Australian Amateur
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The Australian Amateur is the national amateur
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
championship of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It has been played annually since 1894, except for the war years, and is organised by
Golf Australia Golf Australia is the governing body for the sport of golf in Australia, formed in 2006 after the Australian Golf Union (AGU) and Women's Golf Australia (WGA) agreed to merge.
. Having traditionally been a match play event, from 2021 it has been a 72-hole stroke play event, having last been played as a stroke play event in 1907. Originally played as the "Victorian Golf Cup" at Melbourne Golf Club, the championship was taken over by the Australian Golf Union in 1899. In its early years, a variety of formats were used but from 1908 to 2020 it was a match play event, generally with a stroke play qualifying stage. The winner receives the Challenge Cup, donated by
Lord Forster Henry William Forster, 1st Baron Forster, (31 January 1866 – 15 January 1936) was a British politician who served as the List of Governors-General of Australia, seventh Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1920 to 1925. He had previ ...
, the
Governor-General of Australia The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.Legh Winser Cyril Legh Winser (27 November 1884 — 20 December 1983) was an Anglo–Australian cricketer, golfer, colonial secretary and orchardist. Born in England, Winser briefly played minor counties cricket for Staffordshire, before emigrating to Au ...
, the 1921 winner. Three players have won the championship four times:
Harry Howden Henry Anderson Howden (31 May 1876 – 21 May 1922) was a Scottish-born Australian amateur golfer. He won the Victorian Golf Cup in 1896, 1897 and 1898 and the Australian Amateur in 1901. Early life Howden was born on 31 May 1876 near North Ber ...
between 1896 and 1901, Michael Scott between 1905 and 1910 and
Jim Ferrier James Bennett Elliott Ferrier (24 February 1915 – 13 June 1986) was an Australian professional golfer from Manly, New South Wales. After compiling a fine record as an amateur golfer in Australia during the 1930s, he moved to the United States ...
between 1935 and 1939. The last repeat winner was
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who won his second title in 1962.


History

The championship is reckoned to start in 1894 when the
Royal Melbourne Golf Club Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a 36-hole golf club in Australia, located in Black Rock, Victoria, a suburb southeast of Melbourne. Its West and East courses are respectively ranked number 1 and 6 in Australia. The West course is ranked in the t ...
founded the "Victorian Golf Cup", open to all amateurs in Australasia. The 1894 contest was played on 5, 7 and 9 November with the result decided by a bogey competition over three rounds. Louis Whyte won with a score of 6 holes down on bogey, 6 holes ahead of Mark Anderson. The same format was used for the 1895 event, which was played on 4, 6 and 8 November. Robert Balfour-Melville was even with bogey, 10 holes ahead of Thomas Hope. The Victorian Golf Cup had rapidly established itself as the main golf tournament in Australia, and was regarded as the amateur championship of Australia. The 1896 contest was held from 23 to 25 September and was decided by match-play with the final over 36 holes. Defending champion, Robert Balfour-Melville, met
Harry Howden Henry Anderson Howden (31 May 1876 – 21 May 1922) was a Scottish-born Australian amateur golfer. He won the Victorian Golf Cup in 1896, 1897 and 1898 and the Australian Amateur in 1901. Early life Howden was born on 31 May 1876 near North Ber ...
in the final. Howden was 4 up with 5 to play before Balfour-Melville levelled the match at the 35th. However Howden won the last to win by 1 hole. The match play format was not popular and the 1897 event was decided by 72 holes of stroke-play, played on 13 and 15 October. Harry Howden retained the trophy with a score of 348, 33 strokes ahead of William McIntyre. Howden led by 12 after the first day and extended this by a further 21 on the final day. The 1898 event was again decided by stroke-play. Harry Howden was three behind the leaders after the first day but pulled away on the final day and won with a score of 360, 13 ahead of his brother
Jim Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim ...
. The Australian Golf Union was formed in 1898 and organised their first championship meeting at
Royal Sydney Golf Club Royal Sydney Golf Club is golf club in Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia, a suburb of Sydney. Founded in 1893, Royal Sydney is one of Australia's premier sporting and social clubs. It features an 18-hole Championship Course, a 9-hole Cente ...
