Adam Davey underscored his status as a titan of sand greens golf with a record-equalling sixth state championship title at Boyup Brook GC.
The Perth Golf Network member (pictured above left with Aglime’s David Gartner) carded rounds of 71 and 75 for a two-over-par winning total of 146 that left him two clear of Rodney ‘Rocket’ Shemeld (Goomalling GC) and Daniel Negus (Hartfield GC).
Remarkably, Davey’s sixth State Sand Greens crown comes 30 years after his first, which he achieved at Denmark Country Club as a fresh-faced 21-year-old back in 1994. He now shares the record of most wins in the championship with Royal Perth’s Michael Dennis, who won his six titles between 2003 and 2014.
Davey certainly had to work hard for his latest win around a testing Boyup Brook layout that yielded only one sub-par round – his own first round – from the 162-competitor field.
Holding a one-stroke lead overnight from Brookton’s Christopher Rawes, Davey made a perfect start to his second round with a birdie at the first. He mixed up two further birdies with two double bogeys on the outward half, however, to ensure the event would go the distance.
A further double bogey at the 10th briefly saw Davey relinquish the lead to two-time winner Shemeld, but it was the 13th hole that played the pivotal role in deciding the fate of the championship.
Shemeld made double-bogey, while Davey, playing in the group behind, made a clutch birdie with the three-shot swing proving decisive. Despite a further dropped shot at 17, Davey concluded his round with a rock-solid par to secure a two-shot victory.
Davey attributed his win to finding “a little less trouble” than everyone else around Boyup Brook’s tight layout
“I played some pretty ugly golf today, but I’m extremely happy to win, especially at Boyup Brook because I’ve been playing here since I was 15,” Davey told GolfWA.
“As you get older, the window for winning these events gets smaller but I fancied my chances around here because it’s a little more strategic and less open than some of the other courses. You’ve got to hit a lot of irons and plot your way around and I guess found a little less trouble than everyone else!”
Despite being a seasoned campaigner at elite amateur and professional level, Davey says the Sand Greens Championship retains a special place in his heart.
“More than winning, it’s about the get-together and catching up with the blokes I only see once a year,” he said. “Sand Greens has become much more than just an event these days, with a focus on men’s health issues that has been embraced strongly by the players.”
Whether Davey goes on to win further Sand Greens Championships remains to be seen, but he may not be the last Davey to have his name etched on the famous shield as his son Kai made a strong event debut at Boyup Brook finishing T3rd in the nett division.
Neil Goddard, GolfWA Operations Manager, added: “We congratulate Adam on his latest victory and applaud his longevity, as it’s no mean feat to win an event so often over a 30-year period.
“Our thanks to Aglime for supporting this event once more and to all at Boyup Brook who gave their time and energy to making this another great Sand Greens Championship. The course was in superb condition throughout the week and was a great advertisement for sand greens golf.”
The 2025 championship with be hosted by Northam Country Club, with the event heading to Katanning Golf Club in 2026.
Final results
Aglime Sand Greens Championship of WA
1st = Adam Davey (71-75)
T2 = Rodney Shemeld (75-73)
T2 = Daniel Negus (73-75)
4BBB Championship
1st = Ryan Sheridan & Vance Blechynden (Brookton GC) 45 points
T2 = Ron Coppock & Eric Hall (Narrogin GC) 44 points
T2 = John Aldridge & Phillip Crute (Brookton GC) 44 points
View all the leaderboards and category winners here.
Boyup Brook was in stunning condition throughout championship week
If your regional club has a course and club facilities to be proud of, why not consider hosting a GolfWA regional event in 2025 and beyond? Find out more here.
