Brett Coletta has continued a stunning year for Australia's young amateur golfers by upstaging the professionals to win the Queensland Open.
The 20-year-old Victorian showed his mettle, converting a four-shot overnight lead into a three-shot victory from second-year pro Lucas Herbert on Sunday.
Coletta shot a steady closing even-par 70 to finish at seven under and becomes the first amateur to win the tournament since Stuart Appleby 25 years ago at the same venue, Brisbane Golf Club.
Fellow Victorian Herbert shot a 69 to finish one clear of third-placed Kalem Richardson (67) and receives plenty of consolation in the form of the $16,500 winner's cheque Coletta can't collect.
Coletta's victory helps ease the bitter disappointment of narrowly missing out on a spot in the Masters field at Augusta next year when young countryman Curtis Luck pipped him by one shot to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship two weeks ago.
Luck had already secured a Masters start by winning the US Amateur this year and was a member of the youthful Australian trio who won the world amateur teams championship by a whopping 19 shots from England in Mexico last month.
Another member of that team, 21-year-old Cameron Davis - who finished leading individual at 17-under in Mexico - turned pro at the Queensland Open and earned his first prizemoney after finishing tied 13th at one over.
