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Following discussions with the Queensland government and key stakeholders, the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia will postpone the Australian PGA Championship to 18-21 February 2021.
With a raft of strict control measures in place across most Australian states, the difficult decision to reschedule the tournament was made in hope restrictions will ease by early next year.
It means fans will have the ability to see the Australian PGA Championship twice in a calendar year, with the 2021 edition also to be staged later that year.
ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Tournaments Director Nick Dastey said the public health considerations of those that help bring this event to life – the players, fans and volunteers – were pivotal in the decision.
“In conjunction with the Queensland Government and other key stakeholders, we have investigated numerous contingency plans to be able to stage the event in December, including players entering a hub and competing while serving a strict quarantine period,” Dastey said.
“Different from other professional sports, golf is a week-to-week travelling tour and in addition to playing in front of no fans, players would have potentially been required to undertake a further period of quarantine prior to or at the conclusion of the tournament.
“For interstate and international players, additional quarantine measures when returning to their home location or next tournament may have also meant a further 14-day quarantine.
“While it is not a decision taken lightly these measures would not be in the best interests of our members, our fans, stakeholders and commercial partners, and as such we have made the decision to postpone the event with the hope that restrictions ease by 2021.”
Given the ever-changing landscape and uncertainty surrounding the spread of COVID-19, PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said the PGA will continue to monitor and review its decision, with a definitive ruling of the event’s scheduling to be made in December.
“The uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic makes it extremely difficult to stage events at the level we would normally expect,” Kirkman said.
“We will continue to be agile and rely on the expert advice of the Queensland Government to safeguard against the spread of the virus.
“Our new date will be subject to health regulations and will be reviewed again in early December, when we expect to be armed with a more accurate prediction of COVID-19’s impact across the country during summer.
“At that time we will determine whether the event will proceed in February or, as a last resort, cancelled. This will ensure our members and key stakeholders are provided appropriate notice of any decision made.”
One of the Australian PGA Championship’s feature events in its week-long festival of golf, the Greg Norman Medal, will also be rescheduled.
The Greg Norman Medal is Australian golf’s highest individual honour for Australian men and women professional golfers and features an honour roll that includes Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Marc Leishman and Jason Day.
The Australian golf community is calling on golf clubs around Australia to dedicate a members’ day to the memory of Jarrod Lyle and help raise much-needed funds for Challenge, a charity devoted to supporting children and families living with cancer.
Because of COVID-19, the campaign has been postponed from August and September to run in October and November, and will culminate in Yellow Day on Friday 4 December at the Australian PGA Championship.
Having been diagnosed with cancer three times throughout his life, Jarrod Lyle understood the hardship that young people and their families face when battling this disease.
For many years Jarrod was an ambassador for Challenge, a not-for-profit organisation that supports children and families living with cancer and aims to lighten the cancer journey for the whole family, 365 days of the year.
“I would like to encourage all golf fans and golf clubs to get behind the #DoingItForJarrod campaign so that Challenge can continue to not only honour all that Jarrod Lyle was, but also continue his mission to support other families living with cancer,” said David Rogers, chief executive officer of Challenge.
“Jarrod truly believed in the work of Challenge and spent all of his adult life supporting Challenge’s mission.”
In Jarrod’s memory, the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and Challenge united to create a special fundraising event that could be enjoyed by the entire golf community.
This campaign, #DoingItForJarrod, is now an annual event throughout the country and sees many courses and club members swathed in yellow in support of Jarrod and Challenge.
Golf Australia interim chief executive Rob Armour was delighted to assist in keeping Jarrod’s passion and intentions alive.
“Many Australians know Jarrod was a great player, but I think those in the golf community came to learn that he was an even greater champion off the course,” Armour said.
“Working as a united community around the country, there’s no better way for us all to ensure his desire to help those in trouble lives on. We ask all clubs – especially those touched by cancer – to get involved in #DoingItForJarrod again this year.”
