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World No.9 Minjee Lee has set herself up perfectly to challenge for a third Vic Open title at 13th Beach.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a hot streak of four birdies and an eagle in a six-hole run on Friday morning on the way to a six-under 67.

It left Lee at nine-under 136 and in a tie for sixth with two rounds to play, four strokes behind leader Madelene Sagstrom from Sweden (67).

American Ally McDonald (65) was in outright second at 12-under.

Lee first won the Vic Open as a teenaged amateur back in 2014 and saluted again four years later.

She had seven top-three finishes in 26 outings last year on the LPGA Tour but only claimed the one victory at the LA Open.

The $1.5 million Vic Open is being co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour for a second straight year.

"I will definitely go off my past experiences and other wins I have had," said Lee.

"There is still a lot of golf to be played so I am just going to go one shot at a time and just play my own game.

"With the experience I have had winning here before it gives me a little bit of confidence if I do get into (difficult situations)."

The only other Australian in the top 19 is Robyn Choi, who had back-to-back eagles for the first time in her career in a eight-under 65 which left her tied for third at 10-under.

"This is my lowest round I've had in a tournament," said the former US collegiate star, who lost her card after her rookie year on the LPGA Tour in 2019.

"I am excited, going into the weekend and being in contention - I haven't had that in my professional career yet."

South Korean Jeong Eun Lee, at No.8 the highest-ranked player in the field this week, had a second-round 69 to be well-placed at eight-under.

Australian Hannah Green, who won her first major last year at the Women's PGA Championship, had a disappointing second round of 73 to slip back to three-under to just make the halfway cut.

Among the prominent players to miss out on the weekend action were defending Vic Open champion Celine Boutier from France and England's Laura Davies (both one-under) and Australia's seven-time major winner Karrie Webb (even par).

Relegated to a separate course away from the big names, Jason Day says his Pebble Beach Pro-Am snub may work in his favour after a solid start to the US PGA Tour event in California.

For the first time in several years at the celebrity-laden pro-am, former world No.1 Day was not placed on the same draw as big guns such as Dustin Johnson and defending champion Phil Mickelson.

They began their campaigns at the Spyglass Hill course where fans flocked to see US PGA Tour stars and celebrities like NFL great Tony Romo and surfing legend Kelly Slater.

The reason for the rotation is that broadcasters can have the big names playing Pebble Beach on Saturday and Sunday when more viewers are tuned in.

World No.46 Day started at Monterey Peninsula Country Club and his four-under-par 67 has him just four shots behind the lead after round one.

Canadian Nick Taylor lit up Monterey Peninsula with a 63 and at eight under he leads by two from Patrick Cantlay (66, Spyglass) and unheralded Chase Seiffert (66, Pebble Beach).

Five-time major winner Mickelson is four under while two-time Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner Johnson is a shot further back.

Having played Monterey Peninsula CC on day one, Day will rotate to Pebble Beach Golf Links on Friday and Spyglass Hill on Saturday.

Day says that could work to his advantage, with the big names playing the ocean-side Pebble Beach in the wind while Day will be sheltered by the tree-lined fairways of Spyglass.

"It's surprising; usually I have been on the celebrity side but the draw may work in our favour," Day told AAP.

"We're going to be on Spyglass early on Saturday morning when the wind will be whipping, so we will hopefully play most of the round in the trees."

Day's ball-striking was sublime on day one, hitting 11 of 13 fairways and 16 of 18 greens.

His creditable 29 putts has him feeling confident of a charge up the leaderboard.

"I'm very pleased with the way I struck the ball; I played a really nice round from tee to green and I putted quite well.

"The winning (72-hole) is usually 16 or 17 under usually wins this tournament, so I have to be very patient and let things unfold.

"I have to get a good round under my belt at Pebble Beach and then shoot something in the 60s at Spyglass on Saturday."

Day is joined at four under with fellow Australians Greg Chalmers and Matt Jones.

Aaron Baddeley is at three under while John Senden (one under), Cameron Davis (even par), Rod Pampling (two over) and Rhein Gibson (three over) round out the Australian contingent.

Long-time coach Colin Swatton believes Jason Day's decision to have close mate Luke Reardon as a full-time caddie will help unlock the consistency he needs in time for the Masters at Augusta National in April.

Former world No.1 Day went through four caddies during a turbulent 2019 season.

He started the year with Reardon and another mate Rika Batibasaga sharing caddie duties, before a brief and unsuccessful stint with Tiger Woods' ex bagman, New Zealand's Steve Williams.

Day then had fellow professional golfer and close mate David Lutterus caddie towards the end of 2019.

But with his world ranking now plummeting to 46th, Day is in need of consistency to reclaim his best golf and he has decided to use Reardon permanently.

