Luke Humphries of Goulburn Golf Club and reigning Australian Mid-Amateur Champion Ashleigh Arnold have captured the men’s and women’s titles at the 2025 Srixon NSW Mid-Amateur at Tamworth Golf Club.
In a dramatic finale, Humphries overcame a case of final-day butterflies to claim his first major amateur title since returning to the amateur ranks, while Arnold held her nerve to go wire-to-wire to claim her first home state championship.
Thirty-four-year-old Humphries from Goulburn in the NSW southern tablelands delivered a masterclass in steely determination, overcoming early pressure from overnight leader Josh Boaz and Randwick’s Michael Williams in a thrilling three-way duel.
Starting the final day one shot behind Boaz, Humphries made his intentions clear with birdies on his opening two holes. However, the challenge intensified as both Williams and Boaz refused to go away, with each player taking turns at the top of the leaderboard as the round progressed.
Humphries suffered his only blemish of the day with a bogey on the par-three fifth hole. He quickly recovered with a birdie on the reachable par-five eighth. From that point on, his play was flawless.
Back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes propelled him to a remarkable back nine of 33, to finish with an impressive four-under-par 66 and a three-round total of nine under (203) to claim victory by a stroke from the never-say-die Boaz.
“It is a little bit emotional, actually,” Humphries said, visibly moved after sinking his final putt. “To come back and play just for a bit of fun and win feels really good.”
“It doesn’t matter what level you’re at; getting those competitive juices flowing feels great, but you’ve still got to hit the shots at the right time. The butterflies tell you that it means something; the nerves are meant to be there.”
Humphries’ victory story is remarkable for someone who stepped away from professional golf to prioritise his young family.
After turning professional in 2014, he made the difficult decision in November last year to return to the amateur ranks, citing the pressures of professional golf and his responsibilities as a father.
“It’s been 13 or 14 years since I won an amateur event, and when I decided to get my amateur status back, this was the event I was looking forward to,” he explained. “Plus, I just wanted to play for the love of it again.”
With a seven-hour drive home ahead of him and the likelihood he’ll arrive when his family is asleep, Humphries said he’ll have plenty of time to reflect on his achievement. Looking forward, he admitted there were still a couple of goals he’d like to achieve.
“I won an NSW Junior, and now I have an NSW Mid-Amateur, so maybe next is the NSW Amateur title. That’s my motivation going forward now.”
Final Scores – Men:
1 Luke Humphries (Goulburn) -9
2 Josh Boaz (Moore Park) -8
3 Michael Williams (Randwick) -7
4 John Betland (Forbes) -6
T5 Steven Slappendel (Horizons Resort Port Stephens) -4
T5 Steve Betland (Forbes) -4
7 Dillyn Burazin (Dunheved) -3
8 Cam Powell (Queensland) -2
T9 Justin Avendano (Shelly Beach) -1
T9 Timothy Murray (Armidale) -1
T9 Blake Palmer (Tamworth)-1
Final Results: 2025 Srixon NSW Mid Amateur – Gross
Women’s Championship: Arnold Takes the Crown
Ashleigh Arnold has claimed the women’s division title at the 2025 Srixon NSW Mid Amateur, leading from start to finish with a commanding five-shot win over Queensland’s Dianne Benghamy.
The victory is Arnold’s first NSW State title after three attempts.
“This is my third attempt. I came fourth last year, so it’s nice to have this one,” Arnold said. “It’s my first home state title. I really wanted to win this one.”
Despite her dominant victory margin, Arnold’s final round was a mix of steady, mistake-free golf rather than spectacular scoring, saying her win was more about consistent ball-striking and course management. She added the pressure of leading from start to finish was also present and something she worked hard to deal with.
“I played solid but no birdies,” Arnold said. “I drove it nice and hit some really good iron shots but just couldn’t get the putter started.”
“I was a little bit nervous this morning – but I took a few deep breaths and played it one shot at a time. It’s a challenge to lead all the way. I wasn’t trying to think about it, or get too far ahead of myself.”
“I just tried to stay relaxed,” she explained.
Arnold said her preparation for the championship required careful time management as she balanced her golf with work commitments.
“I ve got two jobs these days, one in the pro shop at the Coast Golf Club, and the other with the Golfer Tour, plus doing events, so I had to do a bit of juggling to practice for this,” she explained.
The victory has some added family significance, with Arnold’s two professional golfer brothers, Jamie and Scott, both having had storied amateur careers. But rather than feeling overshadowed by their achievements, Arnold said she has found peace with her approach to the game.
“They’ll be happy for me,” she said. “I used to feel a bit of pressure having brothers as professionals, but in the past couple of years, I’ve calmed down a lot and just accepted I’m never going to be a pro and I’m not playing for money. It’s more stress-free.”
Final Scores – Women:
1 Ashleigh Arnold (Bonnie Doon) +13
2 Dianne Benghamy (Queensland) +18
3 Kacey Heywood (Victoria/Bendigo) +26
4 Adele Dosen (Bonville) +31
5 Helen Haynes (Hawks Nest) +35
Final Results: 2025 Srixon NSW Mid Amateur – Women’s Gross
STORIES: DAVID TEASE | GOLF NSW