Ash Bolt
Two of Australia’s most well-known golfers have committed to playing the region’s biggest tournament, the Vic Open, in February.
Hannah Green and Geoff Ogilvy have this week committed to the tournament at 13th Beach from February 10 to 13.
Green is a world top-30 player who is at home after another fine season on the LPGA Tour in America and around the world.
She won the Women’s PGA Championship in 2019 to become just the third Australian woman to secure one of the majors, behind all-time greats Jan Stephenson and Karrie Webb.
While Ogilvy no longer travels the world playing, he remains a force on the domestic scene and is a drawcard with his silky swing and thoughtful demeanour.
Ogilvy won the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot to etch his name into the pantheon of Australian major-winners.
He also has three World Golf Championship victories, an Australian Open win, 18 years on the US PGA Tour and a career-high world ranking of three.
Ogilvy said he had family on the Bellarine Peninsula and was looking forward to playing the Vic Open with its world famous mixed-gender format.
“I have some great memories of the Vic Open that go back to the 1980s, Greg Norman winning at Metropolitan and Ian Baker-Finch at Yarra Yarra, that kind of thing,” Ogilvy said.
“I remember Rob Allenby winning in 1991 and I was 14, and it inspired me to want to play one and win one.
“I’ve played quite a few and I was in the last group on Sunday a couple of times. It’s still one of my favourite events, a really great tournament.
“Nowadays this event is a standard-bearer for the sport, I think, with the mixed gender aspect. I love the innovative way it’s set up, and I’ve always enjoyed watching women play golf, just how good they are.”
Green has also been a regular at the Vic Open and couldn’t wait to be back.
“I absolutely love coming to 13th Beach and playing in this event alongside the men,” she said.
“It’s a tournament that showcases the tremendous talent that golf has across its tours.
“Aside from that I’m so pleased to be teeing it up back in Australia after everything we’ve gone through in the past 18 months.
“I think we all crave a return to normality and golf’s no different. I can’t wait for this event in February and I’ll be trying my best to win it for the first time.”
Both men’s and women’s events will be part of the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
The tournament has equal prize pools of $410,000 for men and women, which makes it the largest women’s prize purse event in Australia and the second largest prize purse event for the men in Australia this summer.
Fields of 144 men and 72 women will start on the Thursday, with the top 35 men and 35 women and ties making it through to Sunday.
