Karis Shines in Brisbane
Third time's the charm, Karis Davidson is now a Blitz Champion
Despite the searing heat, there was a great atmosphere at Oxley Golf Club as Blitz Golf kicked off the 23/24 season in Brisbane.
The field was stacked with top talent and some popular celebrities, including Rhein Gibson, Kade McBride, Karis Davidson, Louis Dobbelaar, Adam Blyth, Jason Norris, and last year’s champion James Gibellini, to name a few.
In tough conditions and high humidity, scoring was challenging for the 6-hole Round 1 blitz, with only 5 players shooting under par. Tim Hart and Adam Blyth led the way at -2 and shared the Round 1 leader’s bonus, while Karis Davidson, Lincoln Tighe, and Zac Kelly all shot -1.
Zac quickly became a crowd favorite with his colorful outfit and, perhaps, as the first player in a pro event to play in flip flops! Five players needed a sudden death NTP to decide the last 4 spots in the second round, with Shae Wools-Cobb, Rhein Gibson, Michael Wright, and Jason Norris surviving and Jack Munro being eliminated.
The 3-hole Round 2 blitz saw our 12 players vying for the 4 spots in the final. With the scores reset, there was some aggressive play, and low scoring was required. James Gibellini, who was last year’s Brisbane champion, shot -2 to follow on from his 2 birdies to finish Round 1, while Karis Davidson, Adam Blyth, and Kade McBride advanced with -1.
Lincoln Tighe was eliminated after a tense NTP where all players hit their tough shots within 6 feet. Kade hit the shot of the tournament just to get into the playoff with an incredible up and down from nearly out of bounds on the 18th hole that landed perfectly over the green side bunker before he made his clutch putt.
The 1-hole Final was unbelievable viewing. First, Kade drove the Par 4 267m green only for Adam Blyth to replicate the feat. Karis hit her approach just short of the green, while James left himself with a tougher approach. James couldn’t reproduce last year’s magic and bowed out, while Karis hit a fantastic chip shot to within 6 feet to put the pressure on Adam and Kade.
Kade, then Adam, both missed putts that would have sealed the $10k first prize before Karis calmly finished off her good work to force a 3-way repeat of the final hole.
On the repeated hole, it was Adam who found trouble on his drive, and his Out of Bounds ensured that Karis and Kade were fighting out for the win. Both made solid pars to force an NTP for the $10k! After Kade won the toss and put his chip past the flag, Karis stepped up and delivered a clutch chip to seal the victory.
Karis became the first-ever female Blitz Golf champion, a just reward after finishing as a finalist at last year’s final at North Adelaide and previously at Glenelg in 2020.
Congratulations to Karis!