The stakes have been raised at the Vic Open with the men now playing for a chance to enter one of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments.
The R&A, the organiser of the Open Championship, announced last week the top three non-exempt players would receive invitations to play at the home of golf, the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, for the 150th Open in July.
The Vic Open was added to the list of Open qualifying tournaments after the cancellation of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown, scheduled for March, because of border closures.
The decision to transfer the qualifying spots over to this week’s event at 13th Beach on the Bellarine Peninsula is a huge boost for the Vic Open, which is resuming after a year’s hiatus caused by the global pandemic and border issues.
None of the players currently entered in the Vic Open field are qualified to play in the Open Championship in 2022, meaning the top three finishers at 13th Beach on Sunday will all head straight into the field for the Open at St Andrews.
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said it was a “massive opportunity” for Australian golfers taking part in the Vic Open.
“As we enter the final stages of preparation at 13th Beach, this is very exciting news for our tournament, and such a wonderful opportunity for the eligible players,” he said.
The R&A championships executive director Johnnie Cole-Hamilton said it was pleasing to be able to up the stakes at the Vic Open.
“The Vic Open is a leading event and we are grateful to Golf Australia, the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the Victorian government for agreeing to our request to offer players the opportunity to qualify for the 150th Open through it,” he said.
“We look forward to seeing who emerges from the field next week to take their place at St Andrews.”
The Vic Open kicks off on Thursday and is part of both the WPGA Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Prize money has been set at a minimum of $820,000, with equal prize pools of $410,000 each for men and women.
Fields of 144 men and 72 women will start on Thursday, with the top 35 men and 35 women and ties making it through to Sunday’s final round.
