Australian Mid-Amateur: Ashleigh Arnold and Adam Hawkins easily win the titles
Ashleigh Arnold and Adam Hawkins (Golf Australia Photo)
Ashleigh Arnold from Bonnie Doon in Sydney went back-to-back while Queenslander
Adam Hawkins won his first Australian Mid Amateur championship in Perth today.
Arnold dominated the women’s event, shooting rounds of 83-75-77 to shoot 16-over and win by 17 shots at Hartfield Golf Club.
Hawkins, from Sanctuary Cove, had a tougher assignment, carding consecutive rounds of 73 to win the men’s by five shots from Royal Fremantle’s Adam Hatch.
For Arnold, it was the fulfillment of a year-long dream since she won the Mid-Amateur at Bribie Island in Queensland last year.
“I’m super-excited that I managed to win again this year,” she said. “It was a goal of mine to go back-to-back, so I’m happy that I put it together.”
Arnold bounced back from a difficult first round. “I’m glad I bounced back quickly and played a bit more solid the last two days.”
She will have a chance to make it a hat-trick next year when the championship moves to Wollongong and Shell Cove. “I can sneak down and have a practice round, and I look forward to it.”
Hawkins, who went top-10 in the Mid-Amateur in 2022, said his diligence had been worthwhile.
Hawkins shot 3-over with rounds of three rounds of 73 to win the championship by five shots.
“It feels good,’’ he said. “I’ve put a lot of work into my game so it’s nice to get something out of it.”
He was returning from a broken wrist sustained at the start of August.
“As soon as I did it, I looked at the schedule and decided this would be the event I’d try and get back to full playing capability for,” he said. “I’ve put a lot of time in the gym and it’s paid off.”
The event was played in conjunction with the WA Mid-Amateur Championship and the pair were also awarded those championships.
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ABOUT THE Australian Mid-Amateur
The Australian Men's and Women's Mid Amateur
Championships have been played since 2007.
The
Championships are played over 54-holes stroke
play, and are for players aged 30 - 54 years.
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