoglavac (Cro) Tara Allin (Zam)

8:22: Katyna Rabain (Ber), Sanja Serfezi Lovric (Cro), Melissa Nawa (Zam)

8:33: Sophie Sallab (Egy), Patricia Garcia (PRo), Renata Petrasova (Sla)

8:44: Naela El Attar (Egy), Kyle Roig (PRo), Veronika Falathova (Sla)

8:55: Donia Scarello (Egy), Laura Diaz (PRo), Lujza Bubanova (Sla)

9:17: Katerina Ruzickova (Cze), M. Cecile Poncet (Gab), Monifa Sealy (T&T)

9.06: STARTERS' TIME

9:28: Jessica Korda (Cze) Dominique Offredi (Gab), Kelsey Lou-Hing (T&T)

9:39: Zuzana Masinova (Cze), Zella Vovan (Gab), Martine de Gannes (T&T)

9:50: So Yeon Ryu (Kor), Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Kelli Shean (RSA)

10:01 Jae Eun Chung (Kor), Sofie Andersson (Swe), Stacy Bregman (RSA)

10:12 He Yong Choi (Kor), Caroline Westrup (Swe), Ashleigh Simon (RSA)

10:23 Eileen Vargas (Col), Dottie Ardina (Phi), Sandra Gal (Ger)

10:34 Maria Jose Uribe (Col), Cyna Marie Rodriguez (Phi), Caroline Masson (Ger)

10:45 Carolina Llano (Col), Deborah Marie de Villa (Phi), Katharina Schallenberg (Ger)

11:07 Claire Grignolo (Ita), Maria Olivero (Arg), Christel Boeljon (Ned)

10:56 STARTERS' TIME

11:18 Marianna Causin (Ita), Manuela Tarazona (Arg), Marjet van der Graaff (Ned)

11:29 Anna Rossi (Ita), Martina Gavier (Arg), Dewi Claire Schreefel (Ned

11:40 Mel Reid (Eng), Ann Kristin Solvang (Nor), Maria Alejandra Camey (Gua)

11:51 Sophie Walker (Eng), Lene Krog (Nor), Beatriz de Arenas (Gua)

12:02 Kerry Smith (Eng), Amalie Valle (Nor), Maria Cristina Arenas (Gua)

STELLENBOSCH GC

8:00 Kwan-Chih Lu (Tai), Kimberly Kim (USA), Belen Mozo (Spa)

8:11: Ya-Ni Tseng (Tai), Jennie Lee (USA), Carlota Ciganda (Spa)

8:22: Pei-Lin Yu (Tai), Amanda Blumenherst (USA) Azahara Munoz (Spa)

8.33: Violeta Retamoza (Mex), Melodie Bourdy (Fra), Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin)

8:44: Tanya Dergal (Mex), Isabelle Boineau (Fra), Sohvi Harkonen (Fin)

8:55: Lili Alvarez (Mex), Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra), Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin)

9.06: STARTERS' TIME

9:17: Jenna Wilson (Sco) Mika Miyazato (Jap), Cristina Baldi (Bra)

9:28: Krystle Caithness (Sco) Rikako Morita (Jap), Mariana De Biase (Bra)

9:39: Heather MacRae (Sco), Erina Hara (Jap), Patricia Carvalho (Bra)

9.50: Mary Ann Lapointe (Can), Benedicte Toumpsin (Bel) Sharon Ahn (NZl)

10:01 Kira Meixner (Can), Tamara Luccioli (Bel), Natasha Krishna (NZl)

10:12 Laura Matthews (Can), Lien Willems (Bel) Sarah Nicholson (NZl)

10:23 Fran Bondad (Aus), Galina Rotmistrova (Rus), Sheila Gut-Lee (Swi)

10:34 Kate Combes (Aus) Maria Verchenova (Rus), Caroline Rominger (Swi)

10:45 Emma Bennett (Aus), Anastasia Kostina (Rus), Fabienne In-Albon (Swi)

10.56 STARTERS' TIME

11:07 Stefanie Endstrasser (Aut), Maria Jose Hurtado (Chi), Tara Davies (Wal)

11:18 Martina Hochwimmer (Aut), Alejandra Shaw (Chi), Sahra Massan (Wal)

11:29 Sabrina Poelderl (Aut), Paz Echeverria (Chi), Breanne Loucks (Wal)

11:40 Nina Bjork Geirsdottir (Ice), Tricia Mangan (Ire), Veronica Felibert (Ven)

11:51 Anna Lisa Johannsdottir (Ice), Claire Coughlan (Ire), Stephanie Gelleni (Ven)

12:02 Tinna Johannsdottir (Ice). Martina Gillen (Ire), Yolecci Jimenez (Ven)

