Adam Baillie and Georgia Garner-Dart are Western Australia’s new Amateur champions after conquering deep match-play draws and holding their nerve over two demanding 36-hole finals at Cottesloe Golf Club.
Baillie’s run to the men’s title was built on steady, unspectacular control. He opened with a 2&1 win over Mandeep Singh, then survived a series of tight matches to reach the final. Waiting there was 17-year-old Nate Johnson, who had surged through his side of the bracket with wins of 4&3, 1 up and 5&3, playing bold, attacking golf.
The final swung from the opening hole. Johnson drove the short par-four 1st and made birdie to go ahead, but Baillie answered immediately. The morning turned at the par-five 12th when Baillie holed a delicate chip to move two clear. Johnson refused to fade, birdieing the 16th to trail by two at halfway.
After lunch, Baillie stretched the margin to three, only for Johnson to roar back with an eagle at the par-five 4th — the 22nd hole of the marathon match — to close within one. A missed two-foot birdie chance on the next hole proved pivotal. Baillie steadied, rebuilt the cushion, and closed out a 3&1 victory with a nervy par at the 17th.
Garner-Dart’s path in the women’s championship was equally assured. She advanced with composed wins, including a 4&3 semifinal over Sophie Williams, setting up a final against top seed and 2024 champion Amanda Gan, who had survived a 19-hole quarterfinal earlier in the week.
Garner-Dart was never behind in the final. She took the lead at the par-three 2nd, chipped in for birdie at the 11th and poured in a long putt early in the afternoon to create separation. Gan, playing just her third event back from a six-month injury layoff, mounted a late charge to cut the deficit to two. But on the par-five 17th, Garner-Dart found fairway, found green and made par to seal a 2&1 win.
Two finals. Two different rhythms. The same trait: champions who stayed composed when everything started to sway.