How to follow the 2024 Vic Open
The 2024 edition of the Vic Open tees of this week at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links.
Media release
Kiwi Kazuma Kobori’s chase for a third consecutive Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title, a feat not achieved in almost two decades, and the appearance of a couple of women’s major golf champions will provide two of the major storylines at the Vic Open this week.
The tournament that spawned the mixed-gender format has reached 11 years at one of the country’s premier facilities, 13th Beach on the Bellarine Peninsula, with men and women once again playing together but in two separate tournaments, each worth $420,000, across the Beach and Creek courses.
Still in the early months of his professional career, Kobori has ridden consistent ball striking and a hot putter to highly impressive back-to-back wins in the Webex Players Series events at Cobram Barooga and Rosebud and will be attempting to match the three-in-a-row feat of Robert Allenby who clinched the “big three” of Australian Open, PGA and Masters in 2005.
Former world No.1s Jiyai Shin and Karrie Webb, who share nine major championships between them, head a women’s field that also includes two Webex Players Series victors from last year – Min A Yoon and Sarah Jane Smith.
Now ranked 15th in the world, Shin contended strongly in two majors in 2023 as well as collecting another three victories for the year, taking her career win tally to 64 since turning professional in 2005.
She will be defending her title this week and attempting to become the first back-to-back Vic Open women’s champion.
Webb, the winner of more major championships than any other Australian golfer, has only a limited playing schedule these days but is keen to play more tournament golf in the year she turns 50.
Also among the chief women’s contenders are LPGA Tour member Karis Davidson, last year’s runner-up Cassie Porter, two-time WPGA Tour of Australasia winner Sue Oh and last week’s Webex Players Series Victoria runner-up Ashley Lau.
The men’s field is also stacked as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit race heats up with Kobori surging to the No.2 spot behind Min Woo Lee.
The champion at 13th Beach in 2014 and third in 2022, Matthew Griffin is a perennial Vic Open contender and is already a winner in 2024 at the Heritage Classic.
He is joined by eight other tour winners this season in Kobori, Lachlan Barker (PNG Open), Daniel Gale (NT PGA), Simon Hawkes (WA Open), Ben Eccles (WA PGA), Austin Bautista (Webex Players Series SA), Kerry Mountcastle (Gippsland Super 6) and amateur star Phoenix Campbell (Qld PGA).
Adding to the depth are three former PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champions in Jed Morgan, Jake McLeod and Brett Rumford, reigning NZ Open champion Brendan Jones, and the highest-ranked player in the field, Travis Smyth, who is coming off a career-best year on the Asian Tour.
In a Vic Open built upon inclusivity, the world’s No.1-ranked player with a disability and former Australian All Abilities Championship winner, England’s Kipp Popert, will tee it up in the men’s field.
Fans can walk the fairways with pooches and players throughout the course of the four days or watch the enthralling action unfold each and every round on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For live scoring and the latest news visit https://www.golf.org.au/vicopen/scores Exclusive content and tournament updates will also be posted regularly on Golf Australia’s social media channels.
Instagram: @VicOpenGolf @golfaust
Twitter: @VicOpenGolf @GolfAust
Facebook: @GolfAustraliaVIC @GolfAust
Official hashtag: #VicOpen
HOW TO WATCH
The Vic Open is live on Foxtel and Kayo, click HERE.
Round 1: Thursday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)
Round 2: Friday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)
Round 3: Saturday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)
Round 4: Sunday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)
RECENT CHAMPIONS
Men:
2023: Michael Hendry
2022: Dimitrios Papadatos (2)
2021: Not played
2020: Min Woo Lee
2019: David Law
2018: Simon Hawkes
2017: Dimitrios Papadatos
2016: Michael Long
2015: Richard Green
Women:
2023: Jiyai Shin
2022: Hannah Green
2021: Not played
2020: Park Hee-young
2019: Celine Boutier
2018: Minjee Lee (2)
2017: Melissa Reid
2016: Georgia Hall
2015: Marianne Skarpnord
COURSE RECORD
Beach Course Men’s: 62, Braden Becker
Beach Course Women’s: 65, Soo Jin Lee an Su Oh.
Creek Course Men’s: 61, Jake McLeod and Ryan Ruffels.
Creek Course Women’s: 64, Cassie Porter.
COURSE DESIGNER
Beach Course: Tony Cashmore
Creek Course: Sir Nick Faldo and Tony Cashmore
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Women:
Jiyai Shin: Defending champion and two-time major champion
Karrie Webb: Seven-time major champion
Karis Davidson: LPGA Tour member
Ashley Lau: Top-3 in last two Webex Players Series events
Cassie Porter: 2023 WPGA Melbourne International champion
Momoka Kobori: 2023 Women’s NSW Open champion
Men:
Kazuma Kobori: Winner the last two weeks in both Webex Players Series events
Travis Smyth: Highest ranked men’s player in the field
Michael Hendry: Defending champion
Jak Carter: Currently sixth on the order of merit
Matthew Griffin: 2024 Heritage Classic winner and 2014 Vic Open champion
Brendan Jones: 2023 NZ Open champion
