Historic Saunton Senior Success for Australian Gole

Saunton, England: Australian Nadene Gole has made history with her victory in The R&A Women’s Senior Amateur championship.

Gole became the first Australian to win the women’s championship, defeating last year’s winner Jackie Foster at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off.

Gole won with an 18-over-par 311 total (76-81-79-75). She said that tally came with a proviso.

“If anyone looks at the scores then just disregard them because this is the hardest golf course I’ve ever played,” said Gole, a member of the Australian team that won the inaugural Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Women’s Senior Amateur team title in Malaysia in 2022.

“I think I was lying when I said the rough was knee high: it’s actually waist high in many places! I only hit three or four bad shots all week and I took a couple of triple-bogeys. I started with triple (in the final round), but I just kept hanging in there,” added Gole, runner-up to Foster at Woodhall Spa on her debut appearance in the championship in 2023.

It looked as if the Victoria Golf Club member would come up just short once again. She was two shots off the lead when she finished, only to find herself in a play-off when England's Foster double-bogeyed the 72nd hole.

Both players made bogey at the first play-off hole, the first. Gole split the fairway with her tee shot on the second extra hole, the 18th, while Foster pushed her tee shot 50 yards wide of the fairway into a horrible lie. Her second shot found long grass and she conceded the title when she couldn’t find her ball.

Gole said: “I was with Jackie last year, so I know what it’s like to lose. She’s a great player and for me to come on top this year is in many ways one of my biggest wins in golf.

“It’s unbelievable. What a week. The fact no Australian had ever won it was on my radar and was a huge driver in me coming over again, because it’s a long way to travel. It’s a thrill, and to share it with my husband, Sam, makes it an even bigger thrill. I also had a lot of people back at my golf club who have supported me to come over here the last two years. I owe them a huge thanks.”

Gole's fellow Australian Sue Wooster, last year's APGC Women's Senior Amateur champion, finished in fifth place on 24-over-par.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Brent Paterson narrowly failed to defend his R&A Men’s Senior title, losing out by one shot to American Todd White, who posted a seven-over 291 total.

Northern Ireland’s David Mulholland, runner-up in 2021, was third on nine-over. Englishman John Kemp, second last year, and 2021 champion Gene Elliott shared fourth on 10-over.

Australian James Lavender, winner of the APGC Men's Senior Amateur in Vietnam last year, missed the cut by three strokes after rounds of 80 and 79. Also failing to progress beyond the second round were New Zealander Roy Hollick and Australian Ken Brewer (both 19-over, 161).

White joins countrymen Dale Moray (1985), William Shean Jr (1999), Kemp Richardson (2001, 2004), Paul Simson (2008, 2010), Chip Lutz (2011, 2012, 2016), Patrick Tallent (2015) and Elliott (2021) in a select group of players to have won the US Senior and Senior Amateur championships.

It’s a fitting accomplishment considering White teaches history in his hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina. “That’s some rather nice company to join,” said White, who returned a closing two-under 69 and was the only player in the field to return two sub-70 scores, having opened with a 68. Indeed, his were two of only four sub-70 scores recorded all week.

The 56-year-old’s performance was all the more impressive considering he was making his links golf debut. White, who will play in the Senior Open presented by Rolex at Carnoustie in two weeks’ time, is making his first trip to Europe along with wife Sherri, who caddied for him this week.

“It was a team effort out there because her companionship, our conversations, allowed me not to get caught up in the moment. It helped me relax. I couldn’t have done it without her.

“I have had a little experience back home playing courses like Chambers Bay where you often have to run the ball into greens, but nothing like this week. Saunton is just a superb golf course.

“Winning is obviously a thrill but, as I was telling Sherri, whatever happened this week was always going to be a fabulous experience.”