Former Women’s PGA Championship winner Hannah Green obliterated the field to win the Vic Open women’s championship on Sunday for her first big triumph on home soil while Dimi Papadatos holed a nerve-wracking birdie putt at the 72nd hole to close out the men’s.
Green, ranked 30th in the world and one of Australia’s most well-known golfers, shot a closing 71 at 13th Beach Golf Links in Barwon Heads on Sunday 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.
She had put herself in a winning position on the Open’s third day, with a commanding 68 to take a five shot lead over fellow Western Australian Whitney Hillier.
Green did not bring her best on the final day of the four-day tournament, seeing her lead diminish to two shots when she made her second bogey of the day on the seventh, but a birdie at the 13th kept her in command.
“I knew I needed to stay patient. It was a wind direction we haven’t had in years. Everyone was going to struggle with lines,” she said.
“I knew that I wasn’t playing so well but I knew that there would be some opportunities.
“I felt like I hit good shots, it just wasn’t the right club. So that was even more frustrating. Whip (Hillier) played well and she was making putts while I wasn’t quite getting the pace.”
The win sets Green up for a big season overseas in what was her first tournament start for 2022.
It is also her first success in Australia in a top-tier tournament, despite multiple wins overseas including a major in the US in 2019, which she said made it more special.
“Vic Open was my first ever professional event so it definitely has special memories coming here,” she said.
“[I have] lots of random memories but good memories here.
“It’s nice to have my name on a proper trophy here.”
Hillier and Queenslander Karis Davidson were tied second at seven under par.
On the men’s side, Papadatos took out the win ahead of second-placed Ben Campbell and third-placed Matt Griffin, who will all receive a spot in the field for the Open Championship at St Andrews this year as top-three finishers.
Papadatos was brilliant in his closing 66 on Sunday, rolling in a birdie putt from just inside two metres at the par-five 18th to secure the win by a single stroke, 20 under par.
Had he missed, he would have been forced into a playoff with playing partner Campbell, who holed his own birdie putt a few moments later.
It was the second time Papadatos had won the Vic Open, after previously claiming the 2017 title.
“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,“ he said.
“It goes to show I didn’t fluke it the first time. I’m just so happy to be getting my game and playing well again.
“Winning in the final group – I did it once before at the NZ Open – it is definitely a different feeling. There’s a lot more pressure, expectation, the crowds are there. You know exactly what you’ve got to do so I’ll take a lot from that.”
Papadatos will now head to St Andrews in July to play one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments and will arrive there with experience of both the place itself and the tournament.
“I played Royal Portrush when I finished second at the Australian Open in 2019 and that was pretty cool. So I know what that’s all about now,” he said.
“I’ve played the Dunhill Links about four times. I haven’t had much luck over there. I struggle in the cold and the wind so I’ve got a bit of work to do. But I’m just looking forward to it. It’s going to be awesome.”
New South Welshman Steve Prior battled an ice cold putter but held firm to win the Victorian Inclusive Championship on Sunday in a tight finish, while Nick Taylor from Port Kembla Golf Club won the inaugural Australian Wheelchair Championship.
