QLD’s Quinnton Croker landed the Australian Amateur Championship crown to his impressive résumé after a dominant display at Yarra Yarra Golf Club.
The 21-year-old romped to a five-stroke victory ahead of local favourite Phoenix Campbell, posting a winning score of -15 to secure the biggest title of his career to date.
Disappointingly for WA golf fans, the hoped-for final-day challenge of Jordan Doull (pictured above) never really got going. Lying six strokes off Croker’s lead at -5 in T3rd heading into his closing 18, Doull was unable to replicate the stirring golf that had seen him card 16 birdies in his opening three rounds.
Two damaging double bogeys on his back nine saw Mount Lawley’s Doull close with a six-over 76 to sink to T15th in the final standings, although he was the highest-placed WA golfer in the men’s championship.
Cottesloe GC’s Michael Hanrahan Smith was the next best WA golfer in T25th at +4, while Connor Fewkes (Goldfields GC), George Barclay (Joondalup CC), Ken Goa (Mount Lawley GC) and Adam Hatch (Royal Fremantle) also playing all four rounds. View the final leaderboard here.
His victory earns Croker – who also finished as low amateur at the 2023 WA Open – an exemption into this December’s Australian Open, as well as underlining his status as one of the nation’s brightest prospects.
Joondalup CC’s Amie Phobubpa was the only WA golfer of the four in the field to make the cut in the women’s event – with the 2021 WA Women’s Amateur champion T3rd at the halfway point at -3, just a shot off the lead.
However, Phobubpa’s challenge faltered during a desperate third round, with two treble-bogeys contributing to an 11-over-par 84. The 18-year-old regrouped on the final day, though, to post a one-under 72 and claim a share of 16th place at +7 for the championship.
After a quiet 2023, WA’s Amie Phobubpa showed flashes of her best at the Aus Am
The women’s event was won by Japan’s Mamika Shinchi, who reeled in runaway leader Amelia Harris over the closing 18 to post a two-stroke victory at -10 for the championship. View the leaderboard here.
Both Doull and Phobubpa again flew the flag impressively for WA at the following week’s Avondale Amateur in NSW. In the men’s, Doull finished outright third at -7 for the 72-hole event, five strokes adrift of winner Declan O’Donovan, with Phobubpa 12th in the women’s. Final leaderboards here.
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