Round 4 - Minjee Lee kicks off year with home win

February 04, 2018

Australian Minjee Lee fired a final round of six-under-par 67 at 13th Beach Golf Links on Sunday to win the Women’s Oates Vic Open, the first tournament of the year on the Ladies European Tour.

The 21-year-old from Perth birdied the par-5 18th on the Beach Course in front of huge crowds for a total of 279, 13-under-par, five better than 19-year-old rookie Karis Davidson, who closed with a 71. The Scottish-born Queenslander was delighted to finish second in her first tournament as a professional. Another Australian, Hannah Green, bogeyed the last to slip into joint third place with England’s Georgia Hall.

“I was a little bit nervous out there, coming down the stretch, but I think I put that pressure on myself, so it’s nice to come out with a win,” said Lee, who claimed the Oates Vic Open for a second time, having previously won in 2014 as an amateur, aged 17.

This was her fourth win as a professional, following three wins on the LPGA from 2015-2016 and she added: “I don’t think I’ve won at home since the Vic Open so it’s really nice to win in Australia again.”

The world number 20 began the final round with a one stroke lead over Davidson, but she was four-under through seven holes and had moved four strokes clear with a birdie and an eagle on the fourth and fifth holes. From that point on, she never gave the other players a chance. She and Davidson both birdied the short seventh and although Lee dropped a shot at the par-4 eighth, but she put on a clinical display of controlled ball-striking on the back nine, picking up birdies on the 14th, 15th and 18th holes in beautiful, sunny conditions.

Her mother and brother Min Woo, who was playing in the men’s Oates Vic Open, running on the same course concurrently, were both there to celebrate with her.

She said afterwards: “I won this tournament as an amateur and its great to come back and do it as a pro. Twice is a charm! Obviously playing with the men is a different concept and its great. Look how many people are out here. I love coming back here and I will definitely try to get back next year. Its great with all the people walking up the fairways as well.”

In the men’s Oates Vic Open being played over the same golf course, in alternate tee times with the women, Tasmanian Simon Hawkes won with a birdie on the first extra hole to deny Harrison Endycott, from the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Hawkes said afterwards: “This is my second year here and Michael Clayton said something like, people think this is one of the best tournaments in Australia, and I truly believe that as well. Every year I come down here it’s just getting better and better and better. The support we get here is phenomenal for the boys and the girls.”

Commenting on the innovative event, Mark Lichtenhein, chairman of the Ladies European Tour, said: “The Oates Vic Open was not only a superb tournament, but also a strong statement to start the 2018 Ladies European Tour season and we applaud Golf Victoria’s tireless work to create a unique golfing experience for the players and fans alike. Golf is a game that men, women, seniors and juniors play together and as a tour we are proud to be involved with a co-located tournament where men and women compete on equal terms, for the same prize money. By working in conjunction with Golf Victoria and our fellow tours, the Australian Ladies Professional Golf and the PGA Tour of Australasia, we are delighted to have been able to showcase the event to a worldwide audience through LET’s distribution network. We will continue to strive for further innovation and the growth of this progressive event.”

Karen Lunn, CEO of Australian Ladies Professional Golf, said: “The Oates Vic Open gets bigger and better every year thanks to the vision of Golf Victoria, the support of state and national government, the commitment of the players and the tours and the close involvement of the local community. The tournament continues to be a world leader in providing a level playing field with equal opportunities for men and women golfers and once again, this year’s event has proved a huge hit with everyone involved.”

The Oates Vic Open champion Lee will travel to Canberra on Monday for the newly introduced ActewAGL Canberra Classic, being played at Royal Canberra Golf Club from Friday, which will be the second of four tournaments co-sanctioned by the LET and ALPG Tours.

Click here for details & prize money.

Round 3 - Australians take top 3 in Oates Vic Open going into final day

February 03, 2018

The future of Australian golf was on full display in the third round of the Oates Vic Open as Minjee Lee held her lead heading into the final day at 13th Beach Golf Links near Melbourne, as three young Australians featured in the top four.

The world number 20, from Perth, Lee posted a two-over 75 in strong winds to end the day on seven-under-par, a stroke ahead of rookie professional Karis Davidson, who had a sensational six-under 67.

Perth’s Hannah Green climbed into a share of third place with a two-under 71, to sit alongside Marianne Skarpnord, from Norway.

