Golf Australia (GA) and the PGA of Australia have advised that the Isuzu Queensland Open will not be played this year, with plans to reschedule the prestigious championship in early 2020.
GA’s operations boss Simon Brookhouse said all in the industry were committed to making the Queensland Open one of Australia’s leading domestic events.
“We want to give the Queensland Open more prominence, but also make it fit in more logically among all the great summer events on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and ALPG Tour,” Brookhouse said.
“We remain totally committed to improving the Queensland Open and believe rescheduling it to early 2020 will help amplify its appeal.”
Brookhouse said adding women to the tournament field, potentially following suit of the Vic Open, was among options under consideration.
Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia, which also owns the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, said it was important the Queensland Open wasn’t lost among high-profile events later this year, including the Presidents Cup and national Open and PGA championships.
“The Queensland Open is one of the Tour’s favourite championships and we stand firmly behind making next year’s tournament one of the biggest in its 94-year history,” Kirkman said.
“We are working closely with Golf Australia to ensure the event remains a launching pad for its participants to bigger and better things in their careers.
“The likes of Jason Day and Greg Norman have taken part in previous Queensland Opens and have gone on to become the world’s No.1 golfers.
“We want to ensure the next player who lifts the T.B. Hunter Cup aloft goes on to have a successful career, both locally and abroad.”
A four-time winner of the Australian Golf Media Awards, including Best Photojournalism, Best Opinion, Best Column and Best Photographic Presentation, Inside Golf Group Editor Richard Fellner is the quintessential Golf Tragic, having played the game for over 50 years (but has never gotten any better!) He has played and reviewed courses all over the world, and has interviewed many of the great players of the game (including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Greg Norman). Richard is a member of both the Australian Golf Media Association and the Golf Society of Australia, and has been a featured guest on many Australian "sports talk" radio shows and networks, including ABC Grandstand, SEN 1116, Melbourne Talk Radio 1377, 2GB and others.
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