Stacy Lewis returns to Australia for the ISPS Handa Women’s Vic Open – her first trip Down Under since 2014, and two years after her maternity leave. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

TWO-time major champion Stacy Lewis last teed it up Down Under in 2014, when she tied for sixth at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

It was the start of a season-of-a-lifetime for Lewis, who captured three victories and became the first American to take home all three season-ending awards since Betsy King in 1993.

Much has changed for Lewis since 2014, two years before her marriage to Gerrod Chadwell and four years before the birth of her daughter Chesnee.

It was never easy to make the 16-hour flight from the United States to Australia and leaving her family at home for two weeks made getting on that plane even more bittersweet.

Ever the competitor, Lewis knows that by doing her job on the golf course, she’s setting an example for Chesnee and the next generation of female golfers.

Stacy Lewis said: “My last concern at night is thinking about my golf score that day.

“Just helps put things in perspective of what’s important and kind of motivated me with my things off the golf course, kind of what I’m doing of trying to give more opportunities to women and to little girls.”

The young mum’s last win came at the 2017 Cambia Portland Classic before sitting out much of 2018 on maternity leave.

Lewis added “I want things to be better for my daughter and I don’t want her to have to answer the same questions that we’re talking about today.

In 2018, Stacy Lewis made headlines beyond the sports world when she announced KPMG – the professional services company that Lewis has represented since 2012 – was honoring her full contract through her maternity leave.

That moment sparked other companies to fulfill contracts through the recent LPGA Tour Baby Boom.

There are some 15 active Moms on Tour, with two players expecting in 2020 – and further heightened the value that Smucker’s brings to the Tour’s Child Development Center.

So it makes perfect sense that Lewis feels that this week’s ISPS Handa Vic Open – which has men and women competing together on the same courses for the same prize money – is a boon for sports equality.

“I hope this tournament sends a message across the world to let’s do more events like this,” said Lewis.

“I’ve had a lot of fun this week so far. I played a practice round with three guys yesterday and just doing it a little different than I normally do it.

“But I think we need more events like this. Obviously, we’ve got some of the top females here, but we need more of the top guys here to step up and say, you know, this is important.

“It just sends such a great message for supporting men’s and women’s golf.

“One of the guys I played with yesterday talked about how us coming on board has elevated their purse as well. So I think it’s a win-win for both tours.”

Ogilvy supports Stacy Lewis stance

Australian Geoff Ogilvy has long met Stacy Lewis’ challenge to step up, having been an ambassador for gender equality in sports for years.

The 2006 US Open champion pointed to the 2014 US Opens, played back to back at Pinehurst No. 2, as a prime example of how men’s and women’s sports can co-exist.

Just talking about the consistency of players like Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu brought a slightly jealous smile to the face of the 42-year-old with 12 wins around the world to his name.

“It’s more than just guys in the world who play golf or play sport. I’m a golf tragic, so when I come to a golf tournament, I’m watching other people play just as much as I’m playing myself,” said Ogilvy.

“This week I found last year all I wanted to do was watch the women and how they went about it.

“Some of them are just machines, they just don’t hit bad shots and they hit hybrids on to the green 10 feet all day.

“When I hit a hybrid, I’m happy to hit it within 30 yards of the green. It’s just a different style, said the three-time World Golf Championship winner.

“There’s something to be learned from both sides and there’s enjoyment in watching both styles of play,” added Ogilvy, who played in Europe for two years before progressing to the PGA Tour in 2001.

The 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open winners Celine Boutier and David Law

Vic Open creating a different mixed

MORE events like the ISPS Handa Vic Open – which was won last year by Scotland’s David Law and France’s Celine Boutier – are indeed on the horizon.

In June, the European Tour and Ladies European Tour will host the inaugural Scandinavian Mixed hosted by Henrik Stenson and Annika Sorenstam.

It will feature 78 men and 78 women competing for one purse.

The Jordan Mixed Open and the ISPS Handa World Invitational also inaugurated mixed competition in 2019, and Australia’s golf hero Karrie Webb pointed to the business upside such events make for potential title sponsors.

“I think going forward it could be a great model for companies that want to make sure that their money’s spent equally in sport,” said Webb.

“You can say that automatically if you have a men’s and women’s event for the same purse.

“You don’t have to justify that to your board or to your investors, you’re equally helping out men’s and women’s sport in one event.”

Why Karrie Webb is shifting her golf focus

Karrie Webb is cutting back on her playing schedule to enjoy life more.
Picture by TRISTAN JONES

SEVEN-time major winner Karrie Webb admits that she’s slowing down as she moves into her mid-40s.

The 45-year-old Australian made just nine LPGA Tour starts in 2019, choosing instead to focus on family and friends back home in her native Queensland.

“I just didn’t have the heart to put in the full commitment that was needed,” said Webb, who has 41 LPGA victories to her name – more than any other current player.

