Western Australian Minjee Lee has successfully defended her Australian Amateur Championship crown after defeating 15 year-old Queenslander Karis Davidson 6&5 in today’s final at The Grange Golf Club.
World Number 5 and 17 year-old Lee led 2up after the first 18 holes with the pair putting on a birdie blitz in the morning. Davidson birdied three of her first five holes and took the challenge up to Lee before the Royal Fremantle member rolled off four straight birdies on holes 5-8 in the afternoon round to surge clear.
“It feels good. It’s always a long week at the Australian Amateur and it’s good to get the win and start the year off on a high,” Lee said.
“I was just steady today. Whenever Karis made mistakes, I just took advantage of that. After that I holed a couple of putts early on the front nine in the second round and I got to 6 or 7up,” said Lee who earns a place at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open next month.
Lee, who graduated from school in 2013, has now won two Australian Amateur titles, the Australian Junior title and the US Girls’ Junior title among a host of other victories.
“I don’t have school this year so I’m going to play all of the Aussie professional circuit events and then go to China for the World Ladies Championship. After that I think I’ll head to the United States for the U.S Women’s Amateur and play a couple of other big events over there,” Lee said.
Fellow National Squad member Ryan Ruffels caddied for Lee for the semi final and final. The pair teamed up for Lee’s Australian Amateur victory in 2013 in Melbourne.
“He’s good company, we had fun out there and it was pretty cruisey,” Lee added.
In the Men’s event, Cottesloe’s Curtis Luck incredible run of form came to an end, falling to New Zealand’s Tae Koh 6&5.
Coming off a seven stroke victory at the Victorian Junior Masters, Luck defeated an impressive list of golfers along the way to becoming an Australian Amateur finalist, including last years finalist, Todd Sinnott of Victoria.
The Western Australian Team of Lee, Luck, Hannah Green and Jarryd Felton were also awarded the Ross Herbert National Teams trophy, finishing nine strokes ahead of second placed South Australia.
