The Brisbane Golf Club celebrated a memorable Championship Finals Day on Sunday, 28 June, as a new generation of champions etched their names into the Club’s proud history, with first-time winners and emerging talent headlining a day that showcased the bright future of the Club.
Across a marathon day of match play, 14 championship events were decided, including nine men’s finals and five women’s finals, with first-time winners Chris Somerfield and Anna Chen claiming the Club’s most prestigious honours after outstanding performances over 36-hole finals.
The Championships featured 100 match play contests throughout the competition, showcasing the depth of talent across every grade of membership. With the Junior Championships still to be played later this year, 14 of the 16 championship titles have now been decided.
A Star is Born
At just 14 years of age, Anna Chen became the youngest Women’s Club Champion in the history of The Brisbane Golf Club.
The talented Tier 1 High Performance Squad member defeated 2024 champion Angelina Drakos 5&4 in a final that was considerably tighter than the scoreboard suggested. Anna held a slender 2-up advantage after the opening 18 holes before gradually pulling away during the afternoon session.
Her road to the title was impressive. Anna defeated Lily Dellar 4&3 in the quarter finals before overcoming defending champion Susan McDougall 3&2 in the semi-finals to earn her place in the decider.
A member since 2024 and playing from a remarkable +0.7 handicap, Anna’s Club Championship victory adds to an extraordinary 2026 season. She has already claimed victories at the Windaroo Junior Bowl, Ken Layton Memorial, Ocean Shores Junior Open, Queensland Women’s Foursomes and Easter Classic. Anna also finished second in the QRSS 13-19 Years Golf State Championships. Recently she was awarded the prestigious 2026 TeeMates Titleist Scholarship, presented annually to one male and one female junior golfer across Australia.
Coached by BGC’s own Asha Flynn, Anna has also been an integral member of the Club’s Sunday Golf Pennant team, playing as their number 1 player, which finished runners-up earlier this season.
Her opponent, 18-year-old Angelina Drakos, was chasing her second Club Championship after winning the title in 2024. Another member of the Club’s Tier 1 High Performance Squad and playing from a handicap of 1, Angelina once again demonstrated why the future of women’s golf at BGC is exceptionally bright.
Women’s Captain Julie Brown praised both finalists.
“Congratulations to Anna on an incredible achievement in becoming our youngest-ever Club Champion. To perform with such composure at just 14 years of age is extraordinary. Angelina should also be incredibly proud of her Championship campaign. These two outstanding young women represent the future of The Brisbane Golf Club, and that future looks exceptionally bright.”
Chris Somerfield Delivers on His First Championship Campaign
In the men’s final, 22-year-old Chris Somerfield announced himself as the Club’s newest Men’s Club Champion with an impressive 6&5 victory over fellow young star Tony Cho.
Like the women’s final, the contest was much closer than the eventual margin suggested. Chris held a narrow 2-up lead after the morning 18 holes before producing a superb afternoon performance to close out the match.
Remarkably, despite being a member since 2018, this was Chris’ first attempt at the Club Championship after spending the past four years playing NCAA Division I golf for Arkansas State in the United States.
His championship run was one of the toughest imaginable, defeating Cooper Brown 3&1 in the Round of 16, Conor McLachlan 3&2 in the quarter finals, Hennessy De Guzman 1 up in a thrilling semi-final before overcoming Tony Cho in the final.
Chris succeeds Lachie Jones as Men’s Club Champion after the reigning champion turned professional and was unable to defend his title.
It was also a memorable day for the Somerfield family, with Chris’ father, Philip, claiming the Six Day A Grade Championship to complete a remarkable father-and-son double.
Chris will now turn his attention to representing The Brisbane Golf Club for a sixth consecutive season in Brisbane District Golf Association Division 1 Pennants beginning next month.
His opponent, Tony Cho, at just 16 years of age and playing from a +3.1 handicap, continues to establish himself as one of the Club’s brightest young talents and is set to begin his third pennant campaign for BGC.
Men’s Captain Dean Castrisos congratulated Chris and all Championship winners.
“Congratulations to Chris on a superb Championship performance and to every player who claimed a title this year. The standard of golf throughout the Championships was exceptional, and Finals Day showcased everything that makes our Club Championships so special. On behalf of the Men’s Match Committee, congratulations to all of our champions.”
A Decade of New Champions
History continued to be written in 2026.
Chris Somerfield became the Club’s tenth different Men’s Club Champion in the past ten years, with Cameron Powell remaining the last player to successfully defend the title after consecutive victories in 2015 and 2016.
Equally remarkable, Anna Chen became the tenth different Women’s Club Champion over the same period, with Lynne Conroy the last woman to win back-to-back championships, also in 2015 and 2016.
The trend reflects both the remarkable depth of talent within the Club and the exciting emergence of the next generation of Brisbane Golf Club champions.
2026 Club Championship Winners
Men
- Club Champion – Chris Somerfield
- A Grade Plate – Greg Mitchell
- B Grade – Jacob Coorey
- C Grade – David Prince
- Senior – Richard Garnham
- Veterans – Nick Apostolidis
- Six Day A Grade – Philip Somerfield
- Six Day B Grade – Dean Webb
- Six Day C Grade – Alan Liu
Women
- Club Champion – Anna Chen
- A Grade Plate – Erica Vedelago
- B Grade – Sally Standfield
- C Grade – Libby Fordyce
- Senior Salver – Angela Fong
Congratulations to every player who contested the 2026 Championships and to all of our champions. The quality of golf, sportsmanship and competitive spirit displayed throughout 100 match play contests once again highlighted why the Club Championships remain the pinnacle of the golfing calendar at The Brisbane Golf Club.