Victoria’s Brett Coletta came out on top in a head-to-head duel with Jordan Zunic to claim the biggest victory of his career at the Vic Open. Meanwhile, it was 23-year-old Lau’s first win as a professional after a stellar college career at the University of Michigan.
With back-to-back victories at Webex Players Series Murray River and Victoria, the 22-year-old New Zealander has rocketed to No.2 in this season’s Order of Merit.
Kiwi Kazuma Kobori’s chase for a third consecutive Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title, a feat not achieved in almost two decades, and the appearance of a couple of women’s major golf champions will provide two of the major storylines at the Vic Open, which starts today.
With the exception of an appearance at the flood-affected Melbourne International at Latrobe Golf Club, Davidson will make her WPGA Tour of Australasia 2024 debut at this week’s Vic Open ahead of her return to the US for her third season on the LPGA Tour.
A crowd favourite and long-time supporter of Australian women’s golf, Shin is coming off an outstanding 2023 campaign where she again showed she is one of the major forces in women’s golf.
The Beach and Creek courses at the superb seaside facility near the town of Barwon Heads will host men and women competing for equal prizemoney on the same courses at the same time, with $420,000 on offer for each event.
Despite a two-shot lead at the start of the day, Porter could not match the relentless march of South Korea’s former world No.1 Shin, who caught the Queenslander by the second hole, overtook her and ran away with a five-shot win.
The New Zealander was rock solid with an even-par final round of 72 to finish ahead of Order of Merit leader David Micheluzzi and claim a drought-breaking victory fresh off battling a shoulder injury.
The trio ended the day in a share of the lead at six-under par in cool and calm conditions – particularly in the morning – at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula.
Australian Golf Digest
