On a day of wild weather that included an incredible rainstorm as the leaders made the turn that sent everyone on course ducking for cover, Bennett produced a classy display to record one of just three Sunday rounds under par for a 13-under total and the co-sanctioned WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour (LET) win by four.

“I actually really was stoked when I woke up, and the conditions were really tough because I knew it wasn’t going to be anyone's. And if I hung in there well, it was mine for the taking, so that was good,” Bennett said.

“I was a little shaky over that last putt, not going to lie. The last thing you want is a little three-footer. At least it was uphill.”

Largely looking as though the eventual winner would come only from the final group of the Mollymook product and English pair Caley McGinty and Meghan MacLaren, it was McGinty who appeared most likely to challenge after a birdie at the first before Bennett responded.

Making a birdie of her own at the par-3 third, Bennett was matched by McGinty to be tied at the top before Bennett pulled away at the par-4 fifth, where her second shot took a piece of the hole and left a short birdie putt.

Trouble then struck for the 26-year-old Australian, who made three bogeys in a row from the sixth before settling with a par at the par-5 ninth to turn in 1-over-par, with McGinty similarly struggling on a brutally difficult final day that yielded 11 scores of 80 and above.

“They were pretty rough. I don't know. It was still really tough conditions, so those bogeys didn't feel overly bad,” Bennett said of her trio of dropped shots.

“Obviously the three putt was not nice, but yeah, my caddie just said, ‘We're still well in it, so just keep hitting good shots, you're hitting it great’.”

Dropping her first shot in 46 holes at the par-3 sixth, McGinty and Bennett would start the back nine tied for the lead on 11-under as MacLaren fought hard to keep touch with the duelling duo.

Shortly after hitting their tee shots at the 10th, the final trio were crouched and hiding behind umbrellas in the fairway as players in front continued to drop shots, and Bennett took the time to check with caddie Michael Baines how things stood.

“I could see our leaderboard. And then when we got to the 10th, and we were bunkered down, I asked him, ‘Are we still like, that's still the top leaderboard here?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, no one's running away with it.’ So that was good,” she recalled.

Following the slight pause, Bennett recorded a hat-trick of pars before finding her defining moment of the tournament and career so far to pull ahead and force McGinty to chase her on home soil.

“I couldn't be happier, to be honest. And yeah, the goal was I'd love to win Aus Open, so try and go back-to-back. See how we go.” - Kelsey Bennett.

Hitting a stunning hybrid to the long par-3 13th, Bennett made the only birdie of the day on the hole.

“Honestly, I said to Mike, I was like, ‘That is the best shot of my life.’ And then we holed the putt, and I said, ‘That was the best birdie of my life’. That was a good turning point,” she said.

Set to go top of the LET Order of Merit, Bennett made another birdie at the par-4 14th after unleashing a drive that found the greenside bunker before McGinty threw one last salvo the local’s way.

The 25-year-old from England made a birdie after driving the par-4 15th, but her charge came unstuck at the 17th tee when she hit her tee shot into the bush and needed to re-tee and ultimately made a bogey six against Bennett’s birdie four to create a four-shot margin up the last.

Bennett finding a fairway bunker before leaving herself a three-foot putt for a bogey, 13-under total and a career-changing victory, with her job secure on the LET for two years, a spot at the AIG Women’s Open and all but sure of a place in another major, The Amundi Evian Championship, in 2026.

MacLaren and McGinty finished in a tie for second on 9-under after matching rounds of 74, with Trichat Cheenglab (-7) and Diksha Dagar, another of the trio to break par Sunday, rounding out the top five on six-under.

“I always thought it was definitely possible,” Bennett said of winning.

“I've been striking the ball really well and just playing really well. I've had lots of putts drop lately. I've had plenty of birdies last week and yeah, the game's just been feeling really good.

“It just means I can go into the Open and get book flights for my Nan now into the Open. So that's the biggest thing. Honestly, I kept saying to my team, I want to get in the Open and the easiest way to do that is just to have a win. So now this really solidifies it for the year.”

Bennett’s celebrations coming with her beloved Nan, Patsy, on site, as well as her mum Lara, while a fellow John Serhan pupil and something of an idol, Sarah Kemp, showered the champion with champagne.

“I mean, I remember first meeting her, I was just as nervous (as winning) really. So yeah, to be able to call her a mate now, it's pretty special.”

Bennett now setting her sights on next week’s Australian Women’s Open in Adelaide.

“I couldn't be happier, to be honest. And yeah, the goal was I'd love to win Aus Open, so try and go back-to-back. See how we go.”