American Cheyenne Woods, Swede Pernilla Lindberg and England’s Georgia Hall are five shots from the lead.

Although Lee struggled in the wind, with four bogeys on her card, she limited the damage with two birdies at the fifth and 15th to remain well placed for her second Oates Vic Open title, having previously won in 2014 as a 17-year-old amateur.

“The conditions were tougher and obviously the wind was really strong,” Lee said. “It was tougher to get to the pins and at the start, a few putts probably lipped out and, obviously on the last hole, but in the middle I think I saved quite a few, so it was half and half today. I mean the wind was crazy out there and obviously you want to play well but you have to stay patient as well and just take whatever it gives you and just get on with it.”

Scottish-born Queenslander Davidson, 19, rattled in six birdie putts to move into contention for her first professional title since turning pro in December.

She said: “It was challenging. Sometimes I had a great shot which would go too far into a bunker. You had to really trust to hit two or three clubs extra which is sometimes hard to fathom.

“I just had a really good round today, but I definitely wasn’t expecting to be one off the lead. My goal coming into this week this top 20. This is my first four-day professional event. But I’m not feeling any pressure I’m just going to go out tomorrow and do my best and have fun.”

Green, who spent 40 hours in the same clothes and a practice day without clubs after the long trip from the LPGA Tour’s Bahamas event left her in Melbourne without her luggage on Wednesday, felt tournament ready by Saturday.

She said: “I was able to sleep in this morning and I got a lot of a lot of rest which was good. I think I’m a bit more settled than what it was like the last two days, so it’s just nice to be able to concentrate on the golf course when it’s one of these tough challenging courses.

“Any win in Australia would obviously be massive. I haven’t really thought about it, like this week I just wanted to make the cut, type of thing, with all the circumstances but now that I am in contention it’s obviously on my mind. I know I’ve got to drive well tomorrow and make sure it’s in play. But you also got to make a lot of putts. It’s pretty windy out there.”

Green, who tied for 11th place last week in the Bahamas in even windier conditions, was determined to make the trip to play in the Oates Vic Open.

She said: “I have a great host family, Ian and Cynthia who look after me and I get to stay with my boyfriend (Jarryd Felton) who also plays, so not only are we out playing a great course but you know we’re playing in a great area for great money, so it was kind of hard to turn down.”

The final round of the Oates Vic Open gets under way at 7.45am local time on Sunday and the Australian trio of Lee, Davidson and Green will tee off in the last group at 11.40am.

Round 2 - Minjee Lee fires 67 to take Oates Vic lead

February 02, 2018

Australian number one Minjee Lee surged into the halfway lead in the women’s Oates Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links near Melbourne on Friday.

The 21-year-old from Perth shot a flawless second round of six-under 67 on the Beach Course for a total of nine-under-par, to remain bogey-free through 36 holes.

She holds a three-stroke lead ahead of Marianne Skarpnord from Norway, Swedish pair Caroline Hedwall and Jenny Haglund and 17-year-old amateur Tze-Han Lin from Chinese Taipei.

Lee said: “I holed a couple more putts, but I did miss a couple more greens today, so I made a few more up and downs today than yesterday.”

The world number 20 enjoyed strong home support as she fired six birdies, on the second, fifth, seventh, 14th, 15th and 18th holes.

“It’s different from any other tournament that we play, so yeah, it’s just really nice to see everybody around,” said Lee, who watched her brother Min Woo hit a tee shot as he played in the men’s Vic Open, being played concurrently over the same golf course.

Lee won the 2014 Oates Vic Open as an amateur at the age of 17 and has since gone on to win three titles on the LPGA Tour, at the 2015 Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC, 2016 LOTTE Championship Presented by HERSHEY and Blue Bay LPGA in China.

She said: “I’m just going to do what I’ve been doing and hopefully more putts will drop for me and you know, just play the wind. I guess if the wind gets up and then I’ll just play everything that’s in my control.”

Skarpnord was also greeted like a local. She and her fiancé, Richard Green, who is also playing this week, won the women’s and men’s titles in 2015 and share a home at 13th Beach.

She said: “This kind of feels like my home club now. I live just 300 metres from the clubhouse and I play here all the time when I’m here. And to be fair, if I’m going to win a tournament this year, this will be it.

“I’m happy with the score but it wasn’t pretty. I took the chances I had and I saved some really good pars. My putting saved me today a few times. If I didn’t putt well today I probably would have been over par. I have to say that I didn’t play that good.”

