Australia’s most treasured national championships break new ground this week with the dual staging of the men’s and women’s Australian Opens at Victoria and Kingston Heath golf clubs.
The third Australian All Abilities Championship will also take place at Victoria from Friday with homegrown stars and international major champions converging on the Melbourne sandbelt.
Below is all the information you need to know who to watch, where and when, whether at the golf course or on TV.
The field
In a world-first for golf, the ISPS HANDA Australian Open is bringing together the national men’s and women’s Open events, along with the inspiring All Abilities Championship. The first Australian Open since Matt Jones won the men’s championship in 2019 and Inbee Park claimed the women’s championship at Royal Adelaide in 2020 have drawn a host of current major champions. Australia’s own Cameron Smith (The Open) and Minjee Lee (US Women’s Open) are joined by fellow 2022 major winners Ashleigh Buhai (AIG Women’s Open) and Jennifer Kupcho (Chevron Championship). Both fields also boast legends of the game from both home and abroad including Karrie Webb, Adam Scott, Dame Laura Davies, Geoff Ogilvy, Jiyai Shin, So Yeon Ryu and former winners in John Senden, Greg Chalmers and Cam Davis. The All Abilities Championship field has drawn seven of the top 10 players in the current World Ranking for Golfers with Disability including two-time champion Johan Kammerstad along with Aussies Mike Rolls, Cameron Pollard, Stephen Prior and Geoff Nicholas.
Click here for the full field.
The courses
After a 20-year wait, two of the Melbourne’s Sandbelt finest courses will host an historic Australian Open triple-header. Host course Victoria Golf Club has crowned men’s and women’s Australian Open champions three times each while Kingston Heath is a seven-time host of the men’s Australian Open and was the host venue when Karrie Webb won the Women’s Australian Open in 2008. Play will be conducted on both courses over the first two days before Victoria takes over as host venue for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.
Click here for information on both courses.
The draw
With play spread across two courses for the first two days, players in both the men’s and women’s championships will play one round at each course before the 36-hole cut. In the example of Cameron Smith, as he is playing at Victoria Golf Club from 12.05pm on Thursday from the first tee, on Friday he will have a morning tee time at Kingston Heath Golf Club from the 10th tee. Conversely, Adam Scott’s 7.11am tee time from the 10th tee at Kingston Heath on Thursday means he will tee off from the first tee at Victoria Golf Club on Friday afternoon. Simply, for the first two days, a morning tee time at one course will mean an afternoon tee time in Round 2, and vice versa. Play for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday will be at Victoria Golf Club only. The Australian All Abilities Championship will be played over 54 holes from Friday at Victoria Golf Club only.
Click here for the Round 1 draw.
Click here for the Round 2 draw.
The format
The 2022 Australian Open will be conducted in the same manner as the Vic Open. Tee times will alternate between men and women across both courses with men and women playing for their own individual championship. There will be a 36-hole cut of the top 60 and ties for both championships on Friday and a second cut of the top 30 and ties following play on Saturday.
The coverage
All four rounds of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open will be broadcast live both on free-to-air television in Australia and pay-TV in Australia and New Zealand. For the first two rounds play will be broadcast on 9Gem and 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport in New Zealand and then move across to Channel Nine across the weekend along with 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport.
Broadcast times AEDT
Round 1: LIVE 12pm-5pm on 9Gem, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
Round 2: LIVE 12pm-5pm on 9Gem, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
Round 3: LIVE 2pm-5pm on Channel Nine, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
Round 4: LIVE 12pm-5pm on Channel Nine, 9Now, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and Spark Sport
ISPS HANDA Australian Open social media handles
Instagram: @golfaust, @ausopengolf
Facebook: Golf Australia, Australian Open Golf
Twitter: @GolfAust, @AusOpenGolf
Hashtag: #AusOpenGolf
Tiktok: @australiangolf