SECOND ROUND

DE ZALZE GC

8:00: Maria Jose Hurtado (Chi), FraN Bondad, (Aus), Benedicte Toumpsin (Bel)

8:11: Alejandra Shaw (Chi), Kate Combes (Aus), Tamara Luccioli (Bel)

8:22: Paz Echeverria (Chi), Emma Bennett (Aus), Lien Willems (Bel)

8:33: Sharon Ahn (NZl), Stefanie Endstrasser (Aut), Anna Lisa Johannsdottir (Ice)

8:44: Natasha Krishna (NZl), Martina Hochwimmer (Aut), Tinna Johannsdottir (Ice)

8:55: Sarah Nicholson (NZl) Sabrina Poelderl (Aut) Nina Bjork Geirsdottir (Ice)

9:06: STARTERS' TIME

9: 17: Sheila Gut-Lee (Swi) Mary Ann Lapointe (Can) Claire Coughlan (Ire)

9:28: Caroline Rominger (Swi), Kira Meixner (Can), Martina Gillen (Ire)

9:39: Fabienne In-Albon (Swi), Laura Matthews (Can), Tricia Mangan (Ire)

9:50: Tara Davies (Wal), Maria Verchenova (Rus), Stephanie Gelleni (Ven)

10:01 Sahra Massan (Wal), Galina Rotmistrova (Rus), Veronica Felibert (Ven)

10:12 Breanne Loucks (Wal), Anastasia Kostina (Rus) Yolecci Jimenez (Ven)

10:23 Jennie Lee (USA), Melodie Bourdy (Fra), Erina Hara (Jap)

10:34 Kimberly Kim (USA), Isabelle Boineau (Fra), Rikako Morita (Jap)

10:45 Amanda Blumenherst (USA), Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra), Mika Miyazato (Jap)

10:56 STARTERS' TIME

11:07 Hanna-Leena Salonen (Fin), Cristina Baldi (Bra) Carlota Ciganda (Spa)

11:18 Sohvi Harkonen (Fin), Mariana De Biase (Bra), Azahara Munoz (Spa)

11:29 Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin), Patricia Carvalho (Bra), Belen Mozo (Spa)

11:40 Ya-Ni Tseng (Tai), Jenna Wilson (Sco), Lili Alvarez(Mex)

11:51 Pei-Lin Yu (Tai), Krystle Caithness (Sco), Tanya Dergal (Mex)

12:02 Kwan-Chih Lu (Tai), Heather MacRae (Sco), Violeta Retamoza (Mex)

STELLENBOSCH GC

8:00: Kelli Shean (RSA), Mel Reid (Eng), Carolina Llano (Col)

8:11: Stacy Bregman (RSA), Sophie Walker (Eng) Maria Jose Uribe (Col)

8:22: Ashleigh Simon (RSA), Kerry Smith (Eng) Eileen Vargas (Col)

8:33: Jae Eun Chung (Kor), Sandra Gal (Ger), Christel Boeljon (Ned)

8:44: He Yong Choi (Kor) Caroline Masson (Ger) Marjet van der Graaf (Ned)

8:55: So Yeon Ryu (Kor), Katharina Schallenberg (Ger), Dewi Claire Schreefel (Ned)

9:06: STARTERS' TIME 9:06

9:17: Ann Kristin Solvang (Nor), Manuela Tarazona (Arg), Sofie Andersson (Swe)

9:28: Lene Krog (Nor), Martina Gavier (Arg), Caroline Westrup (Swe)

9:39: Amalie Valle (Nor), Maria Olivero (Arg), Anna Nordqvist (Swe)

9:50: Maria Cristina Arenas (Gua), Anna Rossi (Ita), Dottie Ardina (Phi)

10:01 Beatriz de Arenas (Gua), Marianna Causin (Ita), Deborah Marie de Villa (Phi)

10:12 Maria Alejandra Camey (Gua), Claire Grignolo (Ita), Cyna Marie Rodriguez (Phi)

10:23 Ebonie Burgess (Ber), Katerina Ruzickova, (Cze), Sophie Sallab (Egy)

10:34 Laura Robinson (Ber), Zuzana Masinova (Cze), Donia Scarello (Egy)

10.56 STARTERS' TIME

11:07 Zella Vovan (Gab), Kyle Roig (PRo), Snjezana Crnoglavac (Cro),

11:29 M. Cecile Poncet (Gab), Patricia Garcia (PRo), Sanja Serfezi Lovric (Cro)

11:40 Renata Petrasova (Sla), Melissa Nawa (Zam), Monifa Sealy (T&T)

11:51 Veronika Falathova (Sla) Hilda Edwards (Zam), Kelsey Lou-Hing (T&T)

12:02 Lujza Bubanova (Sla), Tara Allin (Zam), Martine de Gannes (T&T)