All clubs that participate in #DoingItForJarrod in 2020 will be entered into the draw to win an invitation to play alongside golf’s best in the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour co-sanctioned Australian PGA Championship Pro-Am to be held in December at Royal Queensland Golf Club, incorporating the featured ‘Yellow Day’ fundraiser.
“Yellow Day was a true highlight of the Australian PGA Championship in 2019 and we are excited to turn Royal Queensland into a sea of yellow this December,” said Gavin Kirkman, chief executive of the PGA of Australia.
“It was incredible to see hundreds of golf clubs around Australia support this great cause in 2019 and the PGA is honoured to once again partner with Challenge and Golf Australia to be a part of this important initiative in 2020.
“PGA Professionals working in clubs around the country have thrown their support behind #DoingItForJarrod days and we look forward to seeing them bring their clubs together throughout October and November.”
Creating yellow-themed events, encouraging club members to don yellow and selling Challenge merchandise at your club are just some of the ways you can help raise money. All donations are tax-deductible.
“In 2019 more than 200 golf clubs around Australia participated in the inaugural #DoingItForJarrod campaign, resulting in an incredible $200,000 raised,” said Briony Lyle, Jarrod’s wife.
“With the help of golf clubs around Australia once again in 2020, we hope to continue raising money to support a cause that was so close to Jarrod’s, and my, heart.”
All monies raised through #DoingItForJarrod will go towards a special legacy, Jarrod’s Gift, that has been created by Challenge in Jarrod’s honour.
You can help Challenge by donating directly, or purchasing clothing and pins carrying the Leuk the Duck symbol Jarrod Lyle wore as a Challenge ambassador, by visiting www.challenge.org.au.
To register your club for #DoingItForJarrod in 2020, or for further information, please visit the Challenge website.
Will you be #DoingItForJarrod in 2020?
This year’s Australian Open has been postponed due to uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 105th edition of the Australian Open was to be played at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath in November.
But public health considerations had been the main reason behind making the decision to postpone.
“It’s disappointing to have to come to these sorts of decisions. Given the uncertainty around international travel restrictions and the impact of COVID-19 around the world, we have put the health and safety of all those who bring this tournament to life first,” Nick Dastey, Tournaments Director Australasia, said.
“We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to find a suitable date early next year.”
Coupled with the pandemic, Golf Australia’s General Manager of Golf Operations Simon Brookhouse said the rescheduling of the major championships, particularly the Masters from 12-15 November, provided challenges in assembling a world-class field.
“Unfortunately, it is not a simple matter of whether or not we could co-ordinate any international stars to visit,” Brookhouse said.
“The uncertainty of the quarantine requirements for any players coming from outside Australia needed to be considered. These requirements would undoubtedly have an impact on our homegrown heroes before they would be able to consider playing, too.”
The decision means the Australian All Abilities Championship, which features the top 12 players on the World Rankings for Golfers with a Disability, will also be delayed as the tournament is played as part of the Australian Open field.
The PGA, Golf Australia and the event partner, Sportfive, and the Victorian Government would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates when any additional information is available.
The Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship will take place from 22-25 October in 2020.
Traditionally contested in August each year, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia officials in consultation with Palmerston Golf & Country Club elected to reschedule the Palmerston Golf Course tournament due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in place around the country.
The event now follows the TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship and WA Open Championship in a succession of tournaments that PGA of Australia Tournaments Director Australasia Nick Dastey expects will allow more of Australia’s top golfing talents to vie for the $155,000 prize purse.
“We would have liked the NT PGA Championship to go ahead in August as planned, however, with current restrictions in place around the country, the closer we got to the date the less viable it became for our players,” Dastey said.
“We have players that reside in every state of Australia as well as overseas so to give them all the best chance to attend and play in a safe environment and enjoy all that the Northern Territory has to offer, the decision was made to move the tournament to October.
“Over the last four years we have seen many spectacular on-course battles for the NT PGA Championship title and we look forward to bringing plenty of action in the Territory again in 2020.”