"Putting someone on a more permanent basis is a good move for Jason because he doesn't have to adjust to different styles every other week," Swatton, who has coached Day since he was a junior, told AAP.

"Luke is a hard worker and a diligent caddie."

Day, a 12-time PGA Tour winner, agreed.

"Luke has known me since I was in high school. He knows my game very well and he has become a solid caddie," Day said on Wednesday at the US PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

"I'm looking forward to getting some consistency with one caddie this year."

Swatton is also confident some technical tweaks to Day's swing, ball flight and equipment in the off-season will pay off in the two months before the Masters - the first major of the year.

"From a swing standpoint, we wanted a little more rotation into his right hip to create a deeper turn," Swatton said.

"In 2015, when he played his best golf, he predominantly hit a straight ball flight with a slight draw (right to left) shape, as that makes him feel more powerful.

"He's also gone back to the red (TaylorMade Spider) putter which helps him start putts on a better line.

"Jason has been swinging it really well and he just needs some tournaments under his belt to gain the confidence that he's been lacking.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see him play really well and contend somewhere along the line before the Masters and then do what he can do at Augusta."

Day will contest this week's Pebble beach Pro-Am in California, where he has finished in the top-five in each of the past three editions.

Day's fellow Australians John Senden, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Jones, Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson and Rod Pampling are also at Pebble Beach.

Big names include defending champion Phil Mickelson, as well as past winners Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth.

Former champion Matthew Griffin emphasised his liking for the familiar surrounds of the 13th Beach links layout, firing a seven-under 65 to be among the early contenders for the Vic Open.

Griffin, who won the title in 2014, took advantage of mild early morning breezes to attack the Creek layout at the 36-hole course on the Bellarine Peninsula.

He shared the lead with Travis Smyth, Justin Warren and Jake McLeod until late on Thursday when experienced Spaniard Alejandro Canizares nailed three late birdies to seize the outright lead with a sizzling 63.

Griffin played in a one of the form groups on day one, alongside 2018 champion Simon Hawkes, who shot 67, and Jason Scrivener (68).

"It's always nice to come back to a place you've won before," Griffin said.

"I hit all 18 greens so it created a lot of chances. I think out there when there's not a lot of wind, there's plenty of chances, so it's nice to capitalise on that," he said.

Smyth, who plays on the Asian tour, also made a strong start with a seven-under 65 as the morning groups capitalised on ideal playing conditions.

"It's starting to trend in the right direction," he said.

"In the middle of my first year, even the middle of last year in Asia, I just couldn't really figure it out.

"I just felt a bit off and the scores weren't really reflecting how I was playing. I just sort of pushed through, a few things sort of changed and momentum is on your side again."

Brad Kennedy, last year's runner-up, also made a solid start with 66 on the Creek course while Scotland's David Law opened his title defence with a 68 .

Veteran Geoff Ogilvy finished with a flurry, picking up three shots in the last four holes, including an eagle at the par-five 18th for a 67 on the Beach course, which is considered the tougher of the two layouts.

Australia's Jediah Morgan was the leading amateur in a tie for sixth after carding a 66.

English golf great Laura Davies has defied age and a pre-dawn alarm clock reminder to make an early appearance on the leaderboard at the Vic Open.

Davies, 56, fired a six-under 67 to be two shots off the clubhouse lead in a tie for fifth after the opening rounds on the two courses at 13th Beach Golf Links near Barwon Heads.

"I didn't know what was going to happen, I haven't played a tournament since the Scottish Open in August, so it was nice for me to get out and get a really good round in," Davies said.

Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom shares the lead after shooting a brilliant eight-under 65 on the Creek course, playing alongside Davies and Australian legend Karrie Webb.

Webb struggled to keep pace with that pair and posted a two-over 75.

Davies, 56, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, lauded her new caddie, Australian Rebecca Artis, who retired as an LPGA Tour player last year.

"It's the best I've putted in 20 years. She's a really good green reader, she does that AimPoint, which bamboozles me," Davies said.

"I haven't got a clue what she's up to, but she got the lines right.

"So if I keep striking it like that and she keeps reading it like that, we might have a chance of making the cut and then see what happens."

The women's tournament is co-sanctioned by the US LPGA Tour and the leaderboard has an international flavour.

South Korean Haeji Kang also shot 65 to share the lead with Sagstrom.

Kang is familiar with Australian conditions after spending a large part of her life on Queensland's Gold Coast.

Americans Haley Moore (66) and Dana Finkelstein (67) also made strong starts, taking advantage of the slight breezes that favoured the morning groups on the Beach and Creek courses.

Australian amateur Stephanie Kyriacou led the local contingent with a 68 to sit in a tie for 15th while experienced international representatives Hannah Green and Minjee Lee were a shot further back.