, the main event being the amateur championship on 26 and 27 May 1899.
Harry Howden Henry Anderson Howden (31 May 1876 – 21 May 1922) was a Scottish-born Australian amateur golfer. He won the Victorian Golf Cup in 1896, 1897 and 1898 and the Australian Amateur in 1901. Early life Howden was born on 31 May 1876 near North Ber ...
and New Zealander
Charles Gillies Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
were level after the first day on 157. Howden led by a stroke after three rounds after Gillies had taken 11 at the fourth hole. The pair were still level with nine holes to play but Gillies came home in 37 to Howden's 48 to win with a total of 314, 11 ahead of Howden, who still took second place. The Victorian Golf Cup continued in 1899 and later, and despite some initial confusion, became established as the
Victorian Amateur Championship The Victorian Amateur Championship is the state amateur golf championship of Victoria, Australia. It has been played annually since 1899, except for the war years. Two players have won the championship six times, Michael Scott between 1904 and ...
. Unlike the earlier Victorian Golf Cup, the AGU championship meeting moved each year and in 1900 it was held at
Adelaide Golf Club The Royal Adelaide Golf Club (often referred to as Seaton) is a private Australian golf club located in the Adelaide suburb of Seaton, northwest of the city centre. The links at Seaton has been the venue for many international and interstate ...
on 28 and 29 June. Louis Whyte won with a score of 382, four ahead of
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. The championship returned to the Sydney area in 1901, being played at
The Australian Golf Club The Australian Golf Club is a golf club located in Rosebery, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Although it survived numerous course location changes, it is arguably the oldest golf club in Australia. To date the course has held 20 Australian Open ...
on 11 and 12 July. Harry Howden won with a score of 352, 7 strokes ahead of
Hugh MacNeil Hugh MacNeil (26 October 1860 – 14 September 1924) was a New Zealand cricketer, golfer and businessman. Life and business career Hugh MacNeil was born in Glasgow in 1860, his parents' second son. The family migrated to Dunedin in 1865. He at ...
, although he had trailed by 5 after the first day. The 1902 championship was played at Royal Melbourne on 22 and 23 October. Hugh MacNeil won with a score of 328, six ahead of Peter Anderson and Walter Carre Riddell. In 1903 the event returned to Adelaide Golf Club, played from 25 to 27 June. The format was revised, there being a 36-hole stroke-play qualification stage after which the leading 8 played match-play with a 36-hole final.
Dan Soutar Daniel Gordon Soutar (3 December 1882 – 30 November 1937) was an Australian professional golfer. He pioneered professional golf in Australia, bringing his Scottish work ethic and all-round skills to influence the game as a whole from teachin ...
led the qualifying and went on to beat Jim Howden 3&1 in the final. The first Australian Open was held in 1904 and acted as qualifying for the amateur championship. The leading 16 amateurs played in the match-play stage, over three days, with two 18-hole matches on the first day, followed by 36-hole semi-finals and final. Jim Howden beat Michael Scott 3&2 in the final, despite having finished 23 strokes behind him in the Open. The first Interstate team match was held in 1904, with New South Wales beating Victoria by five matches to two, with one match halved. When the meeting was held at Royal Melbourne in 1905 and 1907 there was no separate match-play stage, the amateur championship being won by the leading amateur in the Open. In 1905
Dan Soutar Daniel Gordon Soutar (3 December 1882 – 30 November 1937) was an Australian professional golfer. He pioneered professional golf in Australia, bringing his Scottish work ethic and all-round skills to influence the game as a whole from teachin ...
, a professional, won the Open with a score of 337, 10 strokes ahead of the runner-up, Scott, who therefore became the amateur champion. In 1907 Scott won the Open championship with a score of 318 becoming both open and amateur champion. Scott had to survive a protest, having accidentally driven from outside the teeing ground at one hole. The 1906 event had followed the same format as that in 1904. As in 1904. it was won by a player who had performed relatively poorly in the Open, Ernest Gill beating
Clyde Pearce Clyde Bowman Pearce (24 February 1888 – 10 June 1917) was an Australian amateur golfer. He won both the Australian Open and the Australian Amateur in 1908 and was runner-up in the Australian Amateur three times. He was killed in Belgium duri ...
