26 Aug 2022 | Amateur golf |
Bowen, Lee win Queensland Amateur
by Dane Heverin
Royal Queensland's William Bowen and Avondale's Rachel Lee are the 2023 Queensland Amateur champions with the pair prevailing in two back-and-forth finals on Friday at Coolangatta Tweed Heads Golf Club.
Bowen produced a clutch pitch shot on the 18th hole to extend his match with club mate Quinnton Croker before he sealed the win on the very next hole, while Lee overcame Emerald Lakes' Sarah Hammett 2&1.
For Bowen, the victory marks his second of the year after he triumphed at the NT Amateur in May and he had to beat strong opposition to lift the trophy.
After finishing fifth in the stroke play on Wednesday - four shots behind winner Blaike Perkins of Pelican Waters - he produced two impressive showings the next day with a 4&2 win against Royal Melbourne's Connor McDade and a 4&3 defeat of Redcliffe's Tyler Duncan.
In Friday morning's semi-final, he was once again magnificent in his 3&2 win against Peninsula-Kingswood's Jasper Stubbs before saving his best for last in the final.
Lee meanwhile went on an unbelievable run to her first victory in a World Amateur Golf Ranking points event.
She finished in 16th place in the stroke play to secure the last available spot in the match play rounds and she was unstoppable from then on.
On Thursday morning, she faced up to the daunting task of taking on two-time Australian Junior Amateur Jeneath Wong by winning one-up and then proceeded to defeat Godiva Kim on her home course on the 20th hole.
In the semi-final, Lee gave herself a little more breathing space with a 3&2 win against Pelican Waters' Rhianna Lewis before she held off highly-regarded 15-year-old Sarah Hammett - who recorded a pair of top-tens at the Ladies European Tour's Australian Women's Classic Bonville and Women's NSW Open- in the final.