WA’s Josiah Edwards has claimed the biggest win of his career at the Port Phillip Open Amateur Championship.
Staged at Kingston Heath and Commonwealth golf clubs, the 72-hole stroke play championship is a national and world ranking event that boasted a typically strong field of the nation’s leading amateurs.
With 36 holes played in cold, wet conditions on the final day, the competition was as much about staying the course as it was taming the course, with Edwards managing both to secure a precious one-stroke victory.
In the mix throughout the event, Edwards title challenge came fully to life in his third round at Commonwealth GC, where he blitzed round in a seven-under-par 65 that featured an eagle and six birdies.
This vaulted the 18-year-old Gosnells Golf Club member into the lead at 10-under-par, which he clung onto after a level-par closing round was enough to keep the fast-finishing Hamish Farquharson at bay.
Although a winner of multiple national junior ranking events, the Port Phillip title was Edwards’ first at open-age level – a fact that made the win all the sweeter.
“This win is definitely at the top now. It’s my first national ranking event (title) and I’m pretty happy about it,” Edwards said. “The third round this morning was probably the best round I’ve had. I just struck it really, really well and made more putts than I expected.
“It was incredibly tough this afternoon. The wind picked up, the rain hit and it got even colder than I expected. I didn’t put too many expectations on myself. I just had to keep it in play and if a put dropped, it dropped.”
The event also served as a qualifier for the Victorian Amateur Championship, taking place at Yarra Yarra Golf Club on May 19-20, with Edwards taking the top seed ranking.
Joondalup Country Club duo George Barclay and Katie Seol also qualified for the Vic AM, finishing T4th and 12th respectively in the men’s and women’s Port Phillip Open Amateur Championships. The women’s championship was won by NSW’s Ella Scaysbrook (pictured below with Josiah).
Keep up with the Vic Am match play scoring here.
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