This week 13th Beach will play host to some of the world’s top golfers as the Vic Open returns for its tenth running here in Geelong.
A quick look at the honour roll for this event shows what a rich history it has.
On the men’s side, Major champions such as Greg Norman, Peter Thompson and Gary Player have enjoyed success in the Vic Open, while more recently, women’s Major winners to have saluted at Thirteenth Beach have included Minjee Lee, Georgia Hall and Hannah Green.
The beauty of this event is its celebration and promotion of both male and female athletes.
For a large part of golf’s history, women were precluded from participating at club level, or, at best, allowed on course only at times that did not interfere with male members.
Thankfully, we have seen a shift in recent times away from this type of thinking.
The Vic Open has been a trailblazer in hosting concurrent men’s and women’s events, which is something that is slowly being picked up by other larger tournaments such as the Australian Open.
We should be proud of the role it has played in championing women’s participation, the level of coverage both tournaments garner on a global scale, and the fact that men and women play for equal prizemoney.
This year’s event will also once again feature the Victorian Inclusive Championships, which will be held on the Saturday and Sunday while the open tournaments are on.
If you have never been to a golf tournament before, I encourage you to get along and experience this one.
Unlike other tournaments, there are no ropes so you are free to roam the fairways behind the players, you can bring the dog along, and the atmosphere is very relaxed.
The fact that it is free is also a bonus.
Council is a proud partner of this event and I look forward to it being held here for many years to come.
