New Zealand Amateur

The New Zealand Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of New Zealand. It has been played annually since 1893, except for the war years, and is organised by New Zealand Golf.

New Zealand Amateur

Tournament information
Location	New Zealand
Established	1893
Format	Stroke play and match play
Current champion
Sebastian May

Currently the event is played over five days and consists of a 36-hole stroke-play qualifying stage after which the leading 32 play five rounds of match-play. The final is over 36 holes.

History

The first tournament was organised by Otago Golf Club "open to members of any recognised Now Zealand club" held on 30 November and 1 and 2 December 1893, "for the amateur championship of the colony."^[1] 16 players entered, primarily from the home club.^[2] Two rounds were played on the first day, with the semi-finals on the second morning.^[3] The final was played on the third morning between two members of the Otago club, James Somerville and Henry Rose. Somerville won the first four holes but Rose won the next three. Somerville then won five of the next seven to win 6&4.^[4] Somerville had only recently arrived in New Zealand, having graduated from Edinburgh University in 1891.^[5]

The first championship meeting was held at Christchurch Golf Club in July 1894, with the amateur championship being the main event.^[6] The championship was played from 24 to 26 July with two rounds on each of the first two days and the final on the third afternoon.^[7] The final was between Hugh MacNeil and James Scott, both from the Otago club, and resulted in an easy win for MacNeil by a score of 7&6.^[8]

The 1895 championship meeting was held in the North Island for the first time, at Hutt Golf Club near Wellington, although there were suggestions that it should be played at the newly-opened Wellington Golf Club at Miramar.^[9] Until World War I, the venue generally alternated between the north and south islands.

In 1900, Arthur Duncan became the first multiple winner, having also won in 1899. He beat Hugh MacNeil, also a previous winner, in the final.^[10] In 1901, Duncan won for the third successive year, winning the final by a score of 9 & 7, the first final to be played over 36 holes.^[11] Duncan won again in 1905, while Spencer Gollan became the second multiple winner in 1906, having previously won in 1902. The inaugural New Zealand Open was played in 1907 and the 36-hole event was won by Arthur Duncan who won his fifth Amateur Championship a few days later.

Up to 1907 the event was a pure match-play event. However, with the expansion of the New Zealand Open to 72 holes and the increasing number of entries, a change was made in 1908. The final two rounds of the Open acted as qualifying rounds for the Amateur Championship, after which the leading 32 players played 5 rounds of match-play.^[12]

in the period before World War I, Arthur Duncan continued his success in the event, winning in 1909, 1911 and 1914, and he remained undefeated in the final, having won all 8 of those he had reached. He won by a record margin of 11 & 10 in 1911 and repeated the feat in 1914. The other successful player in this period was Bernard Wood who was runner-up in 1910 and then won twice in succession, 1912 and 1913.

Up to 1963, the amateur championship continued as part of the championship meeting, with the New Zealand Open acting as the qualifying event. However, from 1964 the amateur championship, open champion and New Zealand PGA Championship were separated. From 1964, the amateur championship had it own 36-hole qualification stage, the winner receiving the St Andrews Salver. From 1983 until 2011 the qualification was extended to 72 holes and became the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship.^[13] From 2012 the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship was run as a separate 72-hole event, while the amateur championship returned to having a 36-hole qualification stage.^[14]

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	Runner-up	Venue	Ref.
2023	Sebastian May	6 & 5	Steven Van Heerden	Hamilton GC	[15]
2022	Jasper Stubbs	6 & 5	Mitchell Kale	Otago GC	[16]
2021	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020	James Hydes	3 & 2	Charlie Smail	Poverty Bay GC	[17]
2019	Sam Jones	4 & 3	Mitchell Kale	Remuera GC	[18]
2018	Charlie Smail	5 & 4	Kerry Mountcastle	Wairakei GC	[19]
2017	Daniel Hillier (2)	10 & 9	Tom Parker	Russley GC	[20]
2016	Louis Dobbelaar	2 & 1	Peter Spearman-Burn	Royal Wellington GC	[21]
2015	Daniel Hillier	6 & 5	Sam Vincent	Titirangi GC	[22]
2014	Joshua Munn	37 holes	Tae Koh	Nelson GC	[23]
2013	Kadin Neho	3 & 2	Ryan Chisnall	Manawatu GC	[24]
2012	Vaughan McCall	6 & 5	Peter Lee	Mount Maunganui GC	[25]
2011	Mathew Perry	4 & 2	Steven Heyes	Russley GC	[26]
2010	Matt Jager (2)	7 & 6	Brad Kendall	Hastings GC	[27]
2009	Matt Jager	6 & 5	Nicol van Wyk	Titirangi GC	[28]
2008	Thomas Spearman-Burn	4 & 2	Kevin Smith	Paraparaumu Beach GC	[29]
2007	Danny Lee	7 & 5	Nick Gillespie	Hamilton GC	[30]
2006	Andrew Green	1 up	Mitchell Brown	Coringa CC	[31]
2005	Mitchell Brown	1 up	Andrew Dodt	Manawatu GC	[32]
2004	Gavin Flint	5 & 4	Jarrod Lyle	Taupo GC	[33]
2003	James Nitties	3 & 2	Hamish Robertson	Chisholm Park GC	[34]
2002	Marcus Fraser	2 & 1	Eddie Lee	Auckland GC	[35]
2001	Ben Gallie	37 holes	Matthew Peter	Mount Maunganui GC	[36]
2000	Eddie Burgess	5 & 3	Andrew Webster	Christchurch GC	[37]
1999	Andrew Duffin	8 & 7	Carl Brooking	Remuera GC	[38]
1998	Bryce MacDonald	4 & 2	Trevor Immelman	Paraparaumu Beach GC	[39]
1997	Chris Johns		Reon Sayers	Harewood GC
1996	David Somervaille		Karl Kitchingham	Napier GC
1995	Simon Bittle			Manawatu GC
1994	Paul Fitzgibbon	3 & 1	Richard Best	Hamilton GC	[40]
1993	Phil Tataurangi	6 & 4	Rob Elkington	New Plymouth GC	[41]
1992	Richard Lee			Otago GC
1991	Lucas Parsons	2 & 1	Grant Moorhead	Poverty Bay GC	[42]
1990	Michael Long		David Podlich	Nelson GC
1989	Lester Peterson	6 & 4	Tony Christie	Taupo GC	[43]
1988	Bradley Hughes	2 up	Lester Peterson	North Shore GC	[44]
1987	Owen Kendall	3 & 2	Geoff Stephens	Waitikiri GC	[45]
1986	Peter O'Malley	3 & 1	Stephen Taylor	Hutt GC	[46]
1985	Gerard Power	7 & 6	Michael Barltrop	Mount Maunganui GC	[47]
1984	Jeff Wagner	2 & 1	Tony Dight	St. Clair GC	[48]
1983	Colin Taylor	2 & 1	Ted McDougall	Titirangi GC	[49]
1982	Ian Peters	2 & 1	Roger Mackay	Manawatu GC	[50]
1981	Terry Cochrane	39 holes	Phil Aickin	Timaru GC	[51]
1980	Paul Hartstone	38 holes	Colin Taylor	Lochiel GC	[52]
1979	John Durry (4)	1 up	John Finn	Paraparaumu Beach GC	[53]
1978	Frank Nobilo	9 & 8	Peter Maude	Hastings GC	[54]
1977	Terry Pulman (2)	9 & 8	Bruce Taylor	Russley GC	[55]
1976	Terry Pulman	4 & 3	Stuart Reid	New Plymouth GC	[56]
1975	Stuart Reese	10 & 9	Stephen Barron	Nelson GC	[57]
1974	Rodney Barltrop	3 & 1	Ken Hankin	Manukau GC	[58]
1973	Mike Nicholson	7 & 6	Owen Kendall	Springfield GC	[59]
1972	Ross Murray	4 & 3	Michael Barltrop	Waitikiri GC	[60]
1971	Stuart Jones (7)	38 holes	Ian MacDonald	Hutt GC	[61]
1970	Ted McDougall (2)	5 & 4	Robin Dailey	Manawatu GC	[62]
1969	Graham Stevenson	2 & 1	Ted McDougall	Nelson GC	[63]
1968	Bruce Stevens	4 & 3	A L Day	Titirangi GC	[64]
1967	John Durry (3)	37 holes	Stuart Jones	Hastings GC	[65]
1966	Stuart Jones (6)	8 & 7	Toby Richards	Russley GC	[66]
1965	John Durry (2)	7 & 5	Ray Atkinson	Miramar GC	[67]
1964	Stuart Jones (5)	37 holes	Ted McDougall	Hamilton GC	[68]
1963	John Durry	6 & 5	Ross Murray	Wanganui GC	[69]
1962	Stuart Jones (4)	6 & 4	John Stern	Titirangi GC	[70]
1961	Stuart Jones (3)	2 & 1	Ross Newdick	New Plymouth GC	[71]
1960	Ross Newdick	8 & 7	Ian Woodbury	Invercargill GC	[72]
1959	Stuart Jones (2)	5 & 4	John Durry	Paraparaumu Beach GC	[73]
1958	Walter Godfrey	2 & 1	Guy Horne	Hamilton GC	[74]
1957	Ted McDougall	5 & 4	W. W. Smith	Manawatu GC	[75]
1956	Peter Toogood	3 & 2	Bob Charles	Christchurch GC	[76]
1955	Stuart Jones	3 & 2	Tim Woon	Auckland GC	[77]
1954	Tim Woon (4)	3 & 2	Bob Charles	Wellington GC	[78]
1953	Tim Woon (3)	6 & 4	Ron Timms	Otago GC	[79]
1952	Harry Berwick	7 & 6	Jack Coogan	Wanganui GC	[80]
1951	Tim Woon (2)	7 & 6	M J Thornton	Titirangi GC	[81]
1950	Tim Woon	9 & 7	Tony Gibbs	Christchurch GC	[82]
1949	Joe Holden	6 & 5	Denny Sutherland	Hastings GC	[83]
1948	Tony Gibbs	2 & 1	Bob Glading	Otago GC	[84]
1947	Bryan Silk (3)	2 & 1	Bill Edgar	New Plymouth GC	[85]
1946	Guy Horne	4 & 3	Bert Reilly	Manawatu GC	[86]
1940–1945 No tournament due to World War II
1939	John Hornabrook (3)	2 & 1	Arthur Kitto	Miramar GC	[87]
1938	Pax Smith	4 & 3	Bert Reilly	Otago GC	[88]
1937	Bryan Silk (2)	9 & 8	Arthur Kitto	Hamilton GC	[89]
1936	John Hornabrook (2)	6 & 5	Leslie Cathro	New Plymouth GC	[90]
1935	John Hornabrook	5 & 4	Bryan Silk	Christchurch GC	[91]
1934	Bryan Silk	5 & 4	Jack Mortland	Wanganui GC	[92]
1933	Pip Wright	12 & 11	Harold Black	Titirangi GC	[93]
1932	Rana Wagg (2)	37 holes	Bill Horton	Wellington GC	[94]
1931	Rana Wagg	2 & 1	Arthur Duncan	Christchurch GC	[95]
1930	Harold Black	6 & 4	Jack Black	Manawatu GC	[96]
1929	Sloan Morpeth (3)	37 holes	Jack Black	Wanganui GC	[97]
1928	Bill Horton (2)	1 up	Jack Black	Otago GC	[98]
1927	Sloan Morpeth (2)	6 & 5	Bill Horton	Hamilton GC	[99]
1926	Arthur Duncan (10)	6 & 5	Leo Quin	Miramar GC	[100]
1925	Bill Horton	9 & 8	Arthur Duncan	Christchurch GC	[101]
1924	Leo Quin	8 & 7	Jack Goss	Auckland GC	[102]
1923	Jack Goss	1 up	Arthur Duncan	Wanganui GC	[103]
1922	Arthur Duncan (9)	10 & 9	Bill Horton	Manawatu GC	[104]
1921	Alex Sime	5 & 4	Jack Black	Christchurch GC	[105]
1920	Sloan Morpeth	8 & 6	Kenneth Ross	Hamilton GC	[106]
1919	Hugh Crosse	38 holes	Arthur Duncan	Napier GC	[107]
1915–1918 No tournament due to World War I
1914	Arthur Duncan (8)	11 & 10	Jack Harold	Auckland GC	[108]
1913	Bernard Wood (2)	5 & 4	Kenneth Ross	Otago GC	[109]
1912	Bernard Wood	6 & 5	Harold Wright	Wellington GC	[110]
1911	Arthur Duncan (7)	11 & 10	Gordon Dodgshun	Wanganui GC	[111]
1910	Harold Lusk	2 up	Bernard Wood	Christchurch GC	[112]
1909	Arthur Duncan (6)	3 & 1	John Burns	Auckland GC	[113]
1908	Hamilton Smith	3 & 1	Harold Lusk	Otago GC	[114]
1907	Arthur Duncan (5)	10 & 9	Harold Lusk	Napier GC	[115]
1906	Spencer Gollan (2)	8 & 7	William Harman	Christchurch GC	[116]
1905	Arthur Duncan (4)	5 & 4	Kenneth Duncan	Auckland GC	[117]
1904	Arthur Fisher	3 & 2	George MacEwan	Otago GC	[118]
1903	Kurupo Tareha	3 & 1	Edward Nicolaus	Napier GC	[119]
1902	Spencer Gollan	3 & 1	Charles Gillies	Christchurch GC	[120]
1901	Arthur Duncan (3)	9 & 7	Wilfred Colbeck	Auckland GC	[11]
1900	Arthur Duncan (2)	3 & 1	Hugh MacNeil	Otago GC	[10]
1899	Arthur Duncan	5 & 4	Norman Perston	Wellington GC	[121]
1898	William Pryde	5 & 4	Edmond Wilder	Christchurch GC	[122]
1897	David Pryde	4 & 2	Ross Gore	Auckland GC	[123][124]
1896	Stanley Todd	2 up	Hugh MacNeil	Otago GC	[125]
1895	George Gosset	5 & 3	Edmond Wilder	Hutt GC	[126]
1894	Hugh MacNeil	7 & 6	James Scott	Christchurch GC	[8]
1893	James Somerville	6 & 4	Henry Rose	Otago GC	[4]

Early finals were over 18 holes but all finals since 1901 have been over 36 holes.

Source:^[13]

See also

• New Zealand portal

• New Zealand Open
• Golf in New Zealand