Hot Springs, Virginia, United States: Defending champion Nadene Gole has safely negotiated her way through to the match play phase at the 63rd US Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

In challenging conditions at The Omni Homestead Resort’s Cascades Course, the 56-year-old Australian carded rounds of 74 and 75 to finish tied for fourth in the 36-hole stroke play segment.

“It’s wonderful to be back. It’s nice to get to the tee now. Two years ago, it was just ‘Nadene Gole, from Australia,’ and now it’s nice to hear them say: ‘Defending champion, winner of the 2024 US Senior Women’s Amateur.’ I quite like the ring to that. It’s wonderful to be part of this USGA family,” said Gole.

Joining her in the Round of 64 on Monday are fellow-Australians Sue Wooster and Gemma Dooley and Japan’s Etsuko Kurihara.

Wooster, a three-time runner-up in the championship, was joint 23rd after rounds of 76 and 79, while Kurihara tied for 43rd (79-80) and Dooley was equal 55th (77-84).

Keiko Kawaguchi finished in a share of 62nd place (82-80). The Japanese will be among six players contesting a play-off on Monday morning to determine the final three spots in match play.

The Round-of-64 matches are scheduled to begin at 9 am. Match play continues through Thursday morning’s 18-hole championship match.

In the Round of 64, Gole takes on Amy Ellertson, Wooster faces Claudia Ramirez, Dooley battles Martha Leach and Kurihara goes head-to-head with Laura Coble.

Leading the way in stroke play was 2017 champion Judith Kyrinis, of Canada, who delivered the only sub-par round of the championship thus far with a two-under 70. Coupled with her opening 75, the retired nurse and four-time Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur champion posted a one-over 145 total to earn medallist honours.

“I have done it before, which is always fun, and it means that you’re playing well, which is great. You just want to take that confidence with you into match play. I was saying to Nadene [Gole] that none of us can win it today. There’s a lot of matches hopefully in front of us. When it comes to match play, it’s a whole different animal,” said Kyrinis.

Japan’s Tomoko Suzuki (85-79) and Itsuko Moridaira (81-85) along with Australian Wendy Harrington (87-82) all failed to qualify for match play.