Two of Australia’s most decorated golfers Robert Allenby and Peter Lonard will tee off at the 2018 Oates Vic Open next month.
The experienced duo add further depth to the men’s field in 2018 which boasts the last five male champions and the biggest names from the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.
Allenby is heading back to 13th Beach Golf Links for the second year straight as he continues his hunt for a second Oates Vic Open crown.
Lonard, a nine-time winner on the tour, joins the OatesVic Open field for the first time since 2015.
“I think the Vic Open where the girls play and the boys play together is a good concept, it makes sense to me,” Lonard told Golf Victoria.
“I think the actual concept of putting everyone together and perhaps appealing to a wider range of people is a great idea.
“For me, it’s really interesting to see the way the girls practise, the way they approach the game.”
In recent weeks Lonard has been sharpening his own game at his home club in Sydney, the notoriously breezy The Lakes Golf Club.
“Through my career I suppose my better golf has been played on firmer, bouncier courses with wind, it just suits the way I like to fly the ball,” said Lonard.
“I think 13th Beach sets up really well and it’s a really good test of golf, particularly when the wind blows.”
Allenby adds to the list of former champions in the 2018 field.
The Victorian remains the only male amateur winner in the tournament’s history after his 1991 triumph at Woodlands Golf Club as a 20-year-old.
