30 Aug 2019 | Amateur golf |

Kyriacou, Hoath rule in Queensland

by Golf Australia

2019 Queensland Amateur winners - Steph Kyriacou and Lewis Hoath
2019 Queensland Amateur winners Steph Kyriacou and Lewis Hoath

If you buy that steadiness pays in match play, Steph Kyriacou and Lewis Hoath are walking examples of your proof.

Kyriacou toppled boom youngster Hye Park 2-up to win the women's Queensland Amateur crown at Gailes Golf Club today.

And in an all-Queensland final, Lewis Hoath outduelled the previously red-hot Zach Maxwell 3&2 to secure the men's crown.

Park had appeared to be a woman of destiny this week, emerging victorious in two extra-hole marathons and knocking off the top seed Mirabel Ting on the final hole to reach the final.

After a nervous start, though, it was Sydney's Kyriacou who made the first bold move of the decider.

The St Michaels member birdied holes 2-4 to take a 3-up lead.

Park hit back with a spectacular hole-out for eagle from 105m on the 7th, then nearly followed with another on the next, forcing Kyriacou to concede her birdie and have her lead whittled to just one hole.

The match ebbed and flowed with Park having a three-putt on the ninth, then almost a hole-in-one on the 12th to draw all square.

But perhaps feeling the strain of her long qualifying matches, she pulled her tee shot out of bounds on the 15th in what proved the decisive moment.

Multiple New South Wales state team star Kyriacou seized her chance. Her win on 15 was followed by solid pars to halve the 16th and 17th, then a ripping second shot to the par-five 18th meaning Park realistically needed an eagle to keep the match alive.

Alas, the young Queenslander couldn't force yet more overtime and her three-putt meant a concession of Kyriacou's birdie putt and a 2-up win for the Sydneysider.

"It was a bit of a stress," Kyriacou admitted.

"I started off with a couple of mistakes, but I got momentum going and made a few birdies ... and was up most of hte way, and got my confidence from there."

Hoath, who'd earlier blunted the white-hot Lucas Higgins to make the final, was pitted against Maxwell, who himself had been stellar in also taming a New South Welshman, James Conran, in his semi-final.

The pair traded blows early and when Maxwell's second consecutive birdie came on the fourth, he was 1-up and appeared to be cruising.

But an errant tee shot on the sixth proved a sign of what lay ahead for Maxwell, who unravelled early on the back nine with bogeys on the 11th, 13th and 14th to give Hoath an edge he would never surrender.

Maxwell made one last gasp with a great par save on the 15th to keep the match alive, but it was forlorn and the pair shook hands on the next green with Hoath a 3&2 victor.

"The round wasn't too bad," Hoath said modestly.

"I didn't have as many birdies as other matches, but I just played really solidly, hit lots of fairways and greens and it ended up working out well."

Golf Australia spokesman Matt Field said Gailes had been superbly presented and had been an excellent host club.

"Thanks to general manager Frank McCarthy and superintendent Stewart Poole for their hospitality over the week," Field said.

McCarthy passed on his congratulations from his members and staff to the players, saying they had been "a fine group of men and women who should be proud of their behaviour and sportsmanship".

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