“I felt like I was missing out on life by playing a full schedule. So it’s been a good mix of the both,” Webb added.

Webb has moved her golf focus to her burgeoning golf-course architecture firm with business partner Ross Perrett.

She has also invigorated her work on grassroots development programs with Golf Australia.

Since 2008, Webb has sponsored a scholarship program that brings Australia’s two leading female amateurs to the United States for a week to experience a major championship.

Perhaps the most fulfilling moment of that program came in 2019, when past scholarship recipient Hannah Green captured her first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

And it certainly seems that of all Webb’s major wins, she might treasure Green’s victory even more.

“My give-back to golf, this is greater than what I actually personally achieved because I think when I’m doing that, that isn’t about giving back to golf, that’s taking from golf and doing something that I personally set out to do,” said Webb.

“But my give-back for what golf has given me has been as rewarding, if not more rewarding.”

The 13th Beach Golf Links at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula, is made up of the Beach and Creek Courses, which will stage this week’s ISPS Handa Vic Open

HANDA VIC OPEN FORMAT AT 13TH BEACH GOLF LINKS

STAGED at 13th Beach Golf Links on Australia’s Bellarine Peninsula, men and women play on the same courses, at the same time, for equal prize money of $1.1 million.

For the second consecutive year, the ISPS Handa Vic Open is jointly sanctioned by the LPGA Tour, the ALPG, the European Tour and the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.

A field of 144 men and 144 women – including Stacy Lewis – will play one round on each of the first two days across the Beach and Creek Courses.

After the second round, the field will be cut to the leading 60 players plus ties for both men and women.

A second cut will be made after the third round to the leading 35 players plus ties for both men and women.

The third and fourth rounds will be conducted on the Beach Course.

•For live scoring in the first round which gets under way on Wednesday night, on February 5, UK time click here.

The post Stacy Lewis in first return to Australia in four years – and with a mum’s perspective appeared first on Golf North.

Lucas Herbert stressed he has not arrived back home in Australia to celebrate his recent win in Dubai after playing in Saudi last week, as he prepares for the ISPS Handa Vic Open.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Herbert is eyeing more silverware at the ISPS Handa Vic Open this week, just a fortnight after winning his first European Tour title at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Herbert is from the city of Bendigo, approximately 125 miles from 13th Beach Golf Links – the host venue of the Vic Open since 2013.

The 24-year-old is looking forward to enjoying support from family and friends this week.

But Herbert insists that the champagne is on ice after his play-off victory against Christiaan Bezuidenhout at Emirates GC two weeks ago.

Herbert, who had been tipped by some pundits to be the next Australian winner in 2019, said: “I don’t turn up to any tournament just to enjoy it. You want to win every event you tee it up in.

“I’m definitely not here this week for a bit of a party with my friends.

“I’ve got next week off and then I’m playing two in a row and then I’ve got a pretty nice stretch off.

“I know in the back of my mind I’ve got some celebrating to do coming up, but right now it’s business time – and we’re going to go and do the things I need to do to play well.

“My game’s good. I played well this morning, so it’s just a case of trying to shake off a bit of jet lag from the travel in Saudi Arabia last week.

“The course is good. I’ve been here enough times to sort of know what’s going on, where they like to put all the pins and how it kind of plays.

“You get pretty much any wind direction out there, so having like a lot of experience is going to be really helpful if the weather behaves, or not, over the weekend.”

Herbert will be joined in the first two rounds by 2018 Dubai Desert Classic champion Haotong Li and three-time European Tour winner Marcus Fraser.

“I think game’s getting there, there are just little bits and pieces I need to put it together, I need to be sharper, said Haotong Li.

“Especially on this course. There’s a lot of fade shots so you have to hit keep your ball lower and hit more fairways. If you do that you’re going to have birdie chances.

“This is my first time playing in a tournament like this, but I think it’s a great idea and to grow the game and let more people realise golf can be a little bit different.

“It’s going to be an interesting week, but I’m enjoying it so far,” added the 24-year-old China pro who is looking for his third European Tour win, and his first Down Under.

Li, who broke through from the Asian Tour after winning the 2016 Volvo China Open, made his third appearance as a professional on Australian soil in 2011, and is making his Vic Open debut this week.

The ISPS Handa Vic Open sees men’s and women’s tournaments played concurrently on the same golf courses for equal prize money.

The first two rounds are played on the Beach and Creek Courses at Barwon Heads, with all the weekend’s action moving to the Beach Course.

All four days will be played played with men’s and women’s alternating groups.

The 36-hole cut sees both tournaments reduced to the top 60 and ties, with the top 35 and ties making a second cut which takes place after the third round.

The men’s event is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, while the women’s event is co-sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Australia Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG).

•Play gets under way at 7.10pm UK time on Wednesday, February 5. To follow live scoring in round one click here.

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