The final round of the Bowra & O’Dea Classic has come to an exciting finish at Royal Fremantle. Much like the rest of the week the weather was perfect. A strong cool easterly swept across the rolling fairways of Royal Fremantle making the holes on the front nine particularly tricky.
New South Wales’s Belinda Ji had the round of the day with a two under 71. Ji had a point to prove and was at one stage four under. A few blunders on the back nine including a bogey on the last stopped her from posting the best score for the week.
Hannah Reeves who played with fellow Queenslander Rhianna Lewis fought hard to try and muscle her way back into contention.
The long hitter who had already had an impressive week, which included a hole in one on Monday had ground to make up.
Reeves started slow and was scrambling at a couple over par before a birdie followed by an eagle had her turn at one over.
Her back nine was flawless. She finished her back nine two under after birdying two of the last four attempting to apply some pressure to Teasdale.
Unfortunate for Reeves it was too little too late as she finished in second behind a defiant Teasdale.
The week belonged to Abbie Teasdale, the Royal Fremantle local methodically moved her way around the course in the final round although, she was in some trouble early.
A strong start disappeared when she double bogeyed the par three eighth hole. She birdied the next to return to level par for her front nine.
Teasdale had the lead at the turn and never looked back.
Much like Reeves her back nine was flawless paring the first eight holes on the second side. Including a superb up and down from the greenside trap on 17 to continue her par streak.
Teasdale explained post round she was particularly happy with how she closed the round out “I was getting a bit nervous. I didn’t know what was going on in the groups in front, so I just had to try and play my best up the stretch and not worry about the rest”.
A well-judged wedge into eighteen gave her a 10-foot uphill putt for birdie to seal the deal. Teasdale holed the putt and with that took the Championship.
“It means a lot to win this event, particularly at my home course. It finishes what has been a really good year for me”.
Teasdale adds the Bowra and O’Dea Classic to her title at the English Women’s Amateur in what really has been an incredible impressive year.
Many thanks go to Bowra and O’Dea for their ongoing support of both the event and women’s golf in Western Australia. Royal Fremantle also need to be commended on the presentation of the course and the hospitality shown to all over the week.
