Last week men and women played side-by-side in the Oates Vic Open with
Michael Long and Georgia Hall taking out the men’s and women’s titles.

But this week at the Mercedes-Benz Truck & Bus Victorian PGA
Championship we will witness female PGA Professional Lisa Jean testing her game
against the men.

Jean, who works at host course Huntingdale,
earned her place this week by winning the 2015 Victorian Club Professional
Championship.

With her victory Jean wrote her name into the record books as the only
female to have won the prestigious title but as is customary for the champion
she was awarded a place in the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Victorian PGA
Championship.

Jean is no stranger to tournament golf; she competed on the Ladies European
Tour for six years before trading in the clubs for a place on the lesson tee.

"I think having played a lot, I back myself, I know that I will play
reasonably, it definitely helps when you are in tight spots," said Jean.

"Just play your shots and not get worked up about things."

Jean’s experience will come in handy when competing this week against the
male Tour Professionals which is a daunting prospect.

"I am pretty nervous about the thought of playing, but I am trying not
to let the thoughts get to me," added Jean who will play off the men’s
tees at Huntingdale Golf Club.

"I just need to play my game and see how it goes, if I start trying to
play a different game to what I am used to them it will effect what I do."

Jean will play the first two rounds of the tournament alongside rookie Tour
Professional Taylor Macdonald.

Macdonald hits a long ball and has proven he can shoot low numbers, the
23-year-old Queenslander once fired 14-under 57 at his home course, Redcliffe
Golf Club.

"Obviously playing against the men, they are going to be out driving
and out hitting me," added Jean who’s goal for this week is to make the
cut.

"It will be nice to make the cut but that is a lofty expectation. To
play around par, maybe, is a good goal to have off the men’s tee."

Jean isn’t the first female to compete on the PGA Tour of Australasia,
recent LPGA champion Minjee Lee was a regular competitor at the WA Open as an
amateur from 2011 until 2013, more recently fellow West Australian amateur
Hannah Green has also teed it up.

"I have always been of the thought process that women can’t compete
against the men off the men’s tees, so for the experience of playing alongside
them I think it’s good provided they don’t feel too much pressure," added
Jean.

With the Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus Victorian PGA Championship being played
in a pro-am format, Jean will be joined by Kerri-Anne Kennerley. They tee off
in the first round at 12.33pm.