Today marks the start of the 2005 Von Nida Tour season on the PGA Tour of Australasia, as the Mitsubishi Motors Victorian Open is underway at the Woodlands Golf Club in Mordialloc, Victoria.

With a stellar field taking to the Woodlands course in the lead-up to next weeks Heineken Classic, the Victorian Open features 2004 MasterCard Masters winner Richard Green, Masters runner-up David McKenzie, this week's Open Championship qualifiers Peter Fowler, Nick Flanagan, David Diaz and Martin Doyle and Tour School graduate, Scott Draper.

In addition, winners of last year's Von Nida Tour events are playing, including Steven Bowditch (Qld PGA) and Kurt Barnes (Qld Open) as well as Jacob's Creek Open champion Euan Walters.

The Mitsubishi Victorian Open will be held over three rounds with the cut after Round two on Saturday afternoon.

New Zealand's Gareth Paddison will defend his title and will be hoping to once again take home a large part of the $105,000 prize-money on offer for the 54 hole championship.

The Victorian Open has a rich history of champions who have won the title over the years. The first tournament named the VicOpen was held in 1957 at Riverside Golf Club and was won by Ossie Pickworth. Other famous names include Peter Thomson, Jack Harris, Bruce Devlin, Bob Shearer, Stewart Ginn, Ian Stanley, Mike Clayton and Robert Allenby.

Source - PGA Tour
Photo - Anthony Powter

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