On a day of wall-to-wall sunshine, Lee and Skarpnord played in the more favourable morning conditions, before the breeze picked up in the afternoon.

Hedwall, Haglund and Lin were out in the worst of the windy conditions and Haglund said: “It was a tough day out there, but I played really well and I hit the ball well. I’m really pleased with my day. The whole game was good and I also putted well. I haven’t been playing on grass lately. I’ve been at home in Sweden for the last two weeks and chipping on mats, so my short game needs some improvement, but I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Lin is hoping that it will be third time lucky, as she has missed the cut in the tournament at the last two times of asking, but she has since honed her skills on Melbourne’s sandbelt courses.

She said: “We’ve been working a lot with some Golf Australia coaches and they’ve been helping us with the strategy and low shots into the wind.”

Her namesake, Xi Yu Lin, from China, lies a stroke further back in outright sixth place on five-under-par, with England’s Georgia Hall and Australian Stephanie Na in a share of seventh place.

Early in the day, Carmen Alonso of Spain boosted her score with a hole-in-one at the seventh hole on the Beach course, using a pitching wedge to get into a share of 15th position, alongside the first-round leader, Beth Allen.

The Oates Vic Open is the only golf tournament of its kind around the world, with the men’s and women’s fields competing on the same courses, at the same time, for an equal share in the prize money.

Those unable to make the trip will be able to watch the weekend’s action either on television or via the live stream on the official websites, YouTube and Facebook LIVE.

Round 1 - Beth Allen leading in Australia, Woods 1 behind

February 01, 2018

Beth Allen shot a sparkling six-under-par 67 in the Oates Vic Open first round to take a one stroke lead ahead of fellow American Cheyenne Woods at 13th Beach Golf Links near Melbourne.

Due to their late arrival from the LPGA’s season-opening tournament in the Bahamas, neither player had played a practice round and they both credited their experienced caddies for steering them around the Creek Course on Thursday morning.

Sophie Gustafson, a 28-time tournament champion and four-time order of merit winner, who helped Allen to win her first three titles and the order of merit in 2016, was back on her bag after a one-year hiatus. The result was six birdies on a bogey-free score card.

A delighted Allen said: “It’s been kind of crazy because I only arrived yesterday morning and I didn’t have tons of expectations, which is usually good, when you’re playing golf. I just woke up and said let’s see what happens. It’s great to have Sophie on the bag again and I had visions of 2016, which was awesome. We had a lot of fun out there, so I’m looking forward to the next few days.”

Woods, who arrived in Barwon Heads several hours before her golf clubs on Wednesday, felt that a day of rest, relaxation and a long nap was the perfect preparation.

After carding six birdies against one bogey, the 2014 Ladies Australian Masters champion reflected: “I’m really happy with how I played today. It was my first time seeing the golf course, so it was nice to be able to make a few putts and give myself opportunities. I hit the ball well, which helped a lot with the first time out here. My caddie was great. He came out yesterday and walked both courses and did all of his homework. We felt good going into today.”

Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth, who also played on the Creek Course, is a stroke further back in third place on four-under-par and five further players are tied on three-under. They are Australians Minjee Lee and Tahnia Ravnjak, Britons Georgia Hall and Kylie Henry and Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden.

Lee, who claimed the 2014 Oates Vic Open as an amateur aged 17, was happy with her afternoon round, containing three birdies on the Creek Course.

The world number 20 said: “A couple of putts didn’t drop as I was coming down the stretch, but I hit it pretty solid and made a couple of birdies. I think I played the wind pretty well and so hopefully I can make some more putts tomorrow morning.”

While Lee is Australia’s number one female golfer, her brother Min Woo sits 15th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and is playing in the men’s Oates Vic Open, running simultaneously.

The Oates Vic Open is the only tournament of its kind in the world where the men’s and women’s fields compete on the same courses, at the same time, for an equal share of the prize money.

In 2018, a combined purse of AUD$1.3 million means the men and women are each battling it out for a share of AUD $650,000.

Lee said: “I think it’s great. I mean, I love this tournament and the concept is very different from what I normally play in. I love coming back here and its always a great atmosphere.”

Allen was another fan of the format. “I love it. I think that it’s great for spectators because, no matter who you’re coming to support, if you’re coming to support the ladies, then you get a chance to see some of the men and if you’ve come to support the men, you might be surprised that you enjoy watching the ladies. I hope that this event inspires other events, because it’s awesome,” she said.

