The 24-year-old claimed the 36-hole matchplay final after being four shots up with three holes to play against Metropolitan Golf Club member Jo Charlton.

Keating, a member of Victoria Golf Club, is planning to enter professional ranks in October but ensured her final year as an amateur would be one to savour. In a fitting finale, she won the event that put her on the golfing map in 2006.

"It's very exciting, it was a great day," she said.

"I was talking to my coach (Steve Giuliano) and I said how different this was to the first one. The first one (in 2006) he couldn't even watch he was so nervous but today it was really different, having played in so many of these now and other big tournaments. It's fantastic."

Keating, who grew up at Cressy but played golf at Lismore, found herself in early trouble yesterday on Royal Melbourne's west course, being two down after six holes.

"I actually had a 30-foot putt on the seventh and if I had missed that, I would have been three down. I managed to make that and that gave me a bit of confidence," she said.

Keating then stunned her opponent with six birdies in the next seven holes to set up a championship-winning break, two-up after nine and four-up after 18.

"I didn't realise it until later," she said of the birdie blitz.

"It was nice. You don't notice it as much in matchplay."

Despite making a bogey at the par-four 10th, she completed the back nine in five-under 31 shots.

After going to lunch four-up after 18 holes, Keating extended her lead to five with a birdie on the par-four first. Charlton won the next two holes to claw within three but that was as close as she got .

Keating said she was determined to remain aggressive in the afternoon round and not try to defend her advantage.