Gole Takes Gold At Arizona Women’s Senior Amateur

The 2026 Arizona Women’s Senior Amateur Championship came to a close Thursday at Camelback Golf Club’s Padre Course, where three days and 54 holes of competition culminated in a first-career Kachina Trophy for Australia’s Nadene Gole.

Gole finished at 1-over-par for the championship, six shots clear of runner-up and defending champion Sue Wooster. After opening with rounds of 71 and 70, Gole closed with a 4-over 76 to secure the championship and cap a memorable stay in Arizona.

RESULTS | PHOTOS

Gole originally came to the United States to compete in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships. When friends offered their Arizona apartment to Gole and her husband, she decided to extend her stay and take advantage of another opportunity to compete.

“It was a great opportunity to play, so that’s why I’m here,” Gole said.

That opportunity quickly turned into a championship.

Gole’s path to victory was built on consistency. She collected six birdies throughout the tournament with two in each round, while putting together back-to-back under-par rounds to build a commanding lead heading into Thursday.

The final round did not come as easily.

Gole opened her day with five bogeys on the front nine, but the cushion she had established over the first 36 holes proved more than enough. She settled in on the back nine and finished with a 76, comfortably securing the title.

“Today was a bit shaky, I didn’t play as great as I did the first two days,” Gole explained. “The first two days I hit a lot of greens, a lot of fairways and holed a couple putts. But I was just consistent.”

Consistency ultimately proved to be the difference.

Across the championship, the field combined for one hole-in-one, three eagles and 31 birdies. All three eagles came during the opening round.

The par-5 18th played as the most difficult hole of the championship, with a scoring average 1.38 strokes over par. At the other end of the spectrum, the par-3 11th was the easiest hole on the Padre Course. Players averaged just 0.56 strokes over par on the hole, which also produced the tournament’s lone ace.

For Gole, however, the biggest takeaway from the week will be the trophy she gets to take home.

This Kachina trophy is the final one awarded in the 2026 AZ GOLF Women’s Championship season, making Gole the latest player to add her name to the prestigious list of Arizona champions.

“All wins are special to me, but this trophy in particular is pretty out there and all the girls have said it’s a really special one,” Gole said. “I look forward to taking it home to Australia.”

After three days of steady play, Gole will indeed be taking something special home with her, a championship title, a Kachina trophy and a memorable Arizona victory.