Amelia Harris saved her best for last, and Kanichiro Katano made history, as the 2026 Australian Junior Amateur delivered a dramatic finish at Ballarat Golf Club.
Harris, a 17-year-old from Victoria, captured her first Australian Junior Amateur title in her sixth and final appearance, rallying from four shots back with a clutch 2-under 70 to finish at 6-under par. Meanwhile, Katano surged with a brilliant closing 66 to claim the boys’ title at 8-under, becoming the first champion from outside Australia and New Zealand.
Played in cold, wet, and windy conditions, the final round tested every aspect of the field’s game, with resilience ultimately separating the champions from the rest. Both winners now join an elite list of past champions that includes Adam Scott, Jason Day, Cameron Smith, Minjee Lee, and Grace Kim.
Harris Delivers in Final Opportunity
For much of the championship, it appeared New Zealand’s Teresa Wang would run away with the girls’ title. Wang led through the opening three rounds and carried a four-shot advantage into the final day.
But Harris never wavered.
After turning in even par on the front nine, Harris steadily chipped away at Wang’s lead. The turning point came at the par-4 12th, where Wang made a costly triple bogey, bringing the two players level at 4-under.
From there, Harris took control.
A birdie at the 14th gave her the outright lead, and another at the 16th extended the margin to two. With steady pars coming in, Harris secured the long-awaited victory.
“I can’t put it into words how happy I am,” Harris said. “It’s always one you dream of winning... especially to get it in my last year, I’m really happy.”
The win continues a remarkable run of form for Harris, who has now captured three consecutive titles, including the Rene Erichsen Salver and Keperra Bowl. She also opened 2026 with her first professional victory at the Women’s NSW Open Regional Qualifier.
Her recent success has been fueled by a renewed belief in her game.
“I enjoy the chase, so I had a lot of confidence in myself going in,” she said. “Last year I struggled a lot with my confidence and golf is just mental... having that confidence there, I think that’s what’s helped me hit a lot of good scores.”
Wang finished runner-up at 4-under, while Feiyu Xing and Amy Tang shared third at 2-over.
Katano Charges into History
In the boys’ championship, Katano delivered one of the most impressive final rounds of the week.
Starting the day four shots back and tied for sixth, the Japanese standout caught fire with a 6-under 66 to reach 8-under and claim a two-shot victory.
New Zealand’s Ryan Xie appeared to be in control early, racing out with three straight birdies and turning in 3-under 33 to build a three-shot lead. But the back nine told a different story.
Xie stumbled with bogeys on holes 10 and 11, opening the door for Katano.
Katano seized the moment with three consecutive birdies on holes 12 through 14 to take the outright lead. A closing birdie at the 18th set the clubhouse target at 8-under, a number that ultimately proved unreachable.
“I was just focusing so much, on each shot, each hole,” Katano said. “I can’t believe it. I played so well today and I’m really happy to win.”
Xie finished solo second, while defending champion Cooper Moore and Joey Eason shared third at 4-under.
Looking Ahead
With two dramatic comebacks crowning the champions at Ballarat, attention now shifts to the Australian Junior Interstate Teams Matches, set to begin next week at Moonah Links on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
If this week was any indication, the next generation of international amateur golf talent is not only deep, but ready to deliver on the biggest stages.