5&4 in the final. From 1908 only the leading 8 amateurs qualified for the match-play, with all three rounds played over 36 holes. Generally, the Open finished on a Saturday and the three rounds were played from Monday to Wednesday. In 1908, for scheduling reasons, the final was not played until the Saturday. The Tasmanian
Clyde Pearce Clyde Bowman Pearce (24 February 1888 – 10 June 1917) was an Australian amateur golfer. He won both the Australian Open and the Australian Amateur in 1908 and was runner-up in the Australian Amateur three times. He was killed in Belgium duri ...
, having already won the Open, beat
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10&8 in the final. In 1909 Pearce reached the final again but lost at the 37th hole to Michael Scott. Scott won his fourth title in 1910, beating Jim Howden 10&8 in the final. In 1911 the three match-play rounds were scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Scott had returned to Britain and Jim Howden won his second title, beating
Claude Felstead Claude Fay Felstead (30 October 1889 – 9 March 1964) was an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1909 Australian Open and was runner-up in the 1911 Australian Amateur. Early life Felstead was born on 30 October 1889 in St Kilda, a suburb ...
4&3 in the final. In 1912 the event was won by Hector Morrison, who beat Gordon Burnham, a member of the Governor-General's staff, 3&1 in the final. The 1913 tournament was originally planned to be played at The Australian, but was moved to Royal Melbourne because of a smallpox outbreak and the poor condition of the course, caused by wet weather. It was won by
Audley Lemprière Audley may refer to: People *Audley (surname) * Audley Harrison, British boxer Places * Audley End House, a country house just outside Saffron Walden, Essex, England * Audley House, London, a block of flats in central London, England *Audley, Onta ...
who beat
Ivo Whitton Ivo Harrington Whitton (9 December 1893 – 2 July 1967) was an Australian amateur golfer, who, along with Greg Norman, is the only Australian to have won the Australian Open five times (1912, 1913, 1926, 1929 and 1931). Whitton was born i ...
2&1 in the final, reversing the result in the Open, in which Whitton had won with Lemprière second. The championship restarted in 1920 using the pre-war format.
Eric Apperly The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
beat Tom Howard 4&3 in the final, while in 1921
Legh Winser Cyril Legh Winser (27 November 1884 — 20 December 1983) was an Anglo–Australian cricketer, golfer, colonial secretary and orchardist. Born in England, Winser briefly played minor counties cricket for Staffordshire, before emigrating to Au ...
beat
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6&5 in the final. In late 1921 it was announced that
Lord Forster Henry William Forster, 1st Baron Forster, (31 January 1866 – 15 January 1936) was a British politician who served as the List of Governors-General of Australia, seventh Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1920 to 1925. He had previ ...
, the
Governor-General of Australia The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.Legh Winser Cyril Legh Winser (27 November 1884 — 20 December 1983) was an Anglo–Australian cricketer, golfer, colonial secretary and orchardist. Born in England, Winser briefly played minor counties cricket for Staffordshire, before emigrating to Au ...
, the 1921 champion, by Archibald Weigall, the Governor of South Australia, at a ceremony at Adelaide Golf Club in April 1922.
Ivo Whitton Ivo Harrington Whitton (9 December 1893 – 2 July 1967) was an Australian amateur golfer, who, along with Greg Norman, is the only Australian to have won the Australian Open five times (1912, 1913, 1926, 1929 and 1931). Whitton was born i ...
had won the Open in 1912 and 1913 but it was not until 1922 that he won the amateur championship, beating Henry McClelland 3&2 in the final. He repeated his success in 1923 beating
Harry Sinclair Harry Alan Sinclair (born 1959) is a New Zealand film director, writer and actor. In his early career he was an actor and member of The Front Lawn, a musical theater duo. He went on to write and direct several short films, a TV series and thr ...
