Oh, Geary win in contrasting style at Vic Open

10 Feb 2025

Media Release:

On a brutal day at the Vic Open at 13th Beach, it was always going to be a case of last man and woman standing.

And it turned out to be New Zealander Josh Geary and Melbourne’s Su Oh who emerged as the 2025 champions, Geary holding on for a four-shot win in the men’s event despite shooting a 6-over-par 78 and Oh coming from behind with a 2-over 74 to claim her home state women’s title by a single stroke.

It was Geary’s first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title since 2013 and Oh’s third win on the WPGA Tour of Australasia.

Seven shots back and tied-10th at the start of the day, the 28-year-old Oh vaulted up the leaderboard and by the time she tapped in for par at the 18th, she had moved up to tied-second.

She was three shots behind Japan’s Shina Kanazawa, at even-par overall, it was 4.30pm and an excruciating two-hour wait was to come as Kanazawa and her compatriot Madoka Kimura negotiated a course turned foul by the most cruel of Golf Gods.

Winds gusting to 70kph meant that Oh knew that she had a chance. The course was barely playable; numerous players had their golf balls moved on the green and club selection was impossible.

Japanese Tour star Kanazawa was worn down by the howling wind and made bogey at the 14 from long and left of the green, the 15th from the fairway bunker, the 16th from short of the green and the 17th with a three-putt down the hill.

Suddenly Oh had the lead as she tried to stay warm on the driving range.

Kanazawa and Kimura were at 1-over and needed birdie at the par-5 18th for a playoff, but when they both missed the green with their wedge shots and could not chip-in, it was the Australian’s title.

Oh’s rounds of 70-76-69-74 put her ahead of Kanazawa by a shot at 1-over with Kimura third at 2-over. Neither of the Japanese pair could break 80 but they were scarcely alone.

Over on the practice putting green 100 metres away, Oh embraced her sister Olivia and parents SG and Sukja.

“I knew if I played decent I was going to get close, but I didn’t think I would actually win,” she said.

“I’ve always been close (to winning) here, and everyone who’s won has been pretty good, so hopefully I’ll follow that trajectory and have a good year.”

The men’s leader after rounds two and three, Geary would never have thought a closing 78 to finish on 13-under-par would be good enough. But it was, by four strokes over West Australian Connor McKinney.

Only three men shot under-par rounds on Sunday – two-under-par 70s from McKinney, New Zealand’s Kerry Mountcastle, who took equal third, and local favourite Ben Eccles, who soared to a share of ninth.

Former Vic Open champion Michael Hendry (74) and NSW’s Austin Bautista (79) also had a share of third.

The afternoon of unyielding, buffeting winds from the Southern Ocean blew the scoring average for Sunday to 76.5 shots.

“It's the hardest round of golf I've had to play,” the new champion said.

“It's hard enough trying to close out a tournament, let alone in those conditions which meant literally you can make any score from anywhere.

“If you’d asked me if I shot 78 tomorrow if I’d still have a four-shot margin, I’d tell you you're dreaming, but that's just how hard it was.

“I'm super happy, obviously, and stoked to get it done.”

Also at 13th Beach today, Hervey Bay professional Lachlan Wood added a second Victorian Inclusive Championship to his bulging resume.

Leading by seven shots through 18 holes, Wood plotted his way around the Creek course in even-par 72 in round two to clinch victory by 13 shots.

The 33-year-old who grew up in Victoria knew that in the conditions any score around par would be enough, and by the time he putted from the fringe of the tough 18th up close to the flag and made four to close, he had achieved his aim with scores of 67-72.

Local star Noah Schammer shot 75-77 to finish second.

Wood’s aim this year is to survive four rounds of tour school and gain full playing rights on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.

The tour school is at Moonah Links on the Mornington Peninsula in April.

“That (par) was my goal,” he said. “It was a lot windier than the first day. This was next level. I knew having a comfortable lead that if I could shoot par no-one would catch me.”