The world’s best female golfers are set to tee it up in an inaugural two-week Australian swing on the LPGA tour from this week.
The ISPS Handa Vic Open begins on Thursday, February 7, at 13th Beach Golf Links in Victoria and joins the prestigious LPGA tour for the first time. It will be followed by the ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open to be played in Adelaide, South Australia, from February 14-17.
The Vic Open is a unique addition to the LPGA tour as it features concurrent men’s and women’s tournaments for equal prize money where men and women share the course in an alternate group format. While the women’s event is jointly sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and ALPG, the men’s tournament is part of both the European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia.
Many of the men from the Vic Open will go on to contest the World Super 6 event in Perth, Western Australia, next week.
But the spotlight will be on the national women’s open at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide where this year’s field will include 56 of the top 80 money winners from the 2018 LPGA tour. The field includes World No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn and major winners Lydia Ko, Paula Creamer, Georgia Hall, Brooke Henderson, Pernilla Lindberg and Catriona Matthew. World No. 6 Minjee Lee and five-time Australian Women’s Open champion Karrie Webb will lead a strong local contingent.
It will be the fourth successive year the tournament will be held in the South Australian capital following successful events at The Grange in 2016, Royal Adelaide in 2017 and Kooyonga last year.
The Grange’s East Course will host the tournament’s final qualifying round on Tuesday, February 12, while the tournament proper will be played on the West Course.
Women’s Australian Open Tournament Director Trevor Herden said a few of the holes at The Grange had been strengthened since 2016 and the course was in excellent condition.
He said the tree-lined West Course was a different style of course than Kooyonga and Royal Adelaide.
“Out of the three, The Grange has probably got a bit more room but access to the hole locations are much more awkward so while it is more generous off the tee, they will have to be very mindful of the hole locations and plan the tee shot accordingly,” Herden said.