by the same score. There were 16 qualifiers in 1922, with four 36-hole matches, but the number reverted to 8 in 1923, before expanding again to 16 in 1924 where it stayed until 1939. Alex Russell had won the Open in 1924, beating Whitton on the way to the final, but lost 2&1 to Sinclair, the runner-up in 1923. Sinclair retained the title in 1925 beating George Thompson 12&10 in a one-sided final. Whitton won the Open for the third time in 1926 and then reached the final of the amateur, but was beaten by Len Nettlefold, 2 up. Nettlefold won again in 1928 but otherwise there no multiple winners up to 1934. In the 1920s there had been some variation in the days of the week when the Open and amateur were played but from 1930 they became standardised with the Open finishing on a Saturday and the Amateur being played from Monday to Thursday of the following week. The period from 1935 to 1939 was dominated by
Jim Ferrier James Bennett Elliott Ferrier (24 February 1915 – 13 June 1986) was an Australian professional golfer from Manly, New South Wales. After compiling a fine record as an amateur golfer in Australia during the 1930s, he moved to the United States ...
who won four times in the five years, 1935, 1936, 1938 and 1939. In 1938 he became the first player since
Clyde Pearce Clyde Bowman Pearce (24 February 1888 – 10 June 1917) was an Australian amateur golfer. He won both the Australian Open and the Australian Amateur in 1908 and was runner-up in the Australian Amateur three times. He was killed in Belgium duri ...
in 1908 to win both the Open and amateur, a feat he repeated in 1939. His only defeat in this period came in the 1937 quarter-finals where he lost 2&1 to Doug Davies. Harry Williams, the 1931 winner, won again in 1937. When the championship resumed in 1946 it was played at Royal Sydney, after the Australian Open that had been played there. However, the Open no longer acted as a qualifying event and the amateur championship became match-play only with 18-hole matches except for the final.
Alan Waterson Alan Norman Waterson (18 October 1915 – 1 May 2003) was an Australian amateur golfer. In 1946 he was runner-up in the Australian Open and the winner of the Australian Amateur. He won the New South Wales Amateur Championship four times, and r ...
beat
Jim Pendergast James Francis Pendergast (January 27, 1856 – November 10, 1911) was a Democratic politician and the first Big City Boss of Kansas City, Missouri. He was the elder brother of Thomas J. Pendergast and Michael J. Pendergast. Early life Pender ...
2&1 in the final. From 1947 the Open and amateur were generally played at different clubs, although they were often played in the same city with the amateur either immediately before or after the Open.
Harry Hattersley Harry William Hattersley (15 March 1908 – 17 February 1970) was an Australian amateur golfer. He won the Australian Amateur in 1930 and 1947, and the New South Wales Amateur Championship in 1933, 1935 and 1950. He was part of an Australian te ...
won his second championship in 1947, 17 years after his first. In 1952 both Open and Amateur championships were held at Lake Karrinyup, the first time either had been held in
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
. The format for the amateur championship was revised with a 36-hole stroke-play qualifying event with the leading 32 players playing in the match-play stage. Bob Stevens led the qualifiers with a score of 141 and went on to win the title, beating Bill Higgins 7&6 in the final.
Peter Heard Peter Heard is president and ex-chairman of Colchester United Football Club, a the Football Association, Football Association councillor and former FA board member. He was born in Colchester, and used to be a referee. As the representative for Foot ...
won in 1953, having previously won in 1951. The format was revised for 1954 with the event taking place immediately after the Open. The leading 32 amateurs after the first two rounds of the Open qualified, all matches being over 36 holes. The six members of the Australian team that won the
Commonwealth Tournament The Commonwealth Tournament was a men's team golf tournament between teams of amateurs golfers from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. It was played roughly every four years, in 1954, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971 and 1975. I ...
returned in time to play in the amateur championship but too late to play in the Open, and were excluded. The Toogood brothers met in the 1954 final, with
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beating his brother
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, leading to the famous headline "Toogood Was Too Good For Toogood".
Harry Berwick Harry Williamson Berwick (23 April 1923 – 3 April 1988) was an Australian golfer. He won the Australian Amateur twice, in 1950 and 1956, and won the 1952 New Zealand Amateur. He won two open titles in 1956, the Lakes Open and the New Zealand ...
was another two-time winner, in 1950 and 1956, beating Bill Edgar in the final on both occasions. 1958 had seen a return to the earlier match-play-only format with 18-hole matches except for the final, but it had not proved popular. In 1959, 36-hole stroke-play qualifying was introduced with the leading 64 players playing in the match-play stage. In 1959
Jack Coogan John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films. Charlie Chaplin's film classic ''The Kid'' (1921) made him one of the first child stars in the ...
led the qualifying but lost in the final to
Bruce Devlin Bruce William Devlin (born 10 October 1937) is an Australian professional golfer, sportscaster and golf course designer. Devlin was born in Armidale, Australia. He turned pro in 1961 and joined the PGA Tour in 1962 after an amateur career in ...
