The tournament that ushered in a new era in professional golf with its concurrent men’s and women’s field, a concept now on show at the Australian Open, the Vic Open takes centre stage on the PGA and WPGA Tours of Australasia this week.
Once again held at 13th Beach Golf Links on the Bellarine Peninsula of Victoria, the Vic Open is yet to regain its co-sanctioning status with overseas Tours but a strong field of local players have descended on the beautiful beachside region, with a splash of international flavour.
The women’s field is particularly of note this week, with major winners Karrie Webb and Jiyai Shin among the leading lights alongside LPGA Tour players like Grace Kim, Su Oh and American Emma Talley.
Meanwhile the men’s field is full of current Tour winners, veterans and rookies alongside some rising stars in the amateur game.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: It was an impressive return to tournament golf in her home country for Hannah Green after Covid forced her and fellow overseas players to miss teeing it up in Australia.
Green was impressive from the get-go in 2022 before battling on the front nine on Sunday, when her former Interstate amateur teammate Whitney Hillier stood out as the primary competitor. Green found her game on the back nine and pulled away, her birdie at the. Par-5 last taking the major winner to 13-under and six shot win over Hillier and Karis Davidson.
RIGHT: Grace Kim is one of the favourites in the women's field this week after making a late decision to tee it up. PHOTO: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images.
The victory was the first at home for Green, whereas men’s champion Dimi Papadatos added a second Vic Open title to his resume.
Having only recently started working with Grant Field, coach to Cam Smith, Papadatos closed with a six-under 66 that included a birdie of his own at the 72nd hole and a one shot victory over Kiwi Ben Campbell.
As she prepares to make her first start of the LPGA Tour season, Green won’t defend her title this week. Neither will Papadatos, who instead will tee it up on the DP World Tour at the Singapore Classic.
COURSES: Since its move from metropolitan Melbourne, a significant part of the Vic Open’s success has been its home at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links at Barwon Heads.
Both of the 18-hole loops at the sprawling venue host play over the first two days, before the Beach Course becomes the sole venue for the men and women as the Victorian Inclusive and the Australian Wheelchair Championships take place over the Creek Course on Saturday and Sunday.
Ranked 23rd in the recently released Top-100 Public Access Courses for 2023, the Creek Course is the result of design combination comprising Tony Cashmore and Nick Faldo and is often underestimated due to its proximity to the higher ranked Beach layout.
Listed at No.6 in the same list from Golf Australia magazine, the Beach Course was a solo design by Cashmore.
Laid out on the land closer to the water and alongside wetlands, the Beach Course’s bunkering, undulating fairways and par-3s are features of the design that is often windswept which adds another challenge for the fields this week.
PRIZEMONEY: $420,000 for both the men’s and women’s events.
RELATED: So-called expert golf tips for this week
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Fresh off her win last week, Sarah Jane Smith will be hoping to achieve the same double as Green last year by adding this trophy to her TPS Murray River title.
Smith is experiencing something of a career resurgence after losing her playing rights on the LPGA, and has a game well suited to the challenge here.
Having just attained her own card on the LPGA Tour at the end of last year, Grace Kim is without doubt one of the favourites in Victoria this week.
Kim drives the ball with supreme accuracy and rarely makes mistakes that cause big scores, with the Sydneysider well-suited to windy conditions and growing in confidence as her close call at the recent Australian Open displayed.
Karis Davidson is another of the LPGA players in the field and she showed a liking for this event in 2022 when recording a joint runner-up finish. The LPGA contingent also including Su Oh and Emma Talley, who finished in the top-10 at Cobram Barooga last week.
Yet to reach the biggest stage in women’s golf, up-and-comers like amateur Justice Bosio, Kelsey Bennett, Cassie Porter and Steph Bunque all have the game to not only contend but win this week.
Similarly veterans Karrie Webb and Jiyai Shin deserve plenty of attention this week.
Both reaching the top of the world rankings and with major championships on their resumes, arguably Australia’s greatest player and Shin are far from ceremonial players.
Webb showed good signs at Rosbebud two weeks back, while Shin was in the mix until the late moments at the Aussie Open.
Although unlikely to contend for the title, amateurs Amelia Harris and Sarah Hammett will be worth keeping an eye on both this week and in the future.
Three former Order of Merit winners in Jake McLeod, Brett Rumford and Matt Griffin are some of the men to watch this week.
At varied stages of their careers, all three play the game with different approaches that will all work around 13th Beach, where Griffin secured an Open Championship spot with his finish last year.
Andrew Martin was runner-up last week to Smith on the Murray and is always worthy of consideration when playing at home, while David Micheluzzi has been in hot form all summer and loves playing at home in Victoria.
Having engage the coaching services of Brad Hughes, Tom Power Horan is another of the consistent contenders this season on the Aussie Tour and is now a proven winner.
Yet to win on Tour, John Lyras had all eyes on him at this tournament last year when he led through 54-holes.
The New South Welshman didn’t get over the line but took plenty from the experience and recently secured his playing rights on the Asian Tour at qualifying school.
Another player to regularly bob his name up although so far not getting over the line, Elvis Smylie closed his last event at Rosebud in impressive fashion.
A sweet swinger of the club, the Queenslander has a game almost purpose built for this venue and as always the influence of Mike Clayton on Smylie should not be discounted on a strategic design.
Also worth watching will be the Australian return of Ryan Ruffels who left these shores as a highly touted prospect who has yet to find his feet in the pro game.
When it comes to amateurs, Harrison Crowe has proven he is comfortable playing against the pros, while Jeffrey Guan continues to progress at an impressive rate.
72-HOLE RECORD: 267, (-21, Dimi Papadatos, 2022). 276, (Mel Reid, 2017; Hannah Green, 2022).
TV TIMES*
Round 1: Thursday (Fox Sports 503 1.30pm –5.30pm)
Round 2: Friday (Fox Sports 503 1.30pm –5.30pm)
Round 3: Saturday (Fox Sports 503 3pm – 7pm)
Round 4: Sunday (Fox Sports 503 1.30pm –5.30pm)
*AEDT, check local guides
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