Queenslander Becky Kay has become the first three-time recipient of the Karrie Webb Series scholarship.
Kay, 20, a member at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club on the Gold Coast, has been awarded the first of two scholarships available in 2019 after a pulsating win in the Bowra and O'Dea Classic in Perth.
Kay took four holes of a sudden-death playoff against Victorian Alexandra Hilliard to salute at Lake Karrinyup on Wednesday evening to cap one of the tightest Karrie Webb Series races in its 12-year history.
The win, in addition to her ongoing hard work off-course and long-held standing in the amateur golf community, resulted in Kay being chosen as the first of this year's two scholarship holders.
The second will be known next week when the World Amateur Golf Rankings are updated. After considering the standings, the highest-ranked Aussie who meets the same off-course criteria will join Kay in spending a week with Webb at the third women's major of 2019, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Minnesota in June.
"This is my third year in a row spending a week with Karrie (and I'm so excited because) I needed to win this event to be able to spend another week with her," Kay beamed from Perth.
"It's my favourite trip of the year and I'm so blessed to be able to do it and have the opportunity and for Karrie to give the opportunity to the girls, I don't even have words for it.
"I'm so happy."
Golf Australia female pathway manager Stacey Peters said the closing weeks of the series had been gripping.
"The young women really know the value of spending some time with Karrie and to see them really knuckle down in the past couple of months has been enlightening," Peters said.
"Full credit to Becky – her consistency in the past two months has made the difference and it's been great to see her cap that with wins in Tasmania and Western Australia."
The two recipients each earn scholarships to the value of $10,000 to be spent on international travel and playing experiences over the northern summer with mentoring support from Webb during the year.
Kay was awarded the prize for the first time in 2017 with fellow Gold Coaster Karis Davidson, and again last year alongside Sydney's Grace Kim.
Kim is currently the highest Aussie in the WAGR standings, closely followed by Perth's Hira Naveed and Sydney's Doey Choi.
The move to include WAGR standings in the ultimate decision on scholarships was designed, in consultation with Webb, to enable young Aussie women playing around the world to have access to the highly sought scholarship.