Australia's greatest female golfer Karrie Webb admits she might never have taken up the sport seriously had she been presented with the many options now on offer.

The 45-year-old winner of an Australian record seven majors is now more a part-time touring professional.

Webb teed it up just nine times in both 2018 and 2019 while devoting more time to family and her golf-course design business.

But she has again made room on her schedule for the $1.5 million Vic Open which begins on Thursday at 13th Beach.

Among the favourites to win the women's title is Hannah Green, a former Karrie Webb scholarship holder who followed in the footsteps of her mentor by winning her first major last year at the Women's PGA Championship.

Making it even more special was that Green and fellow Australian Su Oh shared a house with Webb and the 2019 scholarship holders throughout the week at the Women's PGA.

"Last year's experience was kind of the ultimate for the Karrie Webb Series," Webb said on Wednesday.

" ... For that to happen and then Hannah to lead wire to wire and win was just an incredible experience.

"Probably the worst job I've ever done of mentoring was I celebrated like I won and I probably wasn't the best mentor that night, but I did show them how to celebrate the right way."

Webb said golf needed to continue providing pathway opportunities to talented young sportswomen, especially with the giant strides taken by other sports such as cricket, Australian rules football and soccer in recent years.

"I was a sports-mad kid, but all my sports heroes were men because there were no women on TV," she said.

"One of my aspirations if I wasn't a professional golfer was to play cricket for Australia.

"Even though women's golf wasn't that much of a visible thing, I knew it existed, whereas women playing cricket for Australia wasn't visible at all when I was growing up.

"So I think of myself as a 10, 11-year-old girl - if I was watching TV now, would I have gone for golf?

"There's so many more options and that's why golf has to create these pathways and create more visibility."

Webb is a huge fan of the innovative format of the Vic Open, where the men and women play alongside each other on the same courses for equal prize money.

In danger of dropping out of the world's top 50 for this first time almost a decade, Jason Day is hopeful of a boost at the US PGA Tour's Pebble Beach tournament this week.

Former world No.1 Day has been in the top 50 - a coveted mark which gives entry to the majors - since August 2010.

After a lean two years marred by back injuries, the 32-year-old Australian has fallen to No.46, but he's backing himself to play his way up again.

"I'm not worried about it at all, wherever it finishes, it finishes," Day told AAP on Tuesday.

"I just have to focus on playing competitive golf and, if I do that, the ranking will be fine."

Day's last top-10 result on the US tour came in June last year but he tied for 16th at Torrey Pines two weeks ago in his first start for the year.

It was a positive result for Day, given he could not practise for six weeks with a back injury that forced his withdrawal from December's Australian Open and Presidents Cup.

"I was very concerned at the start of the year with my back; not knowing how much I could practise or work out in the gym," he said.

"But things are a lot more positive with regards to how much work I can do; I'm able to practice putting a lot more now."

A healthier Day feels a return to a happy hunting ground at California's Pebble Beach tournament could propel his comeback.

In Day's 10 previous starts at the celebrity-laden pro-am event, he has recorded six top-10s - including top-fives in each of the past three editions.

"Overall, I feel good about the game and coming to an event where I've played well is nice," said Day, a joint runner-up in 2018.

"Hopefully it's one of those events where I either build momentum going into next week, or lift the trophy.

"I feel my game is around the corner. It could be this week or next week. It's coming around."

The Pebble Beach Pro Am has 156 professionals play an US tour event concurrently to a teams event with 156 amateur partners.

Each group has two professionals and two amateurs.

The event is played across three courses - US Open rotational venue Pebble Beach Golf Links, as well as Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

Joining Day in the field at Pebble Beach are fellow Australians Aaron Baddeley, Matt Jones, Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson and Rod Pampling.

Big names in the field include defending champion Phil Mickelson, as well as past winners Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth.

With his son Jacob facing MRI scans every six months for a brain tumour, Australian veteran John Senden admits it's difficult to focus on utilising a one-time US PGA Tour wildcard to keep his job.

The 48-year-old Senden - whose son was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2017 - is playing on the US Tour this year courtesy of a new category for players who have made 300 cuts in their career.

Senden, a two-time US Tour winner, qualified with 313 cuts made.

The Queenslander was forced to use that exemption this year after he was unable to retain his status in 2019.

In 2018, Senden played on a major medical extension having taken an extended break from the PGA Tour in 2017 when Jacob was diagnosed at the age of 13.

Senden has missed the cut in five of his six starts this year but was appreciative of the category the US Tour created last season.

"I'm pretty fortunate that I've been out here long enough to earn something like that and I've been very grateful the PGA Tour has given me what I have," Senden told AAP at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Tuesday.

