The 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship is set to tee-off this year’s Australian summer of golf.

To be held for the third year in a row at the Greg Norman designed Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in Greater Western Sydney, the NSW Open will take place from November 10th to 13th, the week prior to the Emirates Australian Open.

"The 2016 NSW Open Championship will be the ideal lead-in event for golfers before the Australian Open," John Robinson, Chairman of Golf NSW said. "Fans of the game are the big winners from this, with two weeks of world- class tournament golf in our Nation’s greatest city."

The prize pool for the 2016 NSW Open will also be raised to a minimum of $400,000, almost triple last year’s purse, and it will become Australia’s only State Open Championship to be afforded coveted Tier One status on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

As a result, the winner of this year’s NSW Open will lift the Kel Nagle Cup and be exempt for the remainder of the 2016 season and the following two years, a one-year increase from recent State based Championships.

"The NSW Open Championship becoming a Tier One tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia is a huge boost for Tour Professionals in Australia," Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia, said.

Due to the elevation in status the tournament winner will enjoy the advantage of an increased period of exemption on the Tour whilst the whole field will benefit from the increased number of Official World Golf Ranking Points on offer as well as the increased prize purse.

"The PGA is committed to increasing opportunities on the PGA Tour of Australasia and we would like to thank and congratulate Golf NSW for sharing in our vision for a thriving golf scene in Australia," Mr Thorburn said.

Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW, said, "Our goal is to ensure that the NSW Open grows and will always be a healthy and viable part of the Australian Golf Calendar."

"Golf NSW acknowledges the NSW Government and Destination NSW for their ongoing support of the Championship which is set to be a key part of the 2016 Australian summer of golf," Mr Fraser added.

For more information about the event visit www.nswopen.com

Related Links

OOM / PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit
Schedule / 2016 PGA Tour of Australasia schedule