Since the inaugural tournament in 2016 the NT PGA Championship has become a highlight on the calendar thanks in part to its warm weather, unique off-course activities, favourable course conditions and memorable atmosphere.
Palmerston Golf & Country Club’s General Manager Matthew Hewer says the new date will give the tournament the best chance of remaining a weeklong celebration of golf that the NT has enjoyed in previous years.
“The Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship brings the Palmerston, Darwin and surrounding communities together to watch some incredible golf and we are thrilled that despite the challenges we have faced in recent times, it will return again in 2020,” said Hewer.
“We look forward to welcoming a host of players once again in 2020 while also putting the talents of the NT’s best golfers and emerging talent on show.”
A field of 120 Professionals and amateurs will compete for a share of the increased prize purse of $155,000, with the winner to receive Official World Golf Ranking points and full exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2021 season.
While hot, humid conditions can be expected at Palmerston’s 18 hole, par-71 golf course, the Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship has also seen a number of Professionals and amateurs alike become first-time ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia champions, including 2019 winner Brett Rankin.
It is a history the City of Palmerston council will be proud to see continue via in 2020. Assistant Minister for Sports & Community Events, Tony Sievers, said, “the NTG has been a major partner of this prestigious tournament for the past four years and we are delighted to be supporting this year’s tournament.
“The NTPGA is a great few days for the City of Palmerston and I encourage all Palmy people to get to this year’s tournament and enjoy some high-quality golf. The NT PGA is great for the local economy and really puts the fantastic Palmerston Golf Course on the sporting map.”
In supporting the tournament and fellow local business owners Ray Somerville, Managing Director of Tailor-made Building Services, hopes to help his community through these challenging times.
“Tailor-made Building Services is proud to be a local company having the naming rights sponsorship of the NT PGA for the second year running,” said Somerville.
“The NT PGA is a unique sporting event to the Northern Territory that brings the country’s best sportspersons and administrators to the great City of Palmerston to showcase the best golf Australasia has to offer.
“Tailor-made Building Services prides itself on being able to give something back to the local community to enjoy this golfing spectacle in a “free for spectators” four-day event that is open to all who wish to attend.”
The Morobe Open and Papua New Guinea Open have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PGA of Australia and event organisers for both events came to the difficult decision after determining they could not guarantee the health and safety of players and stakeholders if the tournaments took place.
“While it is with great regret that we have cancelled this year’s Morobe and Papua New Guinea Opens, the decision has been made with the health and safety of all those who come together to make these great tournaments happen – the players, organisers and fans – front of mind, as well as playing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Nick Dastey, the PGA’s Tournaments Director Australasia.
“The current international travel restrictions for our Australian, New Zealand and overseas-based players has also impacted our ability to stage this year’s tournaments.
“We are deeply passionate about growing the game of golf in the Papua New Guinea region and we remain committed to returning to the beautiful Lae and Royal Port Moresby Golf Clubs in 2021.”
The two events, staged on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia respectively, were set to be played in April and May, but were postponed as coronavirus swept through Australia and across the world.
But as the number of cases of the deadly virus continues to rise, President of the Papua New Guinea Golf Association Peter Del Monte said the sensible approach was to cancel this year’s events.
“While we feel that we have no choice, the safety of the people of Papua New Guinea must come first. These are unprecedented times and we believe this is the right decision,” Del Monte said.
“In 2021 we plan to be the season-opening Tour event on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia with the NKW Coca-Cola Morobe Open on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series the proceeding week. Two big weeks of golf for PNG and it promises to attract quality fields for our spectators, sponsors and staff to enjoy.”
The 2021 NKW Coca-Cola Morobe Open is scheduled to take place from 29 April – 2 May, followed by the Papua New Guinea Open from 6-9 May at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club for a two-week celebration of golf that will showcase Papua New Guinea’s top talent alongside Australasia’s stars.
The Papua New Guinea Open was established in 1977 and has been an ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia-sanctioned event since 2016.
