Nadene Gole Becomes The First Australian To Win The US Senior Women’s Amateur Championship

September 29, 2024

September 26, 2024

Nadene Gole Becomes The First Australian To Win The US Senior Women’s Amateur Championship

Australia’s Nadene Gole scored major success overcoming a field full of some of the game’s most established amateur legends to win the 62nd US Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. Staged at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, Washington, Gole defeated 2022 champion Shelly Stouffer, of Canada, 3&2 to win her first USGA title in just her second USGA championship appearance. At the start of the week, the field of 132 included 12 USGA champions.

Gole, a member of The Victoria Golf Club, is the first Australian to win the US Senior Women’s Amateur. The 56-year-old joins Karrie Webb (US Women’s Open), Jan Stephenson (US Women’s Open), Minjee Lee (US Girls’ Junior, US Women’s Open) and Gabriela Ruffels (US Women’s Amateur), and as the only Australian females to win USGA championships.

It was Gole who jumped out to a small early lead, taking a 1up advantage with a par on the second hole. Stouffer quickly levelled the match with a par on the third, but Gole responded by notching the first birdie of the day on the par-4 fourth to reclaim her advantage. A bogey from Stouffer on the seventh allowed Gole to stretch her lead to 2up.

It would take the 2022 champion until the ninth hole to secure her first birdie of the day, but it allowed her to close the deficit back to 1down at the turn. The 54-year-old from Vancouver followed it up with a 30-foot par save on No. 10 after finding the fairway bunker to bring the match back to tied.

With the match level, Stouffer would once again turn in a great up and down on the 11th hole, missing the green left with her tee shot before sinking a 10-footer to match Gole with a par.

From there, Gole was clutch taking charge of the match pouring in a birdie at the 12th hole. Then, at the 13th, the Australian buried an 18-foot slider for par to halve the hole. A big fist pump would follow. With momentum on her side, Gole secured the 14th hole with a classy bunker save for a par. And, then extended her lead to 3up with three holes to play after scoring a birdie at the 15th hole. Both players halved the 16th hole leading to Gole securing the biggest title in world golf for senior amateur women.

En route to the final match, Gole defeated several USGA veterans, including last year’s runner-up and two-time Curtis Cup competitor Brenda Corrie Kuehn at the 19th hole in the semi-final, 2009 US Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Martha Leach 3&2 and Dawn Woodard 4&3 in the quarter-final, who has competed in more than 20 USGA championships.

“It's amazing. It really is,” said Gole, who first competed in a USGA championship at last year’s US Senior Women’s Amateur making it the quarter final stage.”

“It probably will not sink in for a while. I'm happy to be taking the trophy back to Australia, I really am.”

"I've just taken an R&A trophy back to Australia. So hopefully it grows the sport and people are inspired by it.”

In July this year, the trailblazer for Australian golf became the first player from Down Under to win the R&A Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Saunton Golf Club.

Gole, who joined Tour Edge as an ambassador in Australia in January 2023, has dominated world senior amateur golf over the last two years amassing an incredible tally of 17 wins from just 28 starts at world ranking events. Gole's 2023 season was one to remember, taking out all Australian state titles, before completing the set with the Australian Senior Amateur title.

What the US Senior Women’s Amateur Champion Receives

A gold medal
Custody of the US Senior Women’s Amateur Trophy for one year
A 10-year exemption into the US Senior Women’s Amateur
An exemption into the 2025 US Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon.
Two-year exemptions into the US Women’s Mid-Amateur (2025 and 2026) and US Senior Women’s Open (2025 and 2026)

Link to strokeplay & matchplay scores...

Gole buries an 18-foot slider for par to halve the 13th hole.