Oakleigh South, Victoria, Australia: Rachel Lee and Jye Halls recorded memorable successes in the 2025 adidas Australian Amateur Championships.
Seventeen-year-old Lee became only the second Australian in the past decade (after Grace Kim) to win the women’s title with a dominant performance.
On a windswept final day victory at Commonwealth Golf Club, 20-year-old Halls overturned an overnight deficit to claim the men’s crown in emphatic style.
“This is unreal,” said Lee said after being showered with water by her New South Wales team-mates after holing out on the 18th green for a four-over 77.
“I’m really excited and pretty stoked. It will probably wear off after a bit, but I’m really thrilled that I won this event,” added Lee, who will continue to focus on her amateur golf and her studies at Endeavour Sports High School.
With a nine-under-par total of 282, Lee finished three shots clear of second-placed Queenslander Sarah Hammett. South Australia’s Raegan Denton (75) was third at three-under.
Lee, who lists Korean Shin Ji-yai, the reigning ISPS Handa Australian Open champion, as her favourite golfer, took the lead after the second round when she shot a 65 at co-host Cranbourne Golf Club, equalling the course record.
Australian Open third place-getter Yang Hyo-jin (74) of Korea shared fourth with Victoria’s Jazy Roberts (74), seven shots behind the new champion.
Halls came into the men’s championship with a number of accolades to his name, including the 2024 Queensland Stroke Play Championship, as well as low amateur honours at last year's NSW Open.
“This definitely gives me a lot of confidence going into the next few tournaments,” said Halls after plotting his way around masterfully, carding a closing six-under 67 to leave the field in his wake.
“Knowing that my best golf can win pretty much anywhere is huge, I look forward to the next few,” added the Sydneysider, whose 72-hole aggregate of 15-under was seven strokes clear of Victorian Hamish Farquharson, the runner-up.
Fellow Victorian Abel Eduard was solo third at six-under, while six players found themselves in a tie for fourth at five-under, including Halls’ playing partner Harry Takis (Queensland).
Declan O’Donovan (New South Wales), the leader after three rounds, struggled his way to an eight-over 81 on the final day.
Indian teenager Kartik Singh ended in a share of 20th place. It was a commendable effort from the 15-year-old who flew to Australia the day after helping the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation team to a famous Bonallack Trophy victory against the European Golf Association in the United Arab Emirates.