Scores

Preview

For the second consecutive year, the Ladies European Tour kicks off a new season with the Oates Vic Open, starting on Thursday at 13th Beach Golf Links in Barwon Heads, Australia.

The Oates Vic Open is the only tournament of its kind in the world where the men’s and women’s fields compete on the same courses, at the same time, for an equal share of the prize money.

In 2018, a combined purse of AUD$1.3 million means the men and women will each battle it out for a share of AUD $650,000.

The Women’s Oates Vic Open will again be played over 72 holes, in conjunction with the men’s championship, sanctioned by the PGA of Australia. The opening two rounds will be played over both the Beach and the Creek courses, with alternating groups between the men’s and women’s fields. After the 36-hole cut to the leading 60 professional scores plus amateurs in both fields, the final two rounds will be played on the Beach Course.

Mel Reid, who claimed her sixth LET win at last year’s Oates Vic Open, in a three-hole play-off over Sandra Gal, is back to defend her title this week in Victoria.

Fellow Briton Georgia Hall, the 2017 Order of Merit winner, is also returning, for the first time since claiming her second professional victory in 2016, the year before the event became sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.

A repeat of 2015 could also be on the cards, with Norwegian Marianne Skapnord and her Australian fiancé Richard Green also teeing up, at their home layout. Then engaged and barely a week after moving into their new home at 13th Beach, the pair won the men’s and women’s titles barely an hour apart.

Australians Minjee Lee, who won as an amateur in 2014 and Stacey Keating, who won in her home state in 2013, complete the list of winners of the women’s title.

Former world number one and four-time major champion Dame Laura Davies is back for another crack and looking to add to her Australian collection: namely the 1993 and 1994 Australian Masters, the 2003 ANZ Masters, the 2008 NSW Open and the 2004 and 2009 Women’s Australian Opens.

Speaking ahead of the Oates Vic Open, Davies said: “I can’t wait to get started in Australia as it’s my favourite trip of the year and we have an unprecedented four events on the LET down under. It’s a great way for the LET to start what I think is going to be a great year for the tour.

“I love the courses and relaxed atmosphere at the Aussie events and the food is great, so there is nothing to dislike. I love the format of us playing alongside the men, which I think works really well. There are always good galleries which adds to the atmosphere.

“We play two really good golf courses which are both very different and there’s always a bit of wind to keep us on our toes. I would love to see this format replicated around the world as I think it would go down well with the public.”

While Davies is beginning her 34th year on tour, American Casey Danielson, who won the LET’s Lalla Aicha Tour School in December and Manon Molle, of France, will be making their professional debuts.

Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Camille Chevalier, from France, will be teeing it up after a break-out season in 2017 and the 2016 Rookie of the Year, India’s Aditi Ashok, is also looking forward to a fresh season.

The three-time LET champion, from Bangalore, said: “I’m very excited to head to Australia. I have had a good off season and put in some good practise with my new clubs so I’m excited to start playing tournaments. I have always started my season in Australia and it has been a lot of fun the past two years. We get to play in some great golf courses and the fans are always amazing.

“The Oates Vic Open was my first event as a professional and it’s great to see how the event has grown. I enjoy playing at 13th Beach Golf Links. I enjoy playing two very different courses at the same venue during the Oates Vic Open week as there aren’t many tournaments that happen on two different courses. I also love my hosts Melinda and David Peebles at 13th Beach Golf Club and I enjoy coming back to meet them every year.”

A fan of the unique format, she said: “I think it’s great for the spectators and also helps to make the sport popular in general. I think having more events like this would be fun to watch and maybe get more viewership for women’s golf.”

Those unable to make the trip to Barwon Heads will be able to watch the weekend’s the action thanks to the return of the Oates Vic Open live stream, which will be hosted on the tour and tournament websites, YouTube and Facebook LIVE.

The Oates Vic Open is a Golf Victoria event, co-sanctioned by the LET and ALPG Tours. It will kickstart a huge five weeks for women’s golf in Australia, preceding the newly introduced ActewAGL Canberra Classic at Royal Canberra Golf Club, the ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open at Kooyonga in Adelaide, the Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville, at Bonville Golf Resort and the Women’s New South Wales Open at Coffs Harbour Golf Club.