February 06-09
13th Beach GC, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
AU$1,600,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Spain's Alejandro Cañizares pulled no punches in describing his previous poor form after claiming a surprise lead in the ISPS Handa Vic Open.

Cañizares has had to return to the qualifying school to keep his European Tour card for the past two seasons and has recorded just two top-10 finishes in the last three years.

The 37-year-old is ranked a lowly 788th in the world but insists he remains fully motivated after carding 10 birdies and a solitary bogey in an opening 63 at 13th Beach Golf Club.

"It was a great round," Cañizares said. "I putted really well, I hit the ball well as well, I don't think I missed many greens. It was one of those days where you saw the hole pretty big.

"I didn't have many expectations because it's a long way from home so you don't know how you're going to feel but I was hitting the ball well, I'm working on the right things.

"I'm just surprised I've played so bad the last three years more so than today. It's been complicated; I got injured three years ago and it took a while. I became a dad a year ago, life changes.

"I'm getting back to it, I'm starting to work hard on it and I'm still motivated. I've been on Tour for 13 or 14 years and I still want to do it. I've still got half of my career ahead of me."

Cañizares enjoyed a two-shot lead over the home quartet of Matthew Griffin, Travis Smyth, Justin Warren and Jake McLeod, with defending champion David Law five shots off the pace following a 68.

The tournament is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and LPGA and features men and women playing on the same courses at the same time, for equal prize money.

In the women's event, Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom and South Korea's Haeji Kang share the lead on eight under par, with Dame Laura Davies two shots behind following a 67 which included eight birdies and two bogeys.

Davies was playing her first competitive round since August 2019 and the 56-year-old was delighted with the result.

"My mum wasn't very well and I just stayed at home with her," Davies said. "Just kept entering tournaments and had to withdraw, withdraw because she wasn't getting any better.

"It just worked out that I had six months off and now I turn up here not knowing what I'm doing. I've been on Tour 35 years and I didn't have a clue what to do. It was a bit weird, but a good result."