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One of Australian professional golf’s oldest events, the Vic Open, returns to 13th Beach Golf Links on the Bellarine Peninsula this week with Brett Coletta and Ashley Lau defending their men’s and women’s titles.
The tournament that spawned the mixed-gender format celebrates its 12th year at 13th Beach in 2025 with men and women, professionals and amateurs, once again playing on the same course, but for separate trophies, with each purse worth $200,000.
And they’ll tackle two different courses – three rounds on the Beach and one on the Creek for those who make the halfway cut. Both are par-72 layouts at the mercy of the winds that come off the adjacent Southern Ocean.
Founded in 1958, the men’s Vic Open has an illustrious group of winners that includes the likes of major winners Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Gary Player, David Graham, Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch and, in recent years, Min Woo Lee, Michael Hendry and Dimi Papadatos.
Meanwhile, the women’s tournament, founded in 1988, can boast an equally impressive past champions list highlighted by Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Celine Boutier and Jiyai Shin, the 2023 winner who headlines this year’s field.
Now based predominantly in Japan, Shin is trying complete a rare Australian Open-Vic Open double after triumphing in the national championship at Kingston Heath and Victoria in December, her last tournament appearance.
Her main competition this week may come from LPGA Tour star Jenny Shin, who now spends a good part of the year in Australia.
In the men’s field, there are seven winners from this year’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, headed by two-time champion Jack Buchanan who sits in fourth place on the Order of Merit list.
Numbers seven through 10 on the OOM list – Anthony Quayle, Corey Lamb, Jordan Doull and Jak Carter – will also tee it up chasing valuable points as the season heads towards its conclusion in March.
One noticeable change for the players this week is the lengthening of the par-4 15th hole on the Beach Course, with the tees pushed back from where they have been in recent years. It now plays 342m for the men and 292m for the women.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONS: Ashley Lau and Brett Coletta
PRIZEMONEY: $400,000
LIVE SCORES: www.golf.org.au; www.pga.org.au; www.wpga.org.au
TV COVERAGE: The Vic Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 2pm-7pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
HEADLINERS
Jiyai Shin – 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open champion
Brett Coletta – 2024 Vic Open men’s champion
Ashley Lau – 2024 Vic Open women’s champion
Jack Buchanan – 2024 WA PGA and Webex Players Series SA champion
Jenny Shin – LPGA Tour member
Kelsey Bennett – 2024 The Athena champion
Matthew Griffin – 2024 Heritage Classic champion
Lydia Hall – 2012 Ladies British Masters winner
It took three extra holes as temperatures soared at Cobram Barooga Golf Club, where Blake Proverbs outlasted Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia veteran Jason Norris to claim his first Tour win at Webex Players Series Murray River.
Proverbs (64) began the day three shots back of overnight leader and fellow Queenslander Jake McLeod at 19-under, but produced his third straight sub-65 round to be tied with Norris at 23-under for the tournament. The pair breaking the 21-under-par tournament scoring record set by Kazuma Kobori last year.
Playing in the final group, eventual third place finisher Cholcheva Wongras had a putt on 18 to join the play-off, but as it slid by and she tapped in for par and 22-under, the chances of a third WPGA Tour of Australasia winner at Cobram Barooga were dashed.
West Australian youngster Adam Brady carded a final round 63 to finish alone in fourth position, his best finish on Tour to date, while next week’s Vic Open defending champion Ashley Lau posted a stunning 62 to finish in a share of fifth at 19-under with McLeod (71).
Four players finished tied-seventh at 18-under, including west Australian Ryan Peake who had a 62 of his own, as well as women’s amateur Lion Higo (66).
With two eagles and four birdies through 11 holes today, it looked as if Norris had done more than enough for his experience to carry him down the stretch.
With four birdies and an eagle of his own to start the back-nine, Proverbs playing in the group behind Norris wasn’t going down without a fight, however.
Both players bogeyed the tough par-3 16th, but while Norris was able to convert a short birdie on 17, Proverbs’ slid by from a similar distance.
Finding the right rough off the tee on 18, Norris was forced to hack out sideways. Pitching his third to 15-feet, he cooly rolled the par-saving putt in to post the clubhouse lead.
Needing a birdie to win, Proverbs’ lengthy attempt came up short, but the putt wasn’t in vein as it would end up helping him in the very near future.
Back down 18 for the first extra hole, Norris knocked it in close while Proverbs’ was in a similar position middle of the green. This time the putt had had just enough on it and curled in the front edge, but as the hospitality tent roars settled, Norris converted his close putt to match and back the players went to the 18th tee.
The second extra hole came and went quickly, both on the fairway, both on the green, both with two putts. Back to 18 tee they went again.
This time Norris again found the thick stuff to the right of the fairway and was forced to hack sideways again. With the adrenaline pumping, Proverbs’ wedge bounced off the hospitality tent but came back to 25-feet giving him the upper hand.
Norris did his best pitching it to 10-feet, but as his putt for a four slid by, Proverbs easily got down in two and the champion was finally decided.
“It felt really weird just having that little one footer, just knowing that that was for the win,” Proverbs said.
“I thought I’d be a lot more shaky, which I don’t know if it’s a good thing that I wasn’t, but no, it was a pretty good feeling to roll that last one in.”
Having played on the Tour for five years, Proverbs has had a number of close calls, with almost ten top-five finishes. An ever consistent presence, Proverbs was ecstatic to finally get one over the line.
Starting his Murray River campaign with a 1-over 71, Proverbs proceeded to post 62-63-64 to storm home.
“I actually played okay on day one, that’s the thing. I just got no putts to go in,” he said of Thursday’s round.
“Ever since then it felt good. Driver felt good, putter felt good. And the wedges, the wedges were pretty strong all week.
“I reckon I’ve only hit two bad chip shots over the week.”
As temperatures rose above 40 today, playing extra holes was less than ideal.
“I’ve never drank so much water in my life. I think I almost drowned myself out there.”
It’s likely Proverbs would’ve gone another 18 however if it meant he’d get his hands on his first Tour trophy.
Tom Ryan triumphed by ten shots in the All Abilities championship, redemption for the Victorian after finishing runner-up last week at Rosebud.
In the Juniors, Sophie Mann outlasted fellow Victorian Olive Spitty in another three-hole playoff.
After a “tools down” summer, Brett Coletta is looking forward to trying to defend a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title for the first time at the Vic Open next week.
The Victorian shot back-to-back 65s at the weekend on the Beach Course at 13th Beach Golf Links to capture the 2024 title – by two shots over Jordan Zunic – his second success as a professional.
This year, he heads the entries in a men’s field that includes six Tour winners from this season plus the likes of Matt Griffin, Michael Hendry, Anthony Quayle, Harrison Crowe and Zunic.
“It’s always nice to be able to defend,” Coletta said.
“I’ve only done it once – at Hunter Valley – and I wasn’t successful, but this has been on the radar. The Vic Open is always an enjoyable week.”
The 27-year-old played his first tournament for 2025 at Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club last week, finishing in equal 20th after rounds of 69-65-68-70.
Before then, he hadn’t teed it up competitively since a T29 performance at the Saudi International on the Asian Tour the week after the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
“Honestly, for me it was just tools down,” Coletta said of his Christmas-New Year break,
“There were a couple of little things we need to iron out of my swing with my coach, Brandon (Rave).
“But to be honest, it was in a pretty good spot when I came back from Saudi. We did some really good work there and I’m really trying to get some good momentum moving forward into the busier part of the year, which is kind of towards the end of the year.”
The highest-ranked player in the men’s field is set to be Japan’s Ren Yonezawa, the world No.286 and two-time Japan Golf Tour receiving one of the tournament invites alongside countryman Shiso Go.
The tournament pro-am will be held on the Beach and Creek courses on Wednesday morning (7.45am tee off), with the Vic Open starting on Thursday morning.
Entry to the course is free and parking is available on site.
Lucas Herbert is set to return to Queenstown for the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport in what will be his fourth start on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this season.
The event, which takes place at Millbrook Resort between February 27 and March 2, promises to deliver world-class competition, with Herbert among the top players gunning for a share of the NZ$2 million prize pool.
Herbert, part of the 2024 LIV Golf team championship winning Ripper GC, owns five professional wins, including the Bermuda Championship on the PGA TOUR, three victories on the DP World Tour and most recently the Ford NSW Open on his local Tour.
A runner-up in 2020 when finishing two shots back of fellow Aussie Brad Kennedy, Herbert is excited to be making his way back to world renowned region to contest a national Open.
“I’m absolutely stoked to be returning to Queenstown for the New Zealand Open,” Herbert said.
“It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve played, and since I last played at Millbrook Resort all I keep hearing is how the tournament is growing and getting better and better.
“The courses are challenging, the crowds are great, and the competition is always top-notch. I’m really looking forward to being a part of such a fantastic event and seeing if I can go one better.”
Herbert’s return to the New Zealand Open adds to a field already filled with top-tier professionals who will contest the pro-am format event that is co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tours and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
“We’re thrilled to have Lucas heading back to Queenstown next month,” Tournament Director Michael Glading said.
“He is a very exciting player to watch, having come really close a few years ago and we know fans are going to be thrilled to see him in action. With Lucas joining an already competitive field, this year’s New Zealand Open is shaping up to be one of the strongest fields we have ever had.”
The 104th New Zealand Open tees off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown from February 27 to March 2.
Approaching his 51st birthday next month, Michael Wright says he is playing the best golf of his life and he converted it into a playoff victory over Jak Carter at Webex Players Series Victoria today.
A par on the second playoff hole – after the veteran Queenslander hit an exquisite bunker shot to inside a metre – shut out South Australian Carter who stumbled to a double-bogey to lose a third playoff of the season on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
A victor on Tour for the first time since the 2011 WA PGA Championship, Wright shot a final-round of 2-under-par 68 at Rosebud Country Club, while Carter, 10th overnight, stormed up the leaderboard with an equal best round of the day, a 6-under 64, to finish at 15-under-par.
Victorian Andrew Martin and Queenslander Brad Kennedy shared third place, one shot out of the playoff, after both shot final rounds of 68.
Heading out for the final round as joint leader with Corey Lamb, Wright, who has his scratch-golfer son Noah as fulltime caddie, pulled clear by three shots after birdies at the eighth and 10th holes.
But a bogey on the long par-4 15th, after Carter had birdied 16 and 17, left them level until the playoff was over.
“It feels fantastic (to win) and to have my son on the bag too made it even more special,” the PGA TOUR Champions member said.
“This was one for the old boys. It’s pretty cool.”
Wright says he’s a more relaxed golfer compared to when he was full-time on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia where he had five top-10 finishes in 2023 before going on to successfully negotiate PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying School.
He finished his rookie season in the US 52nd on the moneylist, highlighted by two top-10 finishes.
As he prepares to return to America for a second campaign, Wright said such a win is testament to playing against the likes of major winners Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els, Stewart Cink, Fred Couples and Justin Leonard every week.
“Having played over on the Champions for a year now has given me a lot of experience,” he said.
“I’ve never been on a tour where I’ve played week in, week out. Playing on that tour, I played 23 events and it was like playing 23 Australian Opens.”
Carter has now experienced the disappointment of a playoff loss at the WA Open, Queensland PGA and at Rosebud in the 2024/25 season but has climbed to 10th on the Order of Merit.
After being the joint leader with Wright after rounds two and three, Lamb (73) endured a difficult Sunday with an uncooperative putter to drop to 10-under-par. His only birdie on Sunday came at the par-4 fifth.
Reigning Vic Open champion, Ashley Lau (Malaysia), ended up as highest-placed woman, in equal seventh at 11-under after two rounds of 68 at the weekend.
Queensland’s Cassie Porter (68) and WA’s Abbie Teasdale (68) finished strongly at 10-under but their 2025 campaigns will now head in different directions – Porter to the LPGA Tour for the first time and Teasdale to Webex Players Series Murray River next week.
Kelsey Bennett’s 65 was the low Sunday round for the women and lifted her to a tie for 28th.
Carter’s 64 was matched by Cam John as the men’s best score in the final round, John joining those in a share of seventh.
The Webex Players Series Victoria All Abilities title was won by Curlewis Golf Club’s Noah Schammer (72-73), who finished two shots ahead of Sandy Links-based professional Tom Ryan (72-75).
It’s the 16-year-old plus-3 handicapper’s first Webex Players Series title.
The top two will meet again at Cobram Barooga next weekend.
Riversdale Golf Club’s Arena Tran (71-73) won the Webex Players Series Juniors event thanks to holing from off the green on the first hole of a playoff against Huntingdale’s Elbert Kim (69-75).
A sensational career-best run of seven straight birdies to start his round has helped to lift Michael Wright into a share of the lead with ultra-consistent Corey Lamb, giving him the chance to end a 14-year title wait at Webex Players Series Victoria.
At age 50, Wright, who finished with a 5-under-par 65, will tomorrow seek his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory since the WA PGA in 2011.
Meanwhile, Lamb, who had a 1-under 69 today, will desperately want to end his run of near-misses on Tour which has included three runner-up finishes in the past 18 months.
The duo sit at 13-under-par, two clear of Queenslanders Brad Kennedy (62) and Jake McLeod (71), Victorian Andrew Martin (66) and Wales’ Lydia Hall (68).
Fourteen players will start Sunday within four shots of the lead, setting up a super showdown on the Mornington Peninsula.
After starting the third round four shots adrift of Lamb and McLeod, Wright surged into the lead with a remarkable string of birdies from the first to the seventh, just two short of the all-time Tour record.
The par-3 eighth hole ended the streak – and in a big way – with the PGA TOUR Champions member finding the ditch in front of the green and walking off with a double-bogey.
“That was a lot of fun that first seven holes,” Wright, a three-time winner on Tour, said.
“I’ve never done that before and I wish I could keep doing it every time I play because it’s a lot of fun making that many birdies.
“I sort of said after a couple ‘oh, you can’t birdie ’em all if you don’t be the first two’. And I said it again after three and four and five and then it’s seven.
“And then I come back to reality on eight. Didn’t hit that bad a shot, but it wasn’t good enough. I just got punished, a severe penalty there and hit a poor putt.
“I actually played pretty nice on the back nine, to be honest. The putts just didn’t drop, whereas they dropped a bit on the front.”
Lamb held the outright lead at -14 until he bogeyed the final hole – only his third dropped shot on the opening three days.
“It was sort of a slow day,” the NSW Hunter Valley pro said.
“It was good to not have my best stuff and still come out on top (of the leaderboard).”
Wright wasn’t the only 50-year-old to have a good Saturday at Rosebud.
Playing in just the fifth group of the day, Queensland’s Brad Kennedy shot the low round of the event so far, an 8-under-par 62, to rocket onto the leaderboard at -11.
The Japan Golf Tour regular, who won this event three years ago, parred his first three holes but then birdied five of his next six, the only missing piece being a bogey at Wright’s nemesis, the par-3 eighth.
He then had a similar birdie splurge on the back nine, picking up shots on 11, 12, 13 and 15. His chance at a 59 disappeared with a par on the gettable par-5 16th,
“The last two days, it’s been a bit scrappy,” Kennedy said.
“Today I really started to keep consistent one shot after another and got my putter back online. So it was nice to see a lot of putts drop today.
“Hitting off at 20 past nine is never a good thing on a Saturday, but it also sometimes gives you an option to free wheel it and really push yourself forward.”
After an up-and-down day, Lydia Hall (68) saved her best for the 18th hole where she holed out from 140m with a six-iron for an eagle to jump from T9 to the group in third on 11-under, the Welsh visitor remaining the leading women’s contender with a round to play.
“It was kind of slipping away after double on 15,” Hall said.
“Happy with that finish and hopefully I can do a bit more tomorrow.”
Impressive Victorian amateur Jazy Roberts is just three shots behind after producing a 67 today, including a run of four straight birdies on the front nine, to follow opening rounds of 67-66.
LPGA Tour-bound Cassie Porter improved her position with a 65 to be five back.
Sandy Links-based professional Tom Ryan and amateur Noah Schammer lead the All Abilities event after opening 72s, eight clear of their nearest challenger.
The leading junior is Elbert Kim, from Huntingdale Golf Club, who carded a 69.
TV COVERAGE: Webex Players Series Victoria is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
A player looking to return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Tour winner’s list after a lengthy absence and another who has been so close to a breakthrough first victory over the summer are the joint leaders at the halfway mark of Webex Players Series Victoria.
The former is Queensland’s Jake McLeod (62-66) who is back in contention for the second straight tournament after finishing equal fifth at Webex Players Series Perth a fortnight ago.
The latter is NSW’s Corey Lamb (63-65) who appears to the next in line to be a first-time winner on Tour, with three runner-up finishes and a third placing in the past 18 months.
At 12-under-par at Rosebud Country Club, the duo lead Andrew Campbell (64-66) by two shots.
The two leading women, last week’s Drummond Golf Melbourne International winner, WA’s Abbie Teasdale (65-66), and Welsh visitor Lydia Hall (64-67), share fourth place with Queenslander Blake Proverbs (66-65) at 9-under.
McLeod, whose last win on Tour came in 2018 when we went on to claim that season’s Order of Merit title, started the second round with a one-shot lead and built that to five by the time Lamb teed off for his afternoon round.
His 66 in much more favourable conditions than Thursday’s windswept afternoon included seven birdies to take his two-day total to 13, plus an eagle.
However he slipped up with three bogeys on day two, including two very unexpected ones on par-5s.
“I did a good job today. Played pretty nicely for the most part,” McLeod said.
“I just feel like I’m hitting the ball so nicely and haven’t really put myself into any trouble, which has been good.
“I think the weather is looking good, so it’ll probably be a little easier on the weekend.”
Finished by lunchtime, McLeod was expecting someone in the chasing group to catch him later in the day and Lamb achieved just that by holing a lengthy birdie putt on his second last hole, the par-3 eighth.
“Today was pretty average, I thought,” the former NSW and Queensland Junior Amateur champion said.
“I sort of got away with a few shots that I probably shouldn’t have.”
“I’m good mates with ‘Clouds’ (McLeod), so it’ll be a fun day tomorrow, I’m sure.”
Third-placed Campbell, another player who has been on many leaderboards in the past two seasons without finishing with the trophy on Sunday, has had just one bogey in the windy conditions – at the par-4 12th – today.
Hall kept her status as the leading woman, this time sharing the honours, after bouncing back from a double-bogey at the par-4 sixth with a run of three consecutive birdies to finish the front nine.
In just her third pro event, Teasdale completed her second nine today in just 31 strokes to move into contention.
Also in the mix at 8-under-par, four shots back, is 50-year-old Queenslander Michael Wright (65-67) who is getting himself ready for a new PGA Champions season after a solid debut campaign last year which saw him finish 54th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings with two top-10 finishes.
This week will be his last start for the summer on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia before he heads back to the United States.
“It’s always good to come back and play in your home country and especially against the young guys because I’ve been playing with geriatrics all year,” Wright joked.
“It was real challenging actually the last two days with the wind being so strong. It was a little bit stronger yesterday than today, but it was definitely a challenge.
“I’m really happy with the way I’ve been playing in the wind.”
LPGA Tour-bound Cassie Porter birdied three of her last four holes to safely make the weekend play at 3-under following a day two 68.
Thailand’s Colcheva Wongras climbed into the top 10 with the low women’s round of the day, a 5-under 65, while Victorian amateur Jazy Roberts and former Athena champion Grace Lennon carded 4-under 66s. Roberts shares eighth place, while Lennon climbed to T41.
The father-daughter duo of Peter and Chloe Wilson, at 2-over and 17-over respectively, both missed the halfway cut which came at 2-under-par.
TV COVERAGE: Webex Players Series Victoria is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 3pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Defying the strong afternoon winds that hit Rosebud Country Club, Queensland’s Jake McLeod surpassed his own expectations to take the outright lead after round one of Webex Players Series Victoria.
McLeod thought early on that a 2-under-par score that would leave him five shots behind the morning leaders would be a pleasing result given the difficult conditions he was facing.
He ended up smashing that mark, posting an 8-under-par 62, including playing the last six holes in 5-under, to lead NSW-based trio Corey Lamb, Harrison Crowe and Nathan Barbieri by a shot.
It’s the second consecutive Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event that McLeod has led after round one. He ended up finishing equal fifth at Webex Players Series Perth at Royal Fremantle.
“Once we got to about hole eight, (the wind) started pumping. It was pretty crazy out there,” the former Order of Merit champion said.
“I was only a couple under at that time and I was just hoping to finish a couple under, to be honest, in that wind.
“I never really hit any trouble. It was pretty much every fairway, most probably 16 greens or something, so that was very impressive in that sort of wind, being able to control the ball like that.”
Lamb, Crowe and Barbieri all played in the benign morning conditions, as did the leading woman, Lydia Hall from Wales, and another New South Welshman, Andrew Campbell, who finished with 6-under-par 64s.
With two T2s and a third place on his record this season to be seventh overall on the Order of Merit, Lamb is the highest ranked player on the season long points list in the field this week and he played like it today with seven birdies and no bogeys on his card.
Playing his first event for 2025, the 23-year-old rattled home with four birdies in his closing six holes.
Lamb was quick to sing the praises of his new Callaway Elyte driver which kept him on the short grass on all but one occasion after a pre-event tweak worked almost to perfection.
“It is pretty elite,” he said.
“I didn’t really like it on Tuesday and then Coops (Daniel Cooper), the Callaway guy, put it down a degree (from 10.5 to 9.5 degrees) and it come out a lot better. I thought ‘Why not give it a go? I mean, I love new stuff, so it was, why not?’.”
“I feel comfortable hitting it.”
Crowe, who had top-10s at both the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open, is also chasing the benefits a strong Order of Merit finish can bring and has committed to playing the rest of the local Tour season.
“I had a really, really lovely break over Christmas,” he said.
“I think I had about three or four weeks off the clubs, so definitely come back very refreshed for sure.”
Barbieri hit 16 out of 18 greens in his bogey-free 63 on one of his favourite courses on Tour to visit.
“A lot of people think this is my home track,” Barbieri said.
“I’m obviously from Sydney, so this is my home track in Melbourne, I think. I don’t mind this joint. It suits my game well and everything sort of falls together here which is nice.”
Former Ladies British Masters champion Lydia Hall may be from much further away from the Mornington Peninsula, around 17,000km in fact, but doesn’t mean the Welshwoman doesn’t feel at home.
“Australia is always a place that I love to come to,” Hall said.
“Last year was a bit scrappy on the European Tour, but I managed to finish it off with a nice win at Duntryleague. So the form has been good and I played solidly today.
“I absolutely love playing with the guys. They’re so aggressive with their golf and there’s so much to be learned and respected from their game.
“I did pretty well a couple of years ago here. I think it was in the last couple of groups and finished sixth to 10th. So I’ve had good memories from this course.”
Another person right at home at Rosebud, the three-time club champion James Marchesani, threatened to go very low on day one, turning in six-under-par 29.
Playing alongside his brother Anthony, the reigning Rosebud club champion, Marchesani’s momentum stalled with a bogey on his 10th hole, the par-4 first, and he eventually came home in 1-over 36 to post a 5-under-par 65. Anthony carded a 1-over 71.
Reigning Vic Open champion Ashley Lau and West Australian Abbie Teasdale, who won the Drummond Golf Melbourne International last week, are the second highest-placed women, at 5-under.
Peter and Chloe Wilson created history when they teed off, becoming the first father-daughter combination to play professionally in the same Tour event, Peter eventually taking the family honours with a 68 to Chloe’s 78.
TV COVERAGE: Webex Players Series Victoria is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 3pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
There’ll be a special competition within the competition when the Wilson family creates a world first at Webex Players Series Victoria, starting on Thursday.
Long-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia member Peter Wilson will play alongside, and against, his daughter Chloe, who is one of the newest members of the WPGA Tour of Australasia just four years after taking up golf.
With the Webex Players Series events offering the unique format of men and women competing on the same course for the same trophy and prize money, it’s the first time that father and daughter professionals have teed it up as rivals.
Chloe, 20, made her pro debut at last week’s Drummond Golf Melbourne International at Latrobe Golf Club, finishing tied for 26th, while Peter has played 246 Official World Golf Ranking events since in 2002, including winning the 2012 WA PGA Championship.
“It’s going to be fun,” Peter said. “I’ve never competed against my daughter before in a pro event so there’s a first time for everything in this game.”
But it’s definitely not the first time the duo has gone head-to-head on the golf course, with family matches a regular event.
Chloe has yet to win one of those but with her game quickly improving, she came very close earlier this month at Woodlands Golf Club, leading by a shot coming to the last hole only to record a bogey while her determined dad birdied to keep his streak alive.
“I don’t want her to beat me,” Peter laughed.
“And it’s tricky this week because we always play together and I’m advising her on shots, but this week I can’t because we are opponents in a professional tournament. It’s going to be really tricky in that area.
“I think it’s a two-shot penalty if I said, ‘Chloe, you need to hit a little left or right shot here’. I can’t say anything.”
Although she’s been around golf all her life, Chloe hadn’t shown much interest in following her dad’s sporting career until she was 16, preferring dancing instead.
But when she did start swinging the club there was a clear intention – turn pro inside five years.
“Ever since I was little, I was always caddying for my dad at all these pro-am events,” Chloe said.
“I guess I was somewhat learning the game without even playing, which was quite cool.”
Peter recalls: “She goes, ‘Dad, I’m going to play golf now and I’m going to be a professional in five years.’ And I’m like, ‘Chloe, you haven’t even got any golf clubs.’
“So that’s where it started back in 2020. And she did, which is amazing.”
Chloe’s goal to turn pro was achieved at the WPGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School at the end of 2024 where she finished tied 33rd.
“I have to remind her that she’s quite good,” said Peter, whose son Keefer represented Australia in skateboarding at the Paris Olympic Games.
“She’s only been playing four or five years, so some of the mistakes she makes are like, ‘Chloe, you’ve only been playing four years, so you don’t really know how to do everything.’
“I’m very proud of her. Very proud of all my kids. My son was in the Olympics and my daughter (Aaliyah) only just missed out on being in the Olympics. I’m proud of all my kids.”
Still very much in the development phase of her career, Chloe is approaching her four-round professional tournament debut with a mixture of nerves and excitement.
Having her dad alongside will help and she’ll be quickly on the phone to her mum if she does finally manage to be the “low Wilson”.
“I’m excited,” she said.
“It’s not like something everybody gets to do, get to play a professional tournament with their dad and competing against each other. I’ll just enjoy it and try to beat him.
“I’ll definitely be nervous on the first tee, that’s for sure. Very nervous. But then I think once you’ve done your first tee shot, you kind of relax and you’re like, OK, I can just play golf now.”
The Wilsons tee off in the first round at 1.35pm on Thursday with Queenslander Tim Hart completing the group.
Brett Coletta is starting a “year of opportunity” at Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club on Thursday.
The reigning Vic Open champion has a potentially career-defining 11 months ahead, with playing rights on the DP World Tour for the first time after finishing third on the 2023/24 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
He comes to Rosebud having not played on Tour since the Aussie majors in November-December but he returns as one of the favourites in the third Webex Players Series event of the summer.
“It’s going to be a big year,” the 28-year-old said ahead of his 2025 debut.
“I’ve given myself plenty of opportunity just based off some good results in the last couple of years out here.
“It’s given me a good platform to move on to Europe or now the International Series (on the Asian Tour) as well.
“This will be a good test this week just to get some cobwebs off essentially.”
Just when Coletta will make his first start for 2025 on the DP World Tour is yet to be locked in. But he’s going to make sure he’s ready once confirmation comes of where he’s headed.
“You play that waiting game and see where you need to go or where you stack up,” he said.
“The hard part is we’re all the way over in Australia, so if you get the call up, you’re on a plane somewhere else in the world pretty quickly. That’s going to be a challenge for sure.”
If Coletta doesn’t get a start at the Qatar Masters, which is his next likely opportunity, he’ll be at 13th Beach next month to defend his Vic Open title.
“I might not know if I’ll be there until last minute. But if I’m there playing Vic Open, I’ll be firing on all cylinders trying to defend for sure,” he said.
But before then, the three-time Tour winner is keen to make the most of his trip to one of his favourite stops on Tour where he faces off against the best of both the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
“I love coming back down here and I think this year is the best I’ve seen the course,” Coletta said.
“I just played the front nine this morning. I was talking to a couple of the greenkeepers out there and I was just in awe of how good the conditions look. It’s just so lush and green.”
Coletta will start his first round on Thursday morning at 8am AEDT, playing alongside Kristalle Blum and Claire Shin.
The final two rounds of Webex Players Series Victoria are live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, from 3pm-6pm Saturday and 1pm-6pm Sunday AEDT.