"Now, I have to use that category and make the best of it. I probably have another 16 tournaments left in me this year and I've set the goal to become exempt again for next season.

"A lot of people have surrounded me with support and told me to go out and enjoy myself and that's what I'm trying to do.

"It's been challenging; my results haven't been as good as I want. But I'm working hard to get the feelings back like in 2009 and 2010 when I was playing my best golf."

Senden said the treatment on Jacob's brain tumour had shown positive signs, with his son requiring MRIs every six months instead of three months.

"Jacob has been through plenty, as we know. Crazy medicine, chemotherapy and full radiation that has hurt his body. But he's a strong kid," Senden said.

"He's in a position now where the tumour is still in the brain, but it's very small now. However, it's not gone.

"Since 2017, he's had MRIs every three months, but the results are that the tumour is getting smaller and that's a good thing.

"Jacob's last MRI was October and his next is March."

Senden is joined at this week's Pebble Beach Pro-Am by fellow Australians Jason Day, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Jones, Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson and Rod Pampling.

Hannah Green is learning to embrace everything that comes with being just the third Australian woman to win a golfing major.

The West Australian's triumph at last year's Women's PGA Championship came somewhat out of the blue, 13 years after her mentor Karrie Webb won her seventh and final major.

Just as importantly for Green, she was able to back up her breakthrough victory two months with her second LPGA title at the Portland Classic.

Ranked 22nd in the world and with a skyrocketing public profile, the 23-year-old will be one of the star turns at the $1.5 million Vic Open at 13th Beach, which is being co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour for the second-straight year.

"I've had some attention when I've come home to play before but certainly not as much as this week," Green told AAP on Wednesday.

"It's probably more exciting than it is nerve wracking at the moment because I haven't actually teed it up yet.

"But it still sounds funny when people call me the most recent major champion in the field.

"Sometimes people can embrace it too much but because it all happened so quickly and out of the blue I didn't embrace it enough.

"It's nice to be out here and recognised by the men and the women this week."

Green is among 11 women's major winners in a stacked field at 13th Beach.

World No.8 Jeong Eun Lee6 from South Korea is the highest-ranked player at the tournament, one spot ahead of two-time Vic Open champion Minjee Lee from Australia.

After the successes of 2019, and mindful of another busy program in 2020 which includes a probable Olympic debut in Tokyo, Green took a longer than usual break.

The Vic Open is her first competitive hit-out in two-and-a-half months.

"I felt I wouldn't have been ready to play golf two or three weeks ago," she said.

"Hopefully I'm not too rusty this week.

"I've been trying to play as much golf as possible, I've probably practised more this off-season than I ever have.

I've had some great results here.

"Unfortunately last year I didn't make the weekend but I've had a third and a runner-up finish so I know what this course can do to you, it's not always as lovely as it is today.

"We just have to be really patient out there."

The tournament begins on Thursday.

It's been some year for Australian golfer Lucas Herbert.

Little more than 12 months ago he was at the crossroads, unsure if the life of a touring pro was for him or if he even wanted to return to the European Tour.

Now he's rocketing up the world rankings courtesy of last month's victory at the Dubai Desert Classic, which carried a winner's purse of $800,000.

At No.84, the 24-year-old Herbert is the second highest-ranked player in the field behind Chinese Presidents Cup player Haotong Li (No.79) for the men's Vic Open beginning on Thursday at 13th Beach.

Despite being co-sanctioned by the European Tour, the $1.5 million event has been unable to attract any of the tour's bigger names, leaving the in-form Herbert as the headline act following his stunning victory in Dubai.

"That (Dubai) trophy's got some serious names on it and mine's right there and they're never going to rub that off," Herbert said on Wednesday.

"It's life-changing regardless of what happens now, but I think for sure the confidence that I carry forward, the knowledge that gives me that the shots I need to hit under pressure that I can hit them.

"Even if I do hit bad shots like that three-wood in the playoff hole, I can come back from that."

It is a world away from his mindset the previous year, when Herbert was unsure whether he even wanted to stay in the sport at the elite level and had to have a heart-to-heart with his team.

"We obviously had some success and then it wasn't kind of going the way we wanted it to early last year, just all the tension that can create and the friction that can create at times," said Herbert.

"We just spoke about everything we needed to do there and everyone got more on the same page."

As proof of his change in thinking, Herbert was desperate to play again the week after his breakthrough triumph in Dubai.

"Twelve months ago I probably would have just gone home to celebrate, but I was really keen on playing the next week in Saudi Arabia," he said.

"So things have changed quite a lot and it's good to be back enjoying the game."

Herbert and China's Li are playing together in the opening two rounds of the Vic Open alongside Marcus Fraser.