.
Doug Bachli Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) whic ...
won in 1962, having previously won in 1948. The 1963 event was played soon after the 1963
Commonwealth Tournament The Commonwealth Tournament was a men's team golf tournament between teams of amateurs golfers from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. It was played roughly every four years, in 1954, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971 and 1975. I ...
in Sydney, resulting in an unusually large number of overseas entries. Two South Africans reached the final, with John Hayes winning a one-sided final. New Zealander Ross Murray reached the final in 1969 but lost 6&5 to
Bob Shearer Robert A. Shearer (25 May 1948 – 9 January 2022) was an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect. Early life and amateur career Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur, having been a joint ...
. There had been some criticism that the existing format was not producing a high calibre of winners, and the format was revised. In 1971 the number of qualifiers was reduced to 16, with all the match-play contests over 36 holes. The change was not immediately successful since only one of the six members of the Australian team for the upcoming
Commonwealth Tournament The Commonwealth Tournament was a men's team golf tournament between teams of amateurs golfers from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. It was played roughly every four years, in 1954, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971 and 1975. I ...
qualified for the match-play stage. For 1972 the number of qualifiers was increased to 32, with all matches still over 36 holes. Colin Kaye won in 1972, the first time a medallist had gone on to win the event since stroke-play qualifying had been introduced in 1959. 18-hole matches were reintroduced in 1973, with only the final over 36 holes. The number of qualifiers remained at 32. The experienced
Tony Gresham Anthony Yale Gresham (born 4 December 1940) is an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1977 Australian Amateur and represented Australia in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy events between 1968 and 1980. He also won two professional events, t ...
reached four finals in the 1970s, although he only won once. He beat Chris Bonython at the 40th hole in 1977 but lost to
Ray Jenner Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray ...
in 1973,
Peter Sweeney Peter Henry Sweeney (born 25 September 1984) is a Scottish association football, football manager, coach and former professional player. Sweeney played as a midfielder and began his career at Millwall F.C., Millwall where he progressed throug ...
in 1976 and Mike Clayton in 1978. Bonython and
Terry Gale Terry R. Gale (born 7 June 1946) is an Australian professional golfer. Professional career Gale had a successful amateur career before turning professional at a relatively advanced age in 1976. From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s he won re ...
were other multiple finalists in the 1970s, Gale winning in 1974 and losing to Bonython in 1975. New Zealander
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reached the final in 1983 but lost to Wayne Smith, and it was not until 1985 that there was another overseas winner when
Boonchu Ruangkit Boonchu Ruangkit (born 12 May 1956) is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the Champions Tour. Early life As a young man, Boonchu tried for a career in kick boxing, but he gave it up after being knocked out cold in his third bout. He made h ...
from Thailand beat
Peter O'Malley Peter O'Malley (born December 12, 1937) is an American former owner (1979–98) and president (1970–98) of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Life and sports O'Malley was born at Carson C. Peck Memorial Hospital in Brookly ...
in the final. Another New Zealander, Phil Aickin, reached the final in 1987 but lost to
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. In the 1990s there were a number of winners who went on to have successful professional career.
Lucas Parsons Lucas John Kendall Parsons (born 4 October 1969) is an Australian former professional golfer. Parsons was born in Orange, New South Wales. As an amateur, he won both the Australian and New Zealand Amateur Championships in 1991. He turned prof ...
won in 1991 and was followed by New Zealander,
Michael Campbell Michael Shane Campbell (born 23 February 1969) is a New Zealand professional golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and, at the time, the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the ...
