Aussies of the month: Women in Europe
BIG things are happening during the northern summer for Australia’s female golfers.
Victorian amateur Jazy Roberts [above] claimed the prestigious English Women’s Stroke Play Championship, with the evergreen Nadene Gole [above] continuing her dominance of the over-50s amateur circuit by successfully defending the senior edition.
Roberts rode a closing round of eight-under 66 to an emphatic seven-shot victory at Ganton Golf Club, the reigning Australian Amateur champion joining fellow Aussie Abbie Teasdale and LPGA star Charley Hull as winners of the title.
“I’ve been playing well the past few weeks, although we haven’t had much tournament golf in Australia,” Roberts told England Golf. “I was excited to get here.”
World No.1 in the women’s senior amateur rankings, Gole secured a one-shot victory at Abbeydale Golf Club, reaffirming her standing as one of our nation’s best-ever senior amateurs. The Victorian became the first overseas golfer to win the championship in consecutive years.
“Any win is a wonderful win, but to know it’s back-to-back as an international is a fabulous feeling,” Gole said. “I never know how much longer I’ve got to play or compete at this level, so I knew I had to come back and defend.”
On the professional front, there were nearly back-to-back Aussie winners on the Ladies European Tour, with Justice Bosio falling short in a playoff at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open before Kelsey Bennett ran a gallant second a week later at the Hulencourt Women’s Open.
Bosio closed with an eight-under 64 in the Czech Republic before being beaten on the first extra hole of a three-way playoff. Bennett held the 36-hole lead in Belgium but was overtaken on the final day.
Golfers in the news
Aspiring trio: Australians Jazy Roberts, Kirra St-Laurent and Grace Rho made it to the round of 32 at the Women’s Amateur Championship, but all three missed out on progressing further. Roberts (19 holes) and St-Laurent (22 holes) can feel most aggrieved at not spending more time at Muirfield after going down in extra holes. Edwina Kennedy in 1978 remains the only Australian winner of the championship.
Early exits: Hamish Farquharson and Wesley Hinton were the lone Australians to reach the matchplay stage of the British Amateur, both falling in their first-round matches at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. No Aussie has won what is officially called the Amateur Championship since Bryden Macpherson in 2011.
Time with Cam: West Australian Spencer Harrison and South Australian Jackson Leonard are the latest recipients of the Cameron Smith Scholarship. The pair will spend a week at Smith’s home in Florida, where they will train, practise and experience the day-to-day life of a touring professional.
Sim speed: Royce Castano reclaimed his world record for the highest number of virtual golf holes played in 24 hours. The West Australian smashed his way through an incredible 867 holes at Karratha Indoor Golf, nine hours south-west of Broome, to shatter the previous record of 810 holes, set by New South Welshman Matt Newton last November.
Quite the Storrie: Experienced company director, consultant, executive coach, farmer and Australian Financial Review “100 Women of Influence” recipient Suzanne Storrie is the latest appointment to the board of Golf Australia.
New president: Nicole James is the new president of the WPGA Tour of Australasia. James, the general manager of Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club, succeeded Julia Boland in the role.
