History, at its peak, has the capacity to reinvent itself, to evolve, to survive by becoming better than it once was. The Vic Open is a good example. Founded in 1957 as a stage of the Australian PGA Men's Tour, the event, formerly known as the Victoria Open, has winners Peter Thomson, Gary Player, Kel Nagle, David Graham, Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch - all great champions.

Sirak: Women's golf one step closer to pay equity at ISPS Handa Vic Open

Minjee Lee and Simon Hawkes pose with their trophies after winning the Vic Open 2018 at Beach Golf Links in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. - Photo Credit: Photo Credit: © Tristan Jones / L Ladies European Tour

The Women's Vic Open ran from 1988 to 1992, then, after a 20-year hiatus, returned in 2012 along with the Men's Vic Open, becoming the only golf tournament in the world where men and women play the same course at the same time and with equal endowment. Today, he has gone even further, this year by launching the ISPS Handa Vic Open, becoming an unmissable event for the LPGA.

The idea is simple. The women play from their tees and the men from theirs, alternating three-way games and producing two winners - a woman and a man. The reigning women's champion is Minjee Lee, an Australian who also won the Vic in 2014 as an amateur. Mel Reid won in 2017 and Georgia Hall in 2016. All are in the field this year.

Obviously, the idea of ​​a simultaneous female and male competition was a success. In six years, the endowment has increased tenfold and this year the total amount of the endowment is $ 2,2 million, or $ 1,1 million each for men and women. The tournament is played at the 13th Beach Golf Links in Barwon Heads, Victoria and the field has a lot of star energy.

Among the 127 women are Lee, 6th in the Rolex Rankings, Hall, 8th reigning AIG Women's British Open champion, Pernilla Lindberg, winner of the ANA Inspiration in 2018, the Australians Sarah Jane Smith and Katherine Kirk as well as Australian legend Karrie Webb, Laura Davies, Catriona Matthew, Brittany Lang, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel who all won in majors.

"It's an old-fashioned event - no ropes"said Kirk, who now lives in Kansas and won the LPGA for the third time at the Thornberry Creek Classic 2017. "It's pure pleasure to play with the guys", she says.

On the heels of the first-ever Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, which was a huge success with its celebrity tournament, the Vic Open kicks off the LPGA season with two back-to-back groundbreaking events. The question many players have is whether the PGA Tour will be tuned in and if they could get any ideas of partnering with the LPGA for a similar tournament in the United States.

" I'd love it "said Kirk. “I think it would be a huge success. We would probably benefit more than men, but I think it would be good for all of golf. If it's about developing golf, why not do it? " Certainly, the strong TV ratings of the Diamond Resorts event have proven that celebrities have brought a new look to LPGA production, and that's how you grow audiences.

Like Kirk, Webb, who has 41 victories and seven majors on his LPGA CV, has already played at the Vic Open once and is a big fan of this format. "I love the concept of the tournament, I love the 13th Beach site and the community is joining the event"said Webb. But she is realistic about the obstacles to a partnership with the PGA circuit on a competing tournament.

"Finding a place that has 36 holes and can accommodate everything that comes with such an event could be a challenge," said Webb. “The biggest hurdle is that we will have to play for the same amount of money, and as the weekly PGA Tour endowment is around $ 7 million, finding a sponsor who wants to invest $ 14 million could be a challenge. , "  said Webb.

Webb pointed out, for now, it's best to partner with male tours based outside of the US. "In the short term, this may be the way to go", she says. “But if there's one thing the LPGA has brought to light in recent years, it's their imagination. "

In addition to the Diamond Resorts TOC and the ISPS Handa Vic Open, the tour will include the inaugural Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational later this year, featuring two female teams, just some of the innovations the LPGA has put on the table. . "Mike Whan is an incredible man"said Kirk. “He has three sons, but he understood. He's fighting for us to be on a level playing field with the guys. "

It is true that there may be a way to achieve full pay equity for professional golfers. But the ISPS Handa Vic Open is a big step in the right direction. While working, the LPGA came up with a bold idea that could lead to bigger things for the future. What is certain is that this is a great addition to the LPGA calendar.