Jordan Zunic and Brett Rankin have been crowned joint winners of the inaugural X-Golf Challenge, the world-first indoor national golf tournament.
In a dramatic finish to the first-of-its-kind competition, a final hole fade out by Zunic elevated Rankin to share championship honours at 5-under – one shot clear of Ben Eccles and amateur Tyson Gill.
Zunic, the 2015 New Zealand Open champion, made a stunning start on the virtual representation of Melbourne’s Metropolitan Golf Club, shooting two eagles and three birdies on the front nine to be two shots clear at the turn.
The 28-year-old failed to capture his early form with three back nine bogeys advancing Ben Eccles atop of the leaderboard before a remarkable recovery saw Zunic recapture a two-shot lead heading to the 18th.
But a wild tee shot and an ambitious rescue saw Zunic double bogey at the deathnull and gift Rankin joint winner rights.
The victorious pair each pocketed $2250, with Eccles taking home $500.
“It’s awesome to get a win and play some tournament golf after a couple of months off. It’s been great to get together with the guys and girls here at X-Golf and play against professionals from around the country,” Zunic said.
“Brett Rankin is a tough competitor, so it was awesome to get the win alongside him. Finding the rough on the last hole wasn’t ideal but I got some great shots in and a couple of eagles which I’ll take any day.”
Rankin, the 2019 NT PGA champion, was relieved to return to competitive golf after a lengthy absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m really happy. It’s been an incredibly challenging year, so to be able to return to a competitive environment and finish a joint-winner is very satisfying,” Rankin said.
“We’ve been starved of competitive outlets. I’ve been playing regularly at my local club and have found my performance has dipped because I haven’t been exposed to those high pressure situations, so it was pleasing to stand tall in the final moments.
“Playing in a simulator environment meant we had to adapt quickly. It’s difficult to get a feel for your chipping and putting. It’s great the X-Golf Challenge could fill the void during a season that still is so uncertain.”
The X-Golf Challenge saw some of Australia’s leading male and female professionals compete in an 18-hole strokeplay event played simultaneously across four states.
The event, staged at X-Golf facilities in Adelaide, Geelong, Sydney and Brisbane, raised awareness to the charity Challenge, which supports children and young people living with cancer.
Led by the funny trio Golf Barons, the X-Golf Challenge was livestreamed on the PGA of Australia’s Facebook page.
NRL great Braith Anasta and Aussie cricketer Matt Renshaw (both 1-under) were the best performing celebrities.
Australian golf will find a new home in the heart of Melbourne’s Sandbelt with a new state-of-the-art facility to be built.
The Australian Golf Centre will be the new headquarters for Golf Australia, PGA of Australia, Golf Victoria and Sandringham Golf Links Management.
The $18.8 million project, majority funded by the Victorian Government’s $15.3 million investment, will create one of the country’s premier golf facilities on the site of Sandringham Golf Links, opposite the world-renowned Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
The facility will feature a new public 30-bay driving range with target greens, the redevelopment of the existing 18-hole golf course, a public café and the National High Performance Centre, which will help shape the next generation of golf heroes.
The industry-leading centre will also feature:
The contract for the building construction work, to be undertaken by local firm 2Construct and expected to generate 24 jobs, was signed this week. The projected completion date for these works is April 2021.
Redevelopment of nine holes has been completed, with the remaining nine holes to be finished by December 2020. The course redesign and construction is being undertaken by Australian golf architects Ogilvy Cocking and Mead, with help from the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
PGA of Australia chairman Rodger Davis said the project was another sign of the increasing unity in Australian golf.
“The Australian Golf Centre will help unify golf’s peak bodies and create efficiencies that will introduce more participants to our great game,” Davis said.
Golf Australia chairman Andrew Newbold said the centre would generate many benefits.
“Not only for our emerging talent but for Australian professionals as well, which gives the entire industry a base and a place to inspire the next generation into the sport,” Newbold said.
