Green makes good start at Vic Open

RICHARD Green has wound back the clock on his home track to claim a share of the lead midway through today’s opening round of the men’s Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links.

Green, who lives at 13th Beach, carded an opening round of five-under 67 on Thursday to be one shot off the lead shared by fellow Australians Zach Murray and James Marchesani.

The 50-year-old Green has played little competitive golf in the last two years, although he is targetting the European Senior Tour in 2022.

“Maybe the break over the two years mentally away from tournaments has freshened me up a little bit,” said Green who won the Vic Open back in 2015.

“That spark and interest in performing again is certainly back.

“I could never really tell if I had done enough work over those two years, but you come out here and you practise every day and you do something and maybe that was enough.

“I’m trying to get myself into good shape to play the (European senior tour) and give myself the best shot for the next five years of golf, in the same way I used to treat the European Tour.”

Pre-tournament favourite and Australasian Tour order of merit leader Jed Morgan carded an opening round of 71, as did 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.

The top three finishers in the $410,000 tournament will be guaranteed starts in the 150th edition of the British Open at St Andrews in July.

The men’s and women’s Vic Opens are played side-by-side at the 36-hole layout on the Bellarine Peninsula.

For the latest updates, head to the Golf Australia website.