The Australian PGA Championship will become part of The European Tour International Schedule for the 2016 season following a co-sanctioning agreement with the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Played at the RACV Royal Pines Resort, on Australia’s Gold Coast, the AU$1.75million tournament, which is the oldest and most prestigious tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia, will be part of The 2016 Race to Dubai. It will take place from December 3-6, 2015 a fortnight after the 2015 campaign concludes at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
The Australian PGA Championship will be the 28th European Tour sanctioned event to be held on Australian soil, following the ANZ Championship (2002-2004), the Australian Masters (2007-2009 - played twice in the 2009 season), the Heineken Classic (1996-2005), the Greg Norman Holden International (2000-2001), the Johnnie Walker Classic (1997, 2002-2003, 2006, 2009) and the Perth International (2012-2014).
The European Tour will receive 60 spots in the tournament, and in an arrangement with the Sunshine Tour, 30 of those positions will be granted to Sunshine Tour membership. The PGA Tour of Australasia will receive 72 spots the tournament. In addition, there will be eight tournament invitations, six qualifying positions and three positions for PGA Vocational Members.
In addition to the first prize of AU$315,000, the winner of Australian PGA Championship will be granted exemption into the European Tour’s flagship event, the 2016 BMW PGA Championship, at Wentworth Club.
Keith Waters, The European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy, said: “The relationship between The European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia continues to flourish and our partnership will continue to bear fruit over the coming years. We are delighted to assist in elevating this Championship and providing the opportunity for European Tour and Sunshine Tour members to play in this great event.”
PGA of Australia Chief Executive Brian Thorburn said sanctioning with the European Tour would provide a greater reach with a new broadcast agreement through Europe, Asia and the US.
“This will be the highest purse in Australian PGA Championship history and will position the tournament more strongly on the international stage with exposure to a greater broadcast platform than any of our previous tournaments,” he said.
“This is a huge step forward for the tournament to rank alongside many of the great tournaments in Europe and Asia. The partnership will also provide the opportunity to improve the strength of the field through the greater depth of international players currently playing on the European Tour.”
The Championship will also provide visitors the chance to view Graham Marsh’s $10million upgrade to the RACV Royal Pines Resort layout.
“RACV has invested a significant amount of money to upgrade their championship course and it is looking exceptional,” said Thorburn. “The newly designed 16th and 18th holes will provide fantastic viewing for fans attending the tournament while the 10th tee, which is now positioned near the tournament ‘village’, will enhance the fan engagement experience even further.
The tournament is supported by Tourism and Events Queensland, RACV, City of Gold Coast, Gold Coast Tourism, Emirates and Coca-Cola Amatil.
