Tatt defence is low-key

TRAVIS Tatt has no expectations going into the Ballarat District Golf Association 54-hole open tournament.Tatt begins the defence of his title on his home course of Buninyong tomorrow with a limited preparation.He would go as far as saying he has had no build-up at all for the the biggest event on the BDGA calendar.Tatt said family and work commitments meant he had only played a handful of times in the past few months."Things have just been too busy. I haven't had the time," he said.Tatt said it made it impossible to make any predictions as to how he might go.Tatt has won the open event twice, the first time being in 2006. He was part of a Buninyong double last year, with Helen Pascoe taking out the women's title.Pascoe is a Ballarat golfing legend, winning this tournament eight times ? 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2010. She continued on her way winning since then too, taking out the inaugural Women's Golf Victoria par three championship.Tatt won last year's open with a three-round total of 218, one shot clear of Wodonga's Peter Miller.Brett Kerry (Midlands) was another two shots away in third position, while past winners Chris Vanderhorst (Midlands) and Craig Boucher (Midlands) led home the rest of the field.Tatt will play in the same group as Kerry and Creswick's Nic Curnow (Commonwealth), who tee off on the 10th at 8.15am.Pascoe tees off with Marlene Geyer (Midlands) and Nhill visitor Judy McFarlane on the first at 12.15pm.The first two groups to step onto the first this morning could easily be the pacesetters on the opening day.Eleven-time winner Craig Boucher (Midlands) will play alongside Aaron Clarke, who is one of the best indigenous players in Australia. Michael Kiellerup (Mt Xavier) makes up the threesome which begins their opening round at 7.20am.Niki Prato (Buninyong), Helen McSparron (Buninyong) and Shirley Hetherington (Beaufort) have the potential to give rivals something to chase from 7.30am.