Wardell (20) beat Jason Osborne (Invercargill) 4 and 3 in the final at Balmacewen and staked his claim for inclusion in the Otago team.
Jamie Anstiss (Otago) recovered from his first-round loss to beat Dong Young Kim (Queenstown) 7 and 5 to win the senior plate.
He was in good form, giving Kim little chance on the par-4 10th when he holed out from the fairway for an eagle 2.
Tony Ruddenklau won the senior B event, Brandon Hodgson the senior B plate and Cameron Rust (Peninsula) took the intermediate title back to Auckland.
The senior final was close throughout the front nine, Wardell taking first blood by sinking an 8m downhill putt for a birdie three on the second green.
The pair halved the third in pars but Wardell pulled his approach to the fourth and, when he failed to get up and down, the match was square.
Osborne drove into the ditch on the fifth hole and was forced to take a penalty drop, losing the hole to Wardell's par.
But it was Wardell who bogeyed the sixth and, when both players parred the par-3 seventh, the match was tied yet again.
Wardell's putter was running hot and he holed a 15m birdie putt on the eighth to take the lead for the third time.
But this time he was not going to relinquish it easily and he increased it to two holes when Osborne all but lost his ball in knee-high grass beyond the 10th green.
Osborne drove the Glen green but let Wardell off with a half when he three-putted for his par.
This was to prove costly as he went further behind when he hooked his tee shot out of bounds on the 13th, giving Wardell a lead of three.
Osborne drove into a grove of trees at the dogleg 14th and, when Wardell made a comfortable regulation par, he was dormie 4-up.
The match finished on the next hole when Wardell got up and down from the left side for his par and a half.
Wardell beat Mark Brooks in his morning semifinal 4 and 3, taking advantage when Brooks lipped out with putts on several occasions.
Osborne beat Sean Masters on the final green, a result which the former Northland golfer will lament.
He was 1-up with two holes to play but lost the 17th and lost his ball with a disastrous hook from the final teeing ground.
Bay of Plenty professional James Hamilton finished birdie, eagle to beat Josh Geary in the Charles Tour event played over the past four days on the Harewood course in Christchurch.
Otago No 1 Brent McEwan missed the Otago championship to compete in the tournament and finished tied for the seventh-best amateur and in 20th place overall.
McEwan started with a solid 72 on Friday but, as an early starter on Saturday morning, faced horrendous winds and posted 77 for the 18 holes.
''I was a little annoyed as they called play to a halt in the early afternoon but I was already finished and my score was locked in,'' he said.
Play ceased shortly after lunch and resumed with players on the course from 5.15pm until almost 9pm.
McEwan finished with two rounds of 73 but was extremely disappointed with his form yesterday.
''I did not play well and was forced to birdie the final three holes for my 73.''
McEwan's next engagement is likely to be as No 1 and captain in the Otago men's eight-man team to compete in the South Island team event at Methven on November 16-17.