, in 1992 and
Greg Chalmers Greg J. Chalmers (born 11 October 1973) is an Australian professional golfer. Chalmers has played primarily on the PGA Tour of Australasia and PGA Tour. He is a two-time winner of the Australian Open and late in his career eventually won a PGA ...
in 1993. The centenary championship in 1994 was held at Royal Sydney. The event was moved to March, having traditionally been held in the second half of the year, and was won by Englishman
Warren Bennett Warren Bennett (born 20 August 1971) is an English professional golfer. Career Bennett was born in Ashford, Surrey and is the son of former footballer Peter Bennett. In 1994, he won the Australian Amateur and was the leading amateur at The Ope ...
.
Mathew Goggin Mathew Charles Goggin (born 13 June 1974) is an Australian professional golfer. Amateur career As an amateur, he won the 1995 Australian Amateur, played at Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, 2 & 1 over American Jamie Crow. He also w ...
won in 1995, beating the US-based Jamie Crow in the final. In 1996 the qualifying rounds were extended from 36 to 72 holes, although the number of qualifiers remained at 32.
David Gleeson David Gleeson (born in Limerick) is an Irish film director and writer. Personal life A native of Cappamore, Co. Limerick, Gleeson is the third generation of his family to enter the film business. His grandfather opened up the Regal Cinema, ...
won in 1996 and was followed by Kim Felton,
Brett Rumford Brett Michael Rumford (born 27 July 1977) is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, having formerly been a member on both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia. Early life Rumford was born and grew up in Perth, We ...
and Brendan Jones from 1997 to 1999. The early 2000s saw two Scottish winners, Jack Doherty in 2003 and Eric Ramsay in 2005. In 2006 the stroke play stage was turned into a separate tournament, the Australian Amateur Stroke Play Championship. The main difference was that there was a playoff in the event of a tie, whereas previously medalist honours were shared. There was a playoff in four of the six years the events was held.
Danny Willett Daniel John Willett (born 3 October 1987) is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. In April 2016, he won his first major championship at the 2016 Masters Tournament, becoming only the second Englishman to achieve the f ...
was the only overseas winner of the Stroke Play Championship, winning in 2008, while Norwegian Anders Kristiansen won the Amateur Championship that year.
Matt Jager Matt Jager (born 11 August 1988) is an Australian golfer who won the Australian Amateur in 2010. He also won the New Zealand Amateur in 2009 and 2010. Jager turned professional and played on the Canadian Tour in 2012. Team appearances Amateur * ...
was the only winner of the stroke play who went on to win the Amateur Championship, winning both in 2009. In 2012 the format returned to that used from 1959 to 1970, with the leading 64 players qualifying after 36 holes of stroke-play. Match-play rounds were over 18 holes except for the final, which was over 36 holes. Two courses were used for the stroke play stage, each player playing one round on each course. The 2010s saw a number of overseas winners, Marcel Schneider won in 2012, Tae Koh in 2014,
Connor Syme Connor David Syme (born 11 July 1995) is a Scottish professional golfer. He won the 2019 Turkish Airlines Challenge on the Challenge Tour. Amateur career Syme won the 2016 Australian Amateur championship. He was also medalist at the 2016 Amat ...
in 2016,
Keita Nakajima Keita Nakajima ( ja, 中島啓太, born 24 June 2000) is a Japanese professional golfer. He had an exceptionally successful amateur career and was number 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a record 87 weeks. He also won the Panasonic Open ...
in 2018 and Conor Purcell in 2019. From 2021 the event will be played as a 72-hole stroke play event. The 2021 championship was originally planned to be played in Melbourne in January but was rescheduled to February at
Kooyonga Golf Club Kooyonga Golf Club is a private golf club in Australia, located in South Australia at Lockleys, a suburb west of Adelaide. Members entry is off May Terrace, Brooklyn Park. Work on the course started in 1922 and the first nine holes opened on ...
. Louis Dobbelaar won the championship by two strokes from Jeffrey Guan.
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led by 5 shots at the start of the final round but took 82 and was later disqualified for signing for an incorrect score. The 2022 title was won by Connor McKinney who holed a long birdie putt at the first extra hole in a three-way playoff.


