South Korea’s Hyojin Yang and American Ian Gilligan are the Australian Master of the Amateurs champions for 2025, although they inherited their green jackets in different ways at Southern Golf Club in Melbourne.

The 21-year-old Gilligan, a senior at the University of Florida, holed a curling 30-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to win the men’s title, celebrating with a Tiger Woodsesque run and fist pump as he edged out Queenslander Kai Komulainen.

Yang, 17, from Jeju Island, was too steady for the women’s field, making a string of seven straight pars to finish and win from New South Wales star Ella Scaysbrook, the 54-hole leader.

In a high quality field boasting some of the world’s best amateurs, the Australians were always facing a challenge, even before the rain that drenched the course in the morning and forced a delay of more than an hour.

Scaysbrook, a member of the Golf Australia and Golf NSW High Performance teams, could not maintain her momentum from the first three rounds, with four bogeys in the first six holes allowing both Kang and Singaporean defending champion Rianne Milaxi into the contest.

But Scaysbrook steadied on the back nine, and a birdie at the par-3 16th brought her back within a shot of Yang.

The Newcastle product’s drive into the left fairway bunker cost her a shot at the 17th, and needing birdie at the 18th to have a chance of a playoff, her tee shot flared right and into an awkward lie near the water hazard.

Yang made another steady par to complete her first-ever victory anywhere with rounds of 72-70-71-73 for a 6-under total, two shots ahead of Scaysbrook.

A member of the Korean national team in 2024, she is no longer part of that squad although she will compete in the adidas Australian Amateur next week.

“This is my first,” she said, admitting to surprise at the result.

“Because I like Australia, I like these courses,” she said.

Gilligan led all day but when he found the trees on the right at the par-5 17th hole, he was caught at the top by Komulainen, who hit a nerveless wedge in tight and made his second consecutive birdie.

Thus, the men’s title became effectively matchplay on the par-4 18th hole.

Komulainen smashed his drive over the trees down the left and ended up centre-fairway, just a flick from the green, while the American took iron off the tee to dodge the water hazards left and right.

With the Queenslander in closer after a nice wedge, Gilligan landed a hammer blow with his birdie putt.

Komulainen had 10 feet to force a playoff, but missed on the high side. “I had it as a left-edge putt, maybe I pulled it, maybe it didn’t turn,” he said later. “I gave myself a good chance. I had a good look at it.”

Gilligan shot 68-64-70-72 to reach 14-under, a shot clear of the Gold Coast’s Komulainen, who is at college at the University of San Diego.

“It’s something I’ll never forget,” the American said. “Under that pressure to make a putt like that, it’s great.”

Gilligan and his Florida Gators teammate Jase Summy easily won the teams competition for men, while Australia’s Sarah Hammett and Lion Higo triumphed in the women’s.

Results