A blockbuster season of golf down under is just around the corner, headlined by the Australian Open, Australian PGA Championship. And they’re not the only golf events in Australia happening throughout the warmer months.
It’s an exciting time for golfing enthusiasts, with some of the countries biggest superstars set to descend on Sydney and Brisbane to battle it out for the big titles.
Golf Australia is looking to continue a hot-streak of incredible golf events in Australia, following Adelaide’s LIV Golf tournament back in April. That raucous occasion followed a bumper PGA Championship, which also had fans bouncing around.
Adam Scott and Cam Smith, golfing royalty in Australia, have both been locked in for the bigger upcoming tournaments; there will be serious hype surrounding the events.
The major two – Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship – aren’t the only tournaments to keep an eye on as well. The Vic Open in early February has the country’s next-largest purse, meaning the best of the best may well be in force there as well.
With information still coming through on which players have also confirmed their participation for the upcoming golf events in Australia, here’s everything you need to know for the major Australian tournaments heading our way.
The major golf events in Australia this summer
The jam-packed season of golf events in Australia begins in November, with the first of the major events (the Australian PGA Championship) starting November 23rd.
As far as prize money goes, the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open have the largest purses, worth millions in total. The Vic Open is the highest of all the non-PGA events happening down under this summer.
All three tournaments have ticketing information on their website, but you can also find the relevant links below. Information around event travel for each of the golf events in Australia can also be found further down this story, if it’s been made available yet.
Australian PGA Championship
When: November 23-26
Where: Brisbane | Royal Queensland Golf Course
Prize money: $2,000,000 AUD
Australian PGA Championship ticket info can be found here.
It’s the third time in just 22-months that the Royal Queensland Golf Course in Brisbane has hosted this event after being cancelled for two years due to the pandemic.
Thinking of going? There is free car parking for the duration of the tournament and shuttle buses running for Bowen Hills train station, which is the closest stop.
Australian Open
When: November 30-December 3
Where: Sydney | The Australian Golf Club & The Lakes Golf Club
Prize money: $3,400,000 AUD, combined between men and women
Australian Open ticket info can be found here.
Four days after the PGA Championship concludes, the ISPS HANDA Australian Open starts, with Sydney’s south-east hosting this year’s event across two neighbouring courses.
Vic Open
When: February 1-4
Where: Barwon Heads | 13th Beach Golf Links (Beach) & 13th Beach Golf Links (Creek)
Prize money: $420,000 AUD
Ticketing info for the Vic Open can be found here.
The third of the major golf events in Australia this summer that we’ve decided stands out is the 2024 Vic Open. This one is more for the back end of summer; it’s a further two months after the Australian Open. The 13th Beach courses are located down in Barwon Heads, just south of Geelong.
LIV Golf Adelaide
When: April 26-28
Where: Adelaide I The Grange Golf Club
Prize money: Yet to be confirmed
Ticketing info for LIV Golf Adelaide can be found here.
The highly controversial and disruptive tournament returns to the South Australian capital for another rowdy event. It’s the final major golf event heading down under in the early part of 2024, and promises to be a must attend for all Australian golf fans.
What’s the history of these major golf events in Australia?
Australian PGA Championship
The 2023 iteration of the Australian PGA Championship is the 87th, and the third consecutive to be held at Royal Queensland.
Since 2000 it has been held in the south-east region of Queensland and has recently become a co-sanctioned event with the European Tour.
This year, Cameron Smith is out to defend his title after winning last year’s tournament by 3-strokes to claim his third Australian PGA victory.
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the oldest and most prestigious tournament on the PGA’s Tour of Australasia, first being held in 1904.
Returning to both The Australian Golf Course and The Lakes Golf Course for the first time since 2019 & 2018 respectively, this year’s tournament will see the men’s and women’s events run simultaneously in Sydney.
Adam Scott, who has confirmed he will play at the upcoming event, will be looking to right wrongs, after finishing second last year and is desperate to win his first Australian Open since 2009. Polish golfer Adrian Meronk is the reigning champ, defeating Scott by 5 strokes at Kingston Heath Golf Course in Victoria.
2024 Vic Open
For the 11th consecutive time, the 13th Beach Golf Links (Beach) & 13th Beach Golf Links (Creek) will host the Victorian Open, with plenty on the line prize money-wise.
The tournament, which first started in 1957, has recently been held concurrently between both the men’s and women’s events. The tournament’s tag line has become “Men and women. On the same course. At the same time. For equal prize money.”
Usually the megastars of world golf do not take part in the tournament, however Min Woo Lee won the event in 2020 and Michael Hendry, who has played in The Open Championship twice, is the current defending champion.
