An avalanche of birdies has propelled Victorian Mark Boulton to his first national crown – the Australian Mid Amateur Championship.
Boulton, an arborist, began the day joint second and three shots behind Queensland’s Ashley Grosvenor.
But the Victorian Mid Amateur champ, who plays off a handicap of plus two at Phillip Island, poured in six birdies en route to a one-under-par 71 at Arundel Hills Country Club in Queensland.
Grosvenor, meanwhile, carded a 76 to leave Boulton a two-stroke winner at +4 (220), with last year’s champion John McMiles, of New South Wales, third on 229.
Boulton began his round with a birdie on the third, but gave the shot back on the sixth hole. Birdies on the eighth and ninth holes gave him momentum, but he soon surrendered that and more with double-bogeys on the 10th and 12th.
But Grosvenor, who couldn’t muster a birdie throughout a tense final round, couldn’t take advantage and Boulton stormed to the crown with birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th.
West Australian Melissa Luk maintained her overnight lead in the women’s championship with a final-round 80 to win by five shots.
Luk finished with a total of 235 (+19) including birdies on the second and sixth holes today.
Robyn Tait, visiting from Vietnam, finished runner-up, while Robyn Callaghan was third.
The state teams event was won by Queensland with a total of 709 with the team of Scott Draper, Ashley Grosvenor and Jess Jenkins.