Stellar final round propels Jye Halls to win at Australian Men's Amateur
Jye Halls (Golf Australia Photo)
He started the day one-back of overnight leader Declan O'Donovan, but by the time Jye Halls tapped in for par on Commonwealth Golf Club's tough 18th, he was seven shots ahead of the field and the 2025 adidas Australian Amateur champion.
As the afternoon wind whipped through the Commonwealth site, Sydneysider Halls plotted his way around masterfully, carding a 6-under-par 67, matching his opening 67 also at Commonwealth, for a 72-hole of 15-under.
In a week where several course records were equalled in the men’s and women’s competitions, the new men’s champion’s closing 18 was the round of the bunch.
Halls' closest competitor was Victorian Hamish Farquharson (Metropolitan), who fired a cool 4-under 69 today to finish runner-up at 8-under. Fellow Victorian Abel Eduard (Kingston Heath) was solo third at 6-under, the men who call the Sandbelt home showing their experience today.
Six players found themselves in a tie for fourth at 5-under, including Halls' playing partner Harry Takis (Qld) who looked to be a threat at times today but fell away late. Leader through three rounds, O'Donovan (NSW) struggled his way to an 8-over 81 on the final day.
After the first hole on the final day, Halls had drawn level with O'Donovan, and by the second he was in the lead on his own. A third straight birdie on Commonwealth's to kick off his round confirmed that 20-year-old would not be looking back.
"I was very nervous teeing off with the tough conditions today," Halls said. "I played very smart though and took advantage of the downwind holes and played really solid all day.
"The first two holes are definitely very gettable and I did a good job of birding those two then yeah, got a bonus one on the third hole."
Halls' only bogey of the day came at the 11th after missing the green long, but the New South Wales Golf Club member brushed it off and proceeded to make three more birdies coming in just to make sure of things.
Although on the outside it looked as if nothing could unnerve Halls, he says that wasn't the case in reality, but his years on the cliffs at his home course helped him home.
"I was definitely nervous, definitely at the start, but they settled down towards the back nine," the former Mollymook junior said.
"We get a lot of wind out at New South and that definitely played a helping hand today.”
Halls came into this week with a number of accolades to his name, including the 2024 Queensland Strokeplay Championship, as well as the low amateur honours at last year's NSW Open, but an Australian Amateur is a huge addition to his resume.
"This definitely gives me a lot of confidence going into the next few tournaments," he said.
"Knowing that my best golf can win pretty much anywhere is huge, I look forward to the next few."
View results for Australian Men's Amateur
ABOUT THE
Australian Men's Amateur
The Australian Men's and Women's
Amateur
Championships are Australia's oldest
Amateur
Golf Championships, with both having
been
played since 1894. Long held as a match play event,
in 2021 the format changed to 72 holes
of stroke play.
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