BARWON HEADS, Australia: Melissa Reid of England made a three-foot par putt on the third playoff hole Sunday to beat Germany’s Sandra Gal and win the Vic Open, the season-opening event on the Ladies European Tour.
Gal, who closed with a 69 in cool and blustery conditions, and third-round leader Reid, who shot 72 Sunday, finished with 16-under totals of 276 on the Thirteenth Beach golf links.
American Angel Yin (68) and Australian Su Oh (72) were two strokes behind and tied for third.
Reid said she took inspiration from the memory of her late mother. Reid was 23 when her mother Joy was killed in a head-on car crash in Germany in 2012 while traveling to see her daughter play in a tournament.
“I had a good feeling — there have just been a few things,” Reid said. “I didn’t want to mention it to anyone, but it was my mom’s birthday this week on the Tuesday. So I just thought that something good had to happen.”
The women’s event was held in conjunction with the Australian PGA tour’s men’s Vic Open, teeing off in alternate groups.
In the men’s tournament, Dimitrios Papadatos shot a closing 71 for a two-stroke victory over fellow Australians Adam Bland (70) and Jake McLeod (75). Papadatos had a 16-under total of 272 — the men played off a par-72 course, the women off 73.
“I stayed patient all day and it turned out pretty good,” said Papadatos. “It was a massive grind.”
England’s Reid takes Ladies European Tour opener
