Australia is the place where this week begins a year of golf full of new innovative formats aimed at popularizing the sport. The appointment is at the Oates Vic Open, official tournament of the women’s circuits of Europe, Australasia and Australia. According to its organizers, this is “the only golf tournament of its kind in the world in which men and women compete on the same courses at the same time with the same prize money. The combined purse will be $1.3 million, which means that the men and women will battle it out at Barwon Heads for a share of $650,000.
The Vic Open will be followed next week by the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth at Lake Karrinyup Country Club (Australia), the second edition of an event sanctioned by the three aforementioned professional women’s circuits and featuring a six-hole competition on the final day.
Preparing for this week’s “mixed” tournament, Matthew Griffin, winner of the men’s event in 2014, said it was one of the highlights of his schedule, and not just because he’s returning as a former champion. “There’s a really nice feeling about the whole tournament. You get to see a lot of old friends on the women’s side that you haven’t seen in a long time and obviously it’s always great to come back to a place where you’ve won before. They (Golf Victoria) did a great job in organizing the tournament, which gets better every year.”
“The idea of the tournament is to get more people to play and, if this type of event attracts more people through participation and sponsorship, it’s definitely a win for us as players because it obviously means we’re playing for a bigger prize, like this year.”
Defending women’s champion Mel Reid, a six-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, LET, said the similar prize money for men and women was not only good for the tournament, but also for women’s golf in general. “I think it’s great. I think that’s the way golf would have to go. There’s a lot of talk about equality around the world and the prize money for the guys is obviously a lot more on the PGA Tour than it is on the LPGA Tour.
“I don’t find it very acceptable, so it’s good to have a tournament where it’s equal. It’s great for the girls and great publicity for us. I hope the guys enjoy us as well. For me, there should be a lot more tournaments like this where it’s the same. I think it would be great for golf.”
Hannah Green, who began her first full season on the LPGA Tour at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic last week, finishing tied for 11th, made a hasty trip from the Bahamas to Barwon Heads to play. “It’s a pretty special event, I think, for both men and women to play. My boyfriend Jarryd (Felton) plays as well, and that’s also a factor when it comes back to me and it’s a great course and a great venue – we’re very fortunate.”
Felton, a two-time winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, and Green are hoping to replicate Richard Green and Marianne Skarpnord’s famous victory at the 2015 Oates Vic Open when this engaged pair won their respective tournaments.
Green and Felton last played a professional tournament against each other at last year’s Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open. “I’ll be traveling a lot this year and so will Jarryd,” Green said, “so we won’t cross paths a lot. Being able to play any tournament on the same course is great. Two years ago the prize money was very different, and that’s getting better and better. Obviously, the prize money is a factor in coming and playing as well, but it’s also a great tournament and it’s nice to see the growing interest in it.”
(Photos courtesy of PGA of Australia)
Leave a Reply