Stephen Spargo, president of Golf Victoria which is the project principal, was excited about the centre’s potential to be a nationally unifying force for the golf community.
“It’s fantastic to see those in the sport rally behind such a great project and we’re delighted that it can take place in the heartland of Melbourne golf,” Spargo said.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula said the new centre would enhance the state’s reputation as “the home of golf in Australia” and continue to help the community’s re-emergence from the impacts of COVID-19.
“Golf is a great employer at the local and elite levels and investments like this are important in setting up the industry to thrive on the other side of the pandemic,” Pakula said.
The mantle as Australia’s Greatest Golfer will be put in the hands of the public as the PGA of Australia launches a head-to-head battle of Australia’s 64 most accomplished professionals.
To be conducted through the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Facebook page and in a matchplay-bracket formula that will see 32 first-round matches, the best players our country has seen will have to progress past fellow legends in a fan vote in order to ultimately be crowned our No.1 of all time.
Five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson has been seeded No.1 and will face Japan Tour winner and all-around larrikin Peter McWhinney in Monday’s first match.
Greg Norman, the No.2 seed, has been pitted against Stewart Ginn and third favourite Karrie Webb against two-time Australian PGA and 1949 Australian Open champion Eric Cremin in other first-round matches.
Whenever Australia’s greatest ever golfer is discussed the names Thomson, Norman and Webb come to the fore but PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman says the path to get to the final will provide some compelling matches along the way.
“What excites me the most is seeing all the different generations of golfers mixed in together and it will be interesting to see how the different generations of Australian golf fans vote over the coming weeks,” said Kirkman.
“I’ve worked in golf for the past 35 years of my life and I know myself I have had so many favourites throughout that time.
“Growing up I was a huge Greg Norman fan but when my father was alive it was Norman von Nida, Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle.
“Working in golf retail during Norman’s 331 weeks as world No.1, I saw first-hand the influence he had on the entire industry. People were flooding into pro shops wanting to buy something with the Shark logo on it and go and play nine or 18 holes.
“Then I went into a time where I got to know people such as Wayne Grady, Peter Senior and Ian Baker-Finch and they became my heroes because it was clear to me that not only were they great golfers but great people as well.
“I was fortunate to deliver so many Australian Ladies Masters titles to Karrie in my time at RACV Royal Pines Resort and you look at her playing record and in Australian golf it is unparalleled. No one has won more majors than Karrie, not to mention her other tournament victories.
“Then you move into the modern-day players such as Adam Scott and although he has only won one major to date, he is another great person who continually gives back to Australian golf.
“Add in those guys slightly younger than Adam such as Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith and I am really excited to see how that crop develops and the careers they put together.
“It’s an incredible list of our highest-achieving golfers and I’m sure as we progress everyone is going to have their own favourites who they want to vote for.”
An independent panel of golf experts has assembled a list of 64 of our greatest ever golfers. Each player has been seeded and placed into four brackets.
Each day a golfer will go head-to-head with another of our country’s stars.
The two-month-long competition comprises of 63 matches across 69 days.
Week 1 Matches
Monday: Peter Thomson v Peter McWhinney
Tuesday: Greg Norman v Stewart Ginn
Wednesday: Karrie Webb v Eric Cremin
Thursday: David Graham v Brad Kennedy
Friday: Kel Nagle v Roger Mackay
Saturday: Jan Stephenson v Randall Vines
Sunday: Adam Scott v Jarrod Lyle
It was a parade of global golf talent rarely seen on Australian shores yet golf’s revised 2020 schedule has put Australia in position to once again draw the best of the best to two iconic tournament venues this summer.
Although the dates for the Australian Open at Kingston Heath Golf Club and Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club are still to be finalised, the repositioning of golf’s three majors to potential new dates and current lack of playing opportunities opens the door to more players adding a Down Under plunder to their 2020 calendar.
Two-time Australian Open winner Matt Jones is almost certain to defend his title at Kingston Heath while 2019 champion Adam Scott and fellow PGA TOUR winners this year Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith are all on the hit list to play the PGA at Royal Queensland.
