US MASTERS champion Adam Scott has confirmed that he will return to Australia this summer to compete in the “Big 3” Australian majors: the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Masters and Australian Open.
Scott will play his first tournament of the Australian summer of golf at home on the Gold Coast when he contends the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola from 7-10 November. Scott will headline the RACV Royal Pines field when the tournament returns to the Gold Coast for the first time since 1975.
“To be able to play at home at Royal Pines is going to be a lot of fun. All my friends and family will be out there so it’s going to be an exciting way to start,” said Scott.
“The Gold Coast has been so supportive of me my whole career so it’s a good chance for me to hopefully go out and say thanks to them and play well.”
“The PGA is an amazing event – the history of winners there is Australia’s finest and I’d certainly like to put my name on that trophy.”
With tournament planning now well underway, the PGA of Australia says it intends to launch a number of new initiatives in the coming months with Adam’s new wardrobe addition, the green jacket, at front of mind.
“The significance of Adam’s victory is immense and we’re very excited to welcome him home to the Gold Coast,” said PGA CEO Brian Thorburn.
“To have Adam contend our Championship for its return to the Gold Coast is a wonderful opportunity, and we’re sure the fans will come out in their thousands to congratulate Scotty.”
In addition to Network Ten’s live domestic free-to-air coverage, the tournament will also be showcased internationally through OneAsia’s television platform that spans 400 million homes in more than 40 countries, with all four days broadcast via ESPN Star Sports, Jupiter Golf Network, SBS Golf Channel, Fox International and Sky Sports NZ among others.
The following week, November 14-17, Scott will tee it up at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club to defend his Australian Masters title, hoping to be just the second player in the 35-year history of the event to successfully defend the title, following in the footsteps of Greg Norman.
“I’m excited to be returning to Melbourne to defend my Australian Masters title at Royal Melbourne, one of my favourite courses. I’ve always had fantastic support in Melbourne, and I’m sure this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever,” Scott said.
The Premier of Victoria, Dr Denis Napthine, welcomed the announcement.
“The Victorian Government is delighted that Adam Scott will be defending his title at this year’s Australian Masters. Adam’s victory at Augusta National ranks undoubtedly as one of Australia’s greatest sporting achievements, and we welcome sports fans from across Victoria and around the world to visit Melbourne to watch Adam compete on another iconic golf course, Royal Melbourne,” said Dr Napthine.
Vice President-Director of Golf, IMG Australia, David Rollo, said, “We are indebted to the Victorian Government for their continued support of the Australian Masters. Equally we are thrilled Adam is able to return to defend his title at Royal Melbourne Golf Club as The Masters Champion.
“His achievements will inspire the next generation of boys and girls and we will continue to provide complimentary access for children under the age of 16 when accompanied by an adult ticket holder.”
To cap off a great summer series, Scott will then tee it up at the Emirates Australian Open at Royal Sydney Golf Club from November 28-December 1.
“Adam’s extraordinary achievement at Augusta National was one of the greatest moments in Australian sport,” said Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt.
“We’re thrilled to have Adam playing the Emirates Australian Open where fans will be able to congratulate him on the victory and watch him compete for Australian golf’s most important title,” Pitt said.“We are also very pleased that the Emirates Australian Open will again be broadcast on Seven Network TV and we know they will again do a terrific job of covering the championship.”
Scott, the 2009 Australian Open champion, said he looked forward to a great week in Sydney.
“Winning the National Open is the title every Australian golfer wants. We have a great sponsor in Emirates, a great course in Royal Sydney and I am sure the Sydney sporting public will come in great numbers to support the event. I look forward to competing and celebrating with them during the week,” Scott said.
Scott’s confirmation comes as the Seven Network confirmed it will broadcast the championship live across all four days in an agreement negotiated with World Sport Group.
The NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris, said: “The NSW Government welcomes the news that US Masters champion Adam Scott will play in the Emirates Australian Open in Sydney. The NSW Government, through Destination NSW, has entered a strategic partnership with Golf Australia to stage the Open in Sydney until 2015. We are committed to our long term vision of seeing the tournament become the premier event of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.”
Aussie Summer of Golf
| DATE | EVENT | COURSE | