The final round of the Oates Vic Open is underway and we are set for an exciting finish at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links.
The final round of the Oates Vic Open is underway and we are set for an exciting finish at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links.
After an action packed third round which saw Richard Green, Scott Arnold, Ryan Ruffels, Nick Cullen and Ben Eccles all challenge for the lead it is Jason Scrivener who courtesy to a birdie on the last starts today with a one shot lead.
Here is a quick snap shot of the contenders…
Jason Scrivener: After competing full time on the PGA Tour of Australasia Scrivener has spread his wings and earned full status on the European Tour for 2015 via Qualifying School. Having already posted a top-15 finish in his first tournament of the season Scrivener came home with plenty of confidence. He has fired rounds of 70, 64, 68 to claim the top spot on the leaderboard.
Nick Cullen: The BetEasy Masters champion is continuing the top form which saw him claim the gold jacket from Adam Scott. Having made some swing changes over the summer Cullen has opted to leave the driver in the bag most of this week and has let his 3 wood and irons do the talking for him. Cullen loves being in contention and is a player that thrives in this situation evident by his three professional victories.
Ben Eccles: This 20-year-old amateur is the home town favourite and what he might lack in experience in PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments he certainly makes up for in raw talent and course knowledge. Eccles is a seriously skilled player and while the spotlight might find its way to his more well known amateur friends he is certainly more than able to take out the title today. We can’t help but think back to the 2013 NSW Open when he fired a course record final round of 10-under 62!
Ryan Ruffels: When you watch Ruffels play it’s hard to remember this amateur is still in high school! The quality of his game will see him easily match it with the world’s best but just as impressive is his attitude and composure. This is a kid with a huge future and the tag of… "the next big thing in Australian golf" is well and truly deserved. Come down to Thirteenth Beach today because you may just witness Ruffels win the first of many professional titles in his career!
Scott Arnold: After a couple of challenging years competing in Europe, Arnold has returned home to the PGA Tour of Australasia and is already making an impact. He finished runner-up at the 2014 NSW PGA Championship after missing a birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff. This experienced campaigner won’t let that happen again and we expect him to come out firing today. Arnold is already a past champion of the Oates Vic Open and will be looking to add his name to the trophy for a second time since 2012.
Richard Green: The highest ranked player in the field got his week off to a flying start early in the week making a rare hole-in-one and albatross on the par-4 15th during the pro-am. If you haven’t already seen it do yourself a favour and click here, this will go down in history as one of the greatest ever aces! But Green wasn’t content for that to be the only highlight of his week and he has played some great golf to be tied 5th heading into the final round. We can’t help but feel he has left his best til last and we expect to see some phenomenal play from Green today. And what would be a better way to end the week than him winning the Vic Open as well as his fiancée, Marianne Skarpnord, winning the Ladies Vic Open which she is currently leading by three shots.
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