Bringing you updates from #VICOPEN at 13th Beach Golf Links as they happen.
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Saturday 22nd February 4.10pm
Round 3 of the Oates Vic Open will come down to the wire with Matthew Stieger and Terry Pilkadaris tied at the top at 4-under par and Matthew Griffin and Brett Drewitt one shot back
As the lead continues to change through the back nine, Pilkadaris, Stieger and Griffin have each had a share of the outright lead with plenty of golf still to be played this afternoon.
Click here to see the current Oates Vic Open leaderboard.
Saturday 22nd February 3.10pm
Saturday 22nd February 3.00pm
The Oates Vic Open leaderboard is a moving feast today
with NSW’s Matthew Stieger currently leading the way.
Stieger is 3-under through 8 holes this afternoon while
overnight leader Terry Pilkadaris (1-over today) is tied for second at 3-under
with Scott Arnold (2-under through 9).
23-year-old Stieger, the 2011 Australian Amateur
Champion, won his first PGA Tour of Australasia event in 2012 at the NSW PGA
Championship.
The man from Narrabri
spends his time competing on both on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian
Tour where he achieved four top 10 finishes in 2013 to earn over US$80,000 in
his rookie year.
Click here to see the current Oates Vic Open leaderboard.
Saturday 22nd February 1.00pm
With the help of an old putter, Richard Green has put
himself back into contention for his first PGA Tour of Australasia title in
nearly ten years.
“I’ve been using a putter that I did very well with in
the early 2000s,” he said after his round.
“I put an old putter in the bag on Friday and it’s
worked. It’s been a putter my dad’s been using. He hasn’t been using it for a
while so I thought I’d bring it down here and give it a try because it’s been a
part of my game I’ve been wanting to work on and it’s difficult to change when
you’ve been doing something the same way for so long “.
“It was difficult on Friday morning with a new putter in
the bag but straight away on the first hole I holed a putt so it sort of kicked
me off and off we went from there. Today was just another extension of
yesterday.”
Having played successful on international Tours for two
decades, Green says he’s happy with where his game is at, and hopes it’s the
start of somewhat of a revival for his game.
“I’m driving the ball as good as I ever have and now the
putter is starting to work it’s showing some results so fingers crossed I can
get some of the other parts of my game sharpened up and get back to competitive
golf.”
“I’m desperate to keep playing well and I’ve still got a
couple of years to go I reckon I feel fit, fitter than I was last year, so we’ll
see.”
“I’ve been wanting to win this tournament since I was an
amateur. It’s going to be difficult from where I am being plus 6 after the
first day, but I just have to hope the leaders don’t go too far and I can
compete tomorrow.”
Saturday 22nd February 11.00am
Make that now 5-under through 13 holes today for Jack Wilson!
Saturday 22nd February 10.55am
With our leaders yet to tee off, below is a look at some of the movers making an impact this morning.
Saturday 22nd February 10.00am
After a tough first half of the Oates Vic Open South
Australian Nick Cullen is climbing the leaderboard on day three and is 3-under
through 5 holes this morning.
The 2013 Queensland Open Championship, Nick is no
stranger to contending on the PGA Tour of Australasia and is also a former
OneAsia winner.
After a hectic end of year schedule in which he finished
4th at the Australian Masters, the Oates Vic Open is Nick’s first
event of the year.
Nick finished T24 at last year’s Vic Open, his best round
a 68 on Sunday.
Saturday 22nd February 9.45am
The Oates Vic Open is getting behind Challenge and their much-loved Ambassador Jarrod Lyle this weekend. Find out how you can help support kids with cancer at 13th Beach Golf Links - visit www.pga.org.au for details or click on the link below.
Saturday 22nd February 9.30am
Today’s hole locations on the Beach Course…
Saturday 22nd February 9.15am
Richard Green’s momentum continues this morning, the
Victorian now 5-under through 8 and tied for 3rd position at 2-under
par total!
His best score on the Beach Course is an 8-under 64 in Round
4 of last year’s Vic Open.
Could be match that today?
But Greeny isn’t the only player making a move on
Saturday morning.
His playing partner Rhein Gibson is 4-under through 8 holes and into the top
10.
Click here to check out the current leaderboard.
Saturday 22nd February 8.45am
European Tour player Richard Green has wasted no time
making a move this morning birdying three of his first five holes.
Greeny is now even par for the tournament and tied for
tenth position, and could shoot a low score with conditions somewhat calmer
than what we’ve experienced for the last two days.
Richard’s last Professional win can in 2010 at the Portugal
Masters.
A three-time European Tour winner, his only win on the
PGA Tour of Australasia came at the 2004 Australian Masters.
Saturday 22nd February 8.30amThe women are also out on course this morning following another big day on Friday when Queenslander
Sarah Jane Smith followed up her remarkable opening round with a solid
two-under-par to retain the lead.
The
29-year-old is chasing her first ALPG title and has never been in such a
commanding position heading into the weekend.
However, it won’t be
easy as Western Australian amateur Minjee Lee is challenging for the third
straight week for a professional title.
Smith sits
atop of the leaderboard on seven-under-par, with Lee (70) three shots
back. Once again the wind was up at Thirteenth Beach and conditions were
challenging for everyone.
Only two other players are in red
numbers, ACT’s Nikki Campbell (67) and American Hannah Jun (72), they are both
at one-under-par and share third position.
Defending
champion and local favourite Stacey Keating (74) is outright fifth at even par,
while Canadian Lorie Kane (74), South Australian Stephanie Na (72),
Queensland’s Ashley Ona (70) and Victorian Lindsey Wright (76) are at
one-over-par and tied for sixth.
Saturday
22nd February 8.10am
Plenty of players took to Twitter last night after
missing or making the 36 hole cut.
Saturday 22nd February 8.00am
Saturday
22nd February 7.50am
Welcome back to 13th Beach Golf Links for
Round 3 of the Oates Vic Open.
Our weather forecast today is early showers clearing
early in the day with moderate SSW winds increasing slightly into the
afternoon.
Play is already underway with the first groups now out on
course.
Our leading group of Terry Pilkadaris, Brett Drewitt and
Kim Felton is off at 1.00pm.
All groups are playing the Beach course today.
For a full wrap of yesterday’s play check out our Round
2 State of Play.
You can see all Round 3 tee times here.
Be sure to check back throughout the day for updates.
