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Golfing great Karrie Webb believes this week's historic Australian Open in Melbourne can follow the successful lead of its tennis equivalent as both male and female players hit the course together.
- Male and female players will tee-off, alternatively, at the Australian Open for the first time
- Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath will share the hosting duties for the first two days
- The $3.4 million prize money will be shared evenly between the men and women
A dual-gender Australian Open will be played for the first time, with five-time champion Webb coming out of semi-retirement to chase another women's title alongside world No.5 Minjee Lee, and with British Open and Australian PGA champion Cameron Smith headlining the men's field.
West Australian Hannah Green — the 2018 US Women's PGA champion — has already tasted victory in the format, winning the women's component of this year's Victorian Open, which has featured mixed fields since 2012.
With men's and women's groups teeing off alternatively, Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath will share hosting duties for the first two days, starting on Thursday, while the former will host the final two rounds.
Both fields will be cut to 60 players after 36 holes, then reduced to 30 after the third round, while the $3.4 million prize money will be shared evenly between the men and women.
Webb was the last local winner of the women's Australian Open, triumphing in 2014 at Victoria, while she also won at Kingston Heath in 2008.
Olympian Scott Hend is skipping the tournament, saying the men's and women's Opens deserved their own week for the event.
However, seven-time major winner Webb is a fan of the mixed format, comparing it to the Australian Open tennis, which — for a time — was a men-only event and also played as separate men's and women's tournaments.
"I saw Scott's comments but, when tennis started playing the slams together, that lifted both profiles of the game," Webb said.
"There's been times in tennis where the women's game has lifted the men's game and and vice versa.
"I do get his point, but I also think that this is something pretty special to be able to celebrate everyone at the same time.
"I think it will be a significant moment — it's a world first. No national opens have been played concurrently, so Australia has really led the way in that format of professional golf.
"You've seen it take off in other parts of the world, so I'm proud that it started here.
"Hopefully, it's successful and it continues for years to come."
Green — who is currently ranked world No.20 — said the mixed play at the Open could bring some challenges she didn't experience in her low-key runaway Victorian Open win at 13th Beach.
"This is just a little bit different, because there's some really big names with Cam Smith playing, Adam Scott, and these guys haven't played at home for a while," 25-year-old Green said.
"Playing with the crowds that they're going to draw might be the hard thing.
"Hopefully, I do draw my own crowd but even … hearing a cheer from another fairway might impede while I'm hitting my shot."
But Green will also get the rare chance to play at the same tournament as her fiance Jarryd Felton.
"I am quite excited to be playing a golf tournament the same time at the same venue with him," she said. "I think most girls will enjoy themselves."
AAP