Winners

All match-play finals have been over 36 holes. A number of early events used different formats. The 1894 and 1895 events were bogey competitions, decided over 3 rounds. From 1897 to 1902 and in 1905 and 1907 the championship was decided by 72 holes of stroke play. Additional source:


Medallists

From 1959 to 2020 the winner of the stroke play stage was the Australian Medallist. Qualifying was generally over 36 holes. However from 1996 to 2005 it was played over 72 holes. Two courses were used from 1986. * 2020 - Andre Lautee * 2019 -
David Micheluzzi David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
* 2018 - Darcy Boyd, Connor McKinney * 2017 -
Kevin Yuan Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
* 2016 - Charles Pilon * 2015 - Nick Marsh * 2014 - Ryan Evans * 2013 - Brady Watt * 2012 -
Cameron Smith Cameron Smith may refer to: * Cameron Smith (rugby league, born 1983), Australian rugby league footballer * Cameron Smith (rugby league, born 1998), English rugby league footballer * Cameron Smith (golfer) (born 1993), Australian golfer * Cammy Smi ...
* 2006 to 2011 - replaced by the Australian Amateur Stroke Play Championship * 2005 - Kang Sung-hoon * 2004 - Bradley Iles * 2003 - Mitchell Brown * 2002 - Andrew Buckle * 2001 -
Steven Bowditch Steven Bowditch (born 8 June 1983) is an Australian professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia. Bowditch was born in Newcastle, New South Wales. He had a distinguished amateur career, which include ...
* 2000 -
Warwick Dews Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Wh ...
* 1999 - Bradley Bone, Brendan Jones * 1998 - Kim Felton * 1997 -
Daniel Gaunt Daniel Gaunt, born 27 February 1985, in Auckland, is a New Zealand racing driver. Owner of Game Over Auckland Formula Racing After rising through the ranks of New Zealand Formula Ford, which included a third-place finish in the 2002 New Zea ...
,
Terry Pilkadaris Terry Peter Pilkadaris (born 30 October 1973) is an Australian professional golfer. Pilkadaris was born in Perth, Western Australia. He turned professional in 1998, joining the PGA Tour of Australasia. Since 2002 he has played on the Asian Tou ...
* 1996 - Jamie Crow * 1995 - Darren Anderson,
Marcus Wheelhouse Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobâr ...
* 1994 -
Jason Dawes Jason Obrian Dawes (born 27 December 1988) is a Jamaican cricketer who has played for both Jamaica and the Combined Campuses and Colleges in West Indian domestic cricket. A right-arm fast bowler, Dawes played for the West Indies under-19s at t ...
* 1993 -
Steve Collins Stephen Collins (born 21 July 1964) is an Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1986 to 1997. Known as the Celtic Warrior, Collins is the most successful male Irish boxer in recent professional boxing history, having held the WBO mi ...
, Anthony Toogood * 1992 - Stephen Leaney * 1991 -
Lucas Parsons Lucas John Kendall Parsons (born 4 October 1969) is an Australian former professional golfer. Parsons was born in Orange, New South Wales. As an amateur, he won both the Australian and New Zealand Amateur Championships in 1991. He turned prof ...
* 1990 - Shane Tait * 1989 - Tony Mills, John Wade * 1988 - John Wade, Robert Willis * 1987 -
Glenn Joyner Glenn may refer to: Name or surname * Glenn (name) * John Glenn, U.S. astronaut Cultivars * Glenn (mango) * a 6-row barley variety Places In the United States: * Glenn, California * Glenn County, California * Glenn, Georgia, a settlement ...
* 1986 - Craig Warren * 1985 -
Brett Ogle Brett James Ogle (born 14 July 1964) is an Australian professional golfer. Early life Ogle was born in Paddington, New South Wales, adopted at 6 weeks of age and was brought up in the town of Goulburn. He was a successful hockey player in his ...
* 1984 - John Hay * 1983 - Wayne Smith * 1982 -
Ian Hood Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a popular name in Sc ...
, Wayne Smith * 1981 -
Tony Gresham Anthony Yale Gresham (born 4 December 1940) is an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1977 Australian Amateur and represented Australia in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy events between 1968 and 1980. He also won two professional events, t ...
* 1980 - Colin Kaye * 1979 - Colin Kaye * 1978 - Elliott Booth * 1977 -
Tony Gresham Anthony Yale Gresham (born 4 December 1940) is an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1977 Australian Amateur and represented Australia in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy events between 1968 and 1980. He also won two professional events, t ...
