Josiah Edwards got the better of WA state teammate George Barclay to win the South Australian Amateur Championship.
Edwards, the 19-year-old Gosnells golfer, edged a predictably tight final between the two close friends to secure a 2UP victory at The Vines Golf Club of Reynella and claim his first state championship title.
His victory earned Edwards a modicum of revenge over Barclay, who had defeated him in the semi-finals of the Victorian Amateur in May, which Barclay went on to win.
It also continued Edwards’ strong season that has already seen him win the Port Phillip Open Amateur Championship at Commonwealth Golf Club in May.
Edwards was playing in the SA Amateur Championship for the first time and was thrilled to clinch such a significant title.
“It feels amazing to win,” Edwards said. “The game plan (in the final) was just play how I was all week, be aggressive when I needed to and if I was in trouble just play it safe and make par the hard way.”
Barclay’s run to the final, meanwhile, has seen him move back to the top of the Australian Men’s Order of Merit standings, while Edwards has leapt up to eighth place.
Josiah and George preparing to tee off in the SA Amateur final
In the concurrent women’s championship, Camilla Kim (NSW, pictures top with Edwards) won at the 21st hole against The National GC’s 13-year-old rising star Fuyu Yang.
Kim had narrowly defeated WA’s Amie Phobubpa in the first round of the match play championship. Tom Addy had also made it into the men’s match play draw but had lost out to clubmate Barclay in Round 1.
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