Add in European Tour winners Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee and a generous sprinkling of elite players from throughout the world and Australian golf has an opportunity to build on the momentum generated by last December’s Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne and our players since.
Players on the PGA TOUR, European Tour and Asian Tour in particular have been without a tournament to play in since the cancellation of THE PLAYERS Championship on March 13 while a start date for the 2020 Japan Golf Tour season remains very much up in the air.
The announcement on Tuesday of a proposed schedule incorporating PGA TOUR events, the US PGA Championship, US Open and a November Masters at Augusta National gave golf fans hope that a meaningful season can be salvaged in the week that the year’s first major was due to be played.
Health considerations regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic aside, The Masters is now slated to conclude on Sunday, November 15 and PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman believes Australia’s two most prestigious tournaments would provide players and fans alike with a satisfying conclusion to a disrupted year.
“Depending on what happens with the PGA TOUR’s Fall Series, upon the completion of The Masters there is the opportunity to attract strong fields for both the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship,” Kirkman said.
“Given the success of the Presidents Cup last summer we’re excited to see the Australian Open return to such a highly-regarded venue as Kingston Heath Golf Club and I have no doubt players will be excited at the prospect of an Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
“Around those two we also have the NSW Open, WA Open, WA PGA, Gippsland Super 6 and Vic PGA tournaments before the end of the year which are very important for our player pathways.
“We’ve got to have a good chat now about lining up the dates for those seven events along with what will happen with tour schools around the world.
“We started the year off with all of those wins by our players in Asia, Europe and in America and when I arrived at THE PLAYERS Championship the excitement around what our players were doing and what we were achieving with our tour made us believe we were headed for one of our best seasons.
“The announcement of a revised schedule on Tuesday was certainly a positive indicator of what can still be achieved in 2020 and we’d love to be able to provide both our Australian players and international stars the chance to play on two of our finest courses.”
In line with government recommendations and in the interests of health for both the public and its staff, all PGA Tour of Australasia and PGA sanctioned events such as Pro-Ams and PGA Legends Tour events are currently suspended until June 1.
Kirkman says that the PGA will continue to monitor the advice and policies outlined by government and health organisations with the hope that any PGA-sanctioned events can take place as soon as it is safe to do so.
The Tailor-Made Building Services NT PGA Championship (August 20-23) and rescheduled PNG Open (September 24-27) are the next scheduled four-round events on the Australasian schedule to be followed by the WA PGA Championship and WA Open in successive weeks from October 8.
The Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series and Ladbrokes Legends Tour are often underwritten by the host golf club and although they are experiencing difficult times right now, Kirkman is confident that many will go ahead as planned once the season recommences.
“The regular contact that we’ve been in with clubs, even with the unknowns everyone is still keen to move forward with those events,” said Kirkman.
“Once the governments allow events to be played, when we do recommence it won’t immediately go back to normal. There may still be the physical distancing policy in place which might mean we play in groups of twos and other guidelines that we will have to follow in order to conduct an event in a safe manner.”
The PGA of Australia has confirmed it will extend the current postponement period of all sanctioned events from Friday 1 May to Monday 1 June as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve.
Affected events include those on the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series, Ladbrokes Legends Tour, Volkswagen Scramble Regional Finals and the Championship Final as well as PGA Trainee and Open matches.
The decision has been made with the health and safety of PGA Professionals and stakeholders in mind and in line with government regulations.
“We will continue to work closely with competitors, sponsors and host venues in attempting to reschedule these events where possible,” said PGA of Australia Tournaments Director Australasia, Nick Dastey.
“While we will face another set of challenges when we are given the all clear to proceed, whenever that may be, I would like to thank our Members, stakeholders, host venues, participants and the wider golf community for their continued understanding during this period.”
The PGA – guided by the expertise of the Australian Government and leading health authorities – will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate any further changes.
