The Men's Victorian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Australia. It was founded in 1957 and is the Victoria state open championship for men. It is run by Golf Victoria and is a Golf Australia national ranking event. The event is held concurrently with the Women's Victorian Open and offers equal prize pool for the two events. The tournament's tag line is: "Men and women. On the same course. At the same time. For equal prize money." The men and women play on the same course at the same time in alternating groups.
History
The first Victorian Open was played at Riversdale in 1957 and was won by Ossie Pickworth who finished 10 strokes ahead of the field. Prize money was £250 but only one competitor, amateur Harry Hattersley was from outside the state. Three of the first four editions were won by Victorians with Gary Player winning 1959. However professionals from New South Wales won 9 of the 10 events from 1961 to 1970 with only Peter Thomson from Victoria breaking their run of success in 1968. From 2004 to 2007 the tournament was part of the second-tier Von Nida Tour. It was not played in 2008 but from 2009 to 2016 it was a Tier 2 event on the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule. In 2017 it became a Tier 1 event. Since 2012, it has been held concurrently with the Women's Victorian Open, being held at 3th Beach Golf Links in Barwon Heads, Victoria since 2013. When the tournament moved to 13th Beach Golf Links in 2013 the combined prize pool was $300,000, with $150,000 on offer for each of the men's and women's fields. In six years, the total prize pool has increased ten-fold. In 2019, the men's and women's Victorian Open fields played for a total purse of $3 million, $1.5 million for each event. Starting in 2019, the event has been co-sanctioned by the European Tour, and continues to be played alongside the Women's Victorian Open, now co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour. The event features a double cut, 65 players will remain after the first cut, then 35 players after the Saturday cut. In February 2019 player James Nitties matched the world record of nine consecutive birdies in the Victorian Open. His birdie run from the 15th to the fifth in the first round set a European Tour record and matched Mark Calcavecchia's feat in the 2009 Canadian Open.
Winners
;Co-sanctioned by PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour ;PGA Tour of Australasia event ;Von Nida Tour event ;PGA Tour of Australasia event ;Non-tour event
Year
Winner
Country
Venue
Score
To par
Margin of victory
Runner-up
2000
Brad Lamb
Cranbourne
278
−14
Playoff
Jens Nilsson
;PGA Tour of Australasia event ;Non-tour event ;Earlier events In 2018 Hawkes beat Endycott with a birdie at the first extra hole. In 2016 Long beat Millar with a birdie at the first extra hole. In 2015 Green beat Cullen with a birdie at the second extra hole. In 2014 Griffin beat Stieger with a birdie at the third extra hole. In 2002 Stolz beat Bransdon with a par on the second extra hole. In 2000 Lamb won with a par at the first extra hole. In 1979 Davis won with a birdie at the second playoff hole. In 1978 Wolstenholme beat Palmer with a par at the third extra hole. In 1976 Wolstenholme beat Marsh with a birdie at the third extra hole.
Jens Nilsson