Melissa Reid at the Oates Vic Open 2017 - Photo: DR

For the second year in a row, the season will start with the Oates Vic Open, which is currently the only professional event in the world where male and female professionals compete on the same courses simultaneously, for the same price.

A host of golfers from Australia and around the world will compete at the 13th Beach Golf Links in Barwon Heads from February 1-4. The shared prize pool will be higher than ever at A $ 1,3 million, with the women's and men's championships Mel Reid and Dimi Papadatos respectively, to win A $ 650 each, up from $ 000 each last year.

The Oates Vic Open will be the start of five huge weeks for women's golf in Australia, with the ActewAGL Canberra Classic being held at the newly redesigned Royal Canberra Golf Club, one of Australia's most beautiful and scenic courses , February 9 and 11. Several top players have already confirmed their participation in the tournament, including Jiyai Shin, Dame Laura Davies, Katherine Kirk and Sarah Jane Smith.

The winners of theOates Vic Open and ActewAGL Canberra Classic, along with the main winner of both events, will advance to the following week's ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open at Kooyonga in Adelaide on February 15-18.

Two more tournaments in New South Wales, the Australian Ladies Classic - Bonville, which will take place at the Bonville Golf Resort from February 22 to 25, followed by the NSW Women's Open at Coffs Harbor Golf Club from March 1 to 4, will offer the occasion of allow members to participate in at least four events in five weeks in early 2018.

“We are delighted to co-sanction the Oates Vic Open for the second year in a row and to strengthen our partnership with the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour through three more co-sanctioned tournaments,” said LET President Mark Lichtenhein . “I would like to thank the ALPG, as well as all of the event sponsors, including the Victorian, ACT and NSW governments, Oates, ActewAGL and Bonville, for their tremendous support for professional women's golf. Australia is known for its support for women in sport and behind major sporting events, and we couldn't imagine a better place to start in 2018. " 

Once again in 2018, there will be a live stream of the weekend action at Oates Vic Open, broadcast in HD from vicopengolf.com and Facebook LIVE and of the ActewAGL Canberra Classic Finals, which was made possible by ACT government support through their ACT event fund. In addition, the ALPG and LET are working together to maximize the distribution of Oates Vic Open and Australian Ladies Classic - Bonville coverage to their international broadcast clients.

Speaking at a press conference today announcing the Australian Ladies Classic - Bonville and the NSW Women's Open, Karen Lunn, CEO of ALPG, said she looked forward to the arrival of the top international talent in Australia for the new year.