Green, Papadatos are Vic Open champs

Hannah Green and Dimi Papadatos have taken out the 2022 Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links.

Media release via Australian Golf Media

Hannah Green obliterated the field to win the Vic Open women’s championship today for her first big triumph on home soil while Dimi Papadatos holed a nerve-jangling birdie putt at the 72nd hole to close out the men’s.

Perth’s Green, 25, shot a closing 71 at 13th Beach Golf Links to win the women’s championship by a whopping six shots at 13 under par, holding firm on what had started as a five-shot buffer.

New South Welshman Steve Prior battled an ice cold putter but held firm to win the Victorian Inclusive Championship today in a tight finish, while Nick Taylor from Port Kembla Golf Club won the inaugural Australian Wheelchair Championship.

Papadatos, second-placed Ben Campbell and third-placed Matt Griffin were given the extra bonus of a spot in the field for the Open Championship at St Andrews this year as top-three finishers.

The win sets Green up for a big season overseas in what was her first tournament start for 2022. It is also her first conspicuous success in Australia in a top-tier tournament, despite multiple wins overseas including a major in the US in 2019.

Queenslander Karis Davidson and another Western Australian, Whitney Hillier, were tied second at seven under par.

Papadatos, 30, was brilliant in his closing 66, rolling in a birdie putt from just inside two metres at the par-five 18th to secure the win.

Had he missed, he would have been forced into a playoff with New Zealander Ben Campbell, who holed his own birdie putt a few moments later.

Green did not bring her best on the final day, seeing her lead diminish to two shots at one stage, but a birdie at the 13th kept her in command.

“Vic Open was my first ever professional event so it definitely has special memories coming here,” she said. “Lots of random memories but good memories here It’s nice to have my name on a proper trophy here.”

Papadatos previously won the Vic Open in 2017, and today was his fourth win on the Australasian Tour.

“It’s been a while since I’ve even been in contention, let alone won a tournament, so I was a bit unsure if I’d still have it out there today,” said Papadatos.

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia now moves to Cobram Barooga for the TPS Murray River event this week.