Scottsdale, Arizona, United States: Nadene Gole, a member of the triumphant Australian team at last year’s Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, has underlined her status as one of the world’s premier senior female golfers.

The 55-year-old ex-professional was the only non-American to make it through to the quarter-finals of the 61st US Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

During a memorable week at Troon Country Club, Gole enhanced her reputation before bowing out to Sarah Gallagher 2&1 in the last eight.

After qualifying from stroke play as the 34th seed following rounds of 80 and 79, Gole made a strong statement with match play wins over two former Women’s Amateur champions.

In the Round of 32, she defeated three-time winner Ellen Port, 4&3. In the last 16 she then took down Judith Kyrinis of Canada in 19 holes.

Gole, who placed third individually in the inaugural APGC Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Malaysia’s Kota Permai Golf and Country Club last December, has enjoyed a brilliant run of success in 2023.

As well as winning the Victorian Senior Amateur, South Australia Senior Amateur Championship, Queensland Senior Amateur Championship, NSW Senior Amateur Championship, New Zealand Senior Championship, Tasmanian Senior Amateur, Gole finished second to fellow-Australian Sue Wooster in the 2023 Arizona Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

On the back of those results, Gole has risen to 193rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, making her the highest-placed senior amateur in the world.

At Troon Country Club, Wooster tied for ninth in the stroke play segment with rounds of 78 and 76.

The 61-year-old, a three-time runner-up at the US Senior Women’s Amateur, continued that good form with a 7&6 thrashing of American Marna Raburn 7&6 in the Round of 64. However, she was eliminated at the 19th hole of her Round-of-32 clash with Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, also from the United States.

Akemi Nakata Khaiat was the only one of three Japanese players in the starting line-up who progressed to match play. Having tied for 39th on 162 (84-78) in stroke play, she lost 4&2 in the Round of 64.

Her compatriots Itsuko Moridaira (86-83) and Miki Young (92-83) were both eliminated after the 36-hole stroke play segment.