Two new champions have been crowned after the final round of the 2023 Srixon NSW Mid-Amateur at Byron Bay and Ocean Shores Golf Clubs on the NSW north coast.
Damon Stephenson of Parkwood International and Cath Stolz of Shelley Beach on the NSW Central coast claimed their respective men’s and women’s titles after a thrilling final round at Byron Bay Golf Club today.
Queenslander Stephenson blitzed the competition, shooting a spectacular four-under-par final round of 68.
It was almost a bogey-free affair for the gold coast native, with birdies on the 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th and 14th to snuff out any chance his fellow competitors might have had. Stephenson’s only blemish, a bogey on the 18th, merely a blip in an otherwise almost perfect performance.
“I’m a little bit tired, but good. It was a long week and a tough day today but I played pretty well for the 18 holes,” he said.
“I hit a lot of good shots, made some good putts and managed to keep the other three at bay so I’m really happy,” a delighted Stephenson said after his victory.
Stephenson won by an incredible eight shots from Michael Williams of Moore Park, and David Calvert of Byron Bay tied for second with a final score of 221. Overnight leader Mat Crandell finished in fourth place with 223.
In the Women’s, Shelly Beach’s Cath Stolz proved too tough, carding a final round 81 to win by three shots.
“I’m feeling fantastic. It’s been a long time since I’ve played a big event like this so it’s just amazing to be standing here with a trophy at the end of the day,” a beaming Stolz said.
The win was an incredible feat for Stolz, whose health in recent years has held her back from playing as much.
“It’s pretty awesome because I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2020 so I had a couple of years out where I was going through treatment,” she said.
“I still played golf through the whole thing because golf has been fantastic. But I’ve just started to get a little strength back into my golf again.”
Coming in second after Stolz was the defending champ, Gemma Dooley of New South Wales with a score of 245, while Moore Park’s Lucie Quilliam finished in third with 251.
Next year’s Mid-Amateur will be travelling to the Illawarra to be played at Wollongong Golf Club and The Links Shell Cove.
Story Source: Kass Rogan – Golf NSW