What was unique about the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open played in Australia?
The four days at 13th Beach Golf Links had a men’s and a women’s tournament running concurrently over the 36 holes of the complex. And it was jointly sanctioned by four separate professional tours.
This structure has continued since with great success.
More about the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open Australia
- There are 312 players starting Thursday; 156 men and 156 women.
- The professional tours represented are the European Tour, the LPGA, the Australian LPG, and the PGA of Australasia.
- The men and women play for equal purses - $1.1M in prizemoney for each.
- For the women, Minjee Lee is defending the title she has won the last two years.
- 13th Beach has two courses. The Beach course is a true links course ranked by many as one of the best in all of Australia (that’s tough competition). The Creek course, designed by Nick Faldo, winds inland and provides beauty and challenge.
- Check out the 13th Beach golf club website and learn about both courses. Plenty of information.
- This PGA of Australia page and this one for the LPGA give plenty of information as the tournaments get under way
- The flyover below gives a nice view of the short 13th. Count the bunkers as you run up the hole!
ISPS Handa is closely associated with golf through the International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS), founded by Dr. Haruhisa Handa, a Japanese philanthropist. The organization promotes various sports, with a particular emphasis on golf, including initiatives for blind and disabled golfers. It aims to harness the transformative power of sport to inspire and unite communities globally.