The tournament that spawned the mixed-gender format has reached 11 years at one of the country’s premier facilities, 13th Beach on the Bellarine Peninsula, with men and women once again playing together but in two separate tournaments, each worth $420,000, across the Beach and Creek courses.

Still in the early months of his professional career, Kobori has ridden consistent ball striking and a hot putter to highly impressive back-to-back wins in the Webex Players Series events at Cobram Barooga and Rosebud and will be attempting to match the three-in-a-row feat of Robert Allenby who clinched the “big three” of Australian Open, PGA and Masters in 2005.

Former world No.1s Jiyai Shin and Karrie Webb, who share nine major championships between them, head a women’s field that also includes two Webex Players Series victors from last year – Min A Yoon and Sarah Jane Smith.

Now ranked 15th in the world, Shin contended strongly in two majors in 2023 as well as collecting another three victories for the year, taking her career win tally to 64 since turning professional in 2005.

She will be defending her title this week and attempting to become the first back-to-back Vic Open women’s champion.

Webb, the winner of more major championships than any other Australian golfer, has only a limited playing schedule these days but is keen to play more tournament golf in the year she turns 50.

Also among the chief women’s contenders are LPGA Tour member Karis Davidson, last year’s runner-up Cassie Porter, two-time WPGA Tour of Australasia winner Sue Oh and last week’s Webex Players Series Victoria runner-up Ashley Lau.

The men’s field is also stacked as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit race heats up with Kobori surging to the No.2 spot behind Min Woo Lee.

The champion at 13th Beach in 2014 and third in 2022, Matthew Griffin is a perennial Vic Open contender and is already a winner in 2024 at the Heritage Classic.

He is joined by eight other tour winners this season in Kobori, Lachlan Barker (PNG Open), Daniel Gale (NT PGA), Simon Hawkes (WA Open), Ben Eccles (WA PGA), Austin Bautista (Webex Players Series SA), Kerry Mountcastle (Gippsland Super 6) and amateur star Phoenix Campbell (Qld PGA).

Adding to the depth are three former PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champions in Jed Morgan, Jake McLeod and Brett Rumford, reigning NZ Open champion Brendan Jones, and the highest-ranked player in the field, Travis Smyth, who is coming off a career-best year on the Asian Tour.

In a Vic Open built upon inclusivity, the world’s No.1-ranked player with a disability and former Australian All Abilities Championship winner, England’s Kipp Popert, will tee it up in the men’s field.

Fans can walk the fairways with pooches and players throughout the course of the four days or watch the enthralling action unfold each and every round on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

HOW TO FOLLOW

For live scoring and the latest news visit https://www.golf.org.au/vicopen/scores Exclusive content and tournament updates will also be posted regularly on Golf Australia’s social media channels.

Instagram: @VicOpenGolf @golfaust

Twitter: @VicOpenGolf @GolfAust

Facebook: @GolfAustraliaVIC @GolfAust

Official hashtag: #VicOpen

HOW TO WATCH

The Vic Open is live on Foxtel and Kayo.

Round 1: Thursday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)

Round 2: Friday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)

Round 3: Saturday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)

Round 4: Sunday, 3pm – 7pm (AEDT)

RECENT CHAMPIONS

Men:

2023: Michael Hendry

2022: Dimitrios Papadatos (2)

2021: Not played

2020: Min Woo Lee

2019: David Law

2018: Simon Hawkes

2017: Dimitrios Papadatos

2016: Michael Long

2015: Richard Green

Women:

2023: Jiyai Shin

2022: Hannah Green

2021: Not played

2020: Park Hee-young

2019: Celine Boutier

2018: Minjee Lee (2)

2017: Melissa Reid

2016: Georgia Hall

2015: Marianne Skarpnord

COURSE RECORD

Beach Course Men’s: 62, Braden Becker

Beach Course Women’s: 65, Soo Jin Lee an Su Oh.

Creek Course Men’s: 61, Jake McLeod and Ryan Ruffels.

Creek Course Women’s: 64, Cassie Porter.

COURSE DESIGNER

Beach Course: Tony Cashmore

Creek Course: Sir Nick Faldo and Tony Cashmore

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Women:

Jiyai Shin: Defending champion and two-time major champion

Karrie Webb: Seven-time major champion

Karis Davidson: LPGA Tour member

Ashley Lau: Top-3 in last two Webex Players Series events

Cassie Porter: 2023 WPGA Melbourne International champion

Momoka Kobori: 2023 Women’s NSW Open champion

Men:

Kazuma Kobori: Winner the last two weeks in both Webex Players Series events

Travis Smyth: Highest ranked men’s player in the field

Michael Hendry: Defending champion

Jak Carter: Currently sixth on the order of merit

Matthew Griffin: 2024 Heritage Classic winner and 2014 Vic Open champion

Brendan Jones: 2023 NZ Open champion