Nick Voke leads Vic Open
Nick Voke – in action on Friday – photo Australian Golf Media
New Zealand’s Nick Voke has the halfway lead at the Vic Open at 13th Beach on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, the 29-year-old former Iowa State University standout just one ahead of Gold Coast teenager and amateur Billy Dowling, Queenslander Jack Munro and Shell Harbour’s Travis Smyth.
Voke has played the China, Korn Ferry and Australasian Tours since turning professional in 2018 but has yet to win on the PGA Tour of Australasia, his best finish being when runner-up at the Queensland PGA Championship last November.
Voke has, though, won events on the China Tour and is generally considered a better player than his results in the paid ranks to date would suggest.
Voke added a second round of 68 to his opening 67 on a windswept 36-hole 13th Beach complex but twelve players are within three shots and essentially many of the 63 players surviving the cut at 1 under will fancy their chances over the weekend.
Voke narrowly missed regaining his Asian Tour playing rights at the recent Qualifying School after struggling for much of the 2023 season and is currently without playing rights for any tour other than the PGA Tour of Australasia so this represents an important weekend for the Aucklander.
18-year-old Dowling is the current Queensland Amateur Champion and has often produced some amazing scoring including twice shooting 59. The slightly built golfer is now a member of the Golf Australia squad and continues to impress.
Smyth performed brilliantly in Asia last year finishing an impressive 4th on the Order of Merit with earnings of US$560,000 and has been a commercial success since turning professional, taking advantage of starts in International Series events and several starts in the early stages of Liv Golf.
The women’s Vic Open being played alongside the men’s, is led by Japan’s Shina Kanazawa and Korea’s Min A Yoon who lead by one over Gold Coast LPGA Tour player Karis Davidson.
Former Australian Women’s Open, two-time Women’s British Open Champion and defending champion here, Jiyai Shin, is poised to challenge the leaders, the prolific winner of titles worldwide just three off the lead heading into the weekend’
The impressive and seemingly ever-present Malaysian, Ashley Lau, is another shot back.
Co-leader in the Women’s Vic Open Min A Yoon – file photo