, Colin Kaye * 1976 - Chris Bonython, Bruce Cook,
Peter Sweeney Peter Henry Sweeney (born 25 September 1984) is a Scottish association football, football manager, coach and former professional player. Sweeney played as a midfielder and began his career at Millwall F.C., Millwall where he progressed throug ...
,
Doug Witham Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) whic ...
* 1975 -
Tony Gresham Anthony Yale Gresham (born 4 December 1940) is an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1977 Australian Amateur and represented Australia in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy events between 1968 and 1980. He also won two professional events, t ...
* 1974 - Elliott Booth,
Terry Gale Terry R. Gale (born 7 June 1946) is an Australian professional golfer. Professional career Gale had a successful amateur career before turning professional at a relatively advanced age in 1976. From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s he won re ...
* 1973 - Peter Headland * 1972 - Keith Drage, Colin Kaye, Sommy Mackay * 1971 - Mike Cahill * 1970 -
Barry Warren Barry Warren (born 12 July 1933 in London, died 22 February 1994 in Chichester, Sussex) was a British actor, born as Barry Christopher J. Warren. He trained at RADA, graduating in 1955. As well as several stage and TV appearances, including one ...
* 1969 - David Good * 1968 -
Barry Burgess Barry Burgess (born 1945–46) is an Australian professional golfer. Amateur career Burgess began his career as an assistant professional at Ashlar Golf Club in Colebee, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney. He early success as an amateur, winnin ...
,
Duncan Grant Duncan James Corrowr Grant (21 January 1885 – 8 May 1978) was a British painter and designer of textiles, pottery, theatre sets and costumes. He was a member of the Bloomsbury Group. His father was Bartle Grant, a "poverty-stricken" major i ...
,
Bob Shearer Robert A. Shearer (25 May 1948 – 9 January 2022) was an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect. Early life and amateur career Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur, having been a joint ...
* 1967 -
Tony Gresham Anthony Yale Gresham (born 4 December 1940) is an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1977 Australian Amateur and represented Australia in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy events between 1968 and 1980. He also won two professional events, t ...
* 1966 - Vic Bulgin * 1965 -
Kevin Hartley Kevin William Hartley (30 January 1934 – 22 December 2020) was an Australian amateur golfer. He won the Australian Amateur in 1958 and was part of the Australian team that won the 1966 Eisenhower Trophy. Golf career Hartley won the 1958 Aus ...
* 1964 - Noel Bartell * 1963 -
Harry Berwick Harry Williamson Berwick (23 April 1923 – 3 April 1988) was an Australian golfer. He won the Australian Amateur twice, in 1950 and 1956, and won the 1952 New Zealand Amateur. He won two open titles in 1956, the Lakes Open and the New Zealand ...
, Eric Routley * 1962 - Tony Hutton * 1961 - Phil Billings * 1960 - Les O'Shea * 1959 -
Jack Coogan John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films. Charlie Chaplin's film classic ''The Kid'' (1921) made him one of the first child stars in the ...
Source: In 1960, Les O'Shea and Eric Routley tied for first place. There was an 18-hole playoff to determine the winner of the medal, O'Shea winning with a 74 to Routley's 76. The next tie was in 1963, when Routley was again involved, this time with
Harry Berwick Harry Williamson Berwick (23 April 1923 – 3 April 1988) was an Australian golfer. He won the Australian Amateur twice, in 1950 and 1956, and won the 1952 New Zealand Amateur. He won two open titles in 1956, the Lakes Open and the New Zealand ...
. On this occasion both players received medals.


Australian Amateur Stroke Play Championship

From 2006 to 2011, the stroke play stage was a separate championship, the Australian Amateur Stroke Play Championship, although it also acted as the qualification for the Australian Amateur. Additional source:


See also

*
Australian Women's Amateur The Australian Women's Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It was first played in 1894 and is organised by Golf Australia. Having traditionally been a match play event, it became a 72-hole stroke play event in 2021, h ...


References


External links

*{{official, http://www.golf.org.au/ Amateur golf tournaments in Australia Recurring sporting events established in 1894 1894 establishments in Australia