Gemma Dooley (New South Wales Golf Club) and Mark Allen (Drouin Golf Club) are the 2024 Australian Senior Amateur champions after three days of competition at Links Lady Bay.

Consistency was key for Allen, with rounds of 73-74-74, while coming from behind, Dooley’s win was an upset of sorts, with the two titans of the women’s circuit Nadene Gole and Sue Wooster ahead of her.

Leading after two rounds, Gole struggled in the final round falling to 16-over, while Dooley and Wooster could not be separated after 54-holes, tied at 15-over, and headed to a playoff.

Dooley’s scores this week were 78-75-81, and only one extra hole was required, the Sydneysider admitting the win has come as a bit of a surprise.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to win this event,” Dooley said after the playoff.

“It was such a nerve wracking day, I mean Sue and Nadene are such great golfers. I’ve had such respect for them and they’re an inspiration in terms of the way they play their golf.

“I’ve been battling with Sue for more than a decade now, and never beaten her in a tournament. She actually beat me in a playoff at the Australian Mid-Amateur earlier in the year so I was happy I could turn that around.

“I still can’t believe I’ve believe I’ve beaten the pair of them!”

Allen also came from behind to capture the trophy, with overnight leader Tony Nobbs (The Vines Reynella) recording the worst round of his week on the final day.

At five-over for the week, Allen finished two shots ahead of Ryde Parramatta’s Matthew Green and, like Dooley, was slightly surprised.

“It feels great,” he said. “I didn’t expect it, I came second to James Lavender two years ago and I thought that might have been my chance gone.

“Just one shot at a time, I knew I could do it I just had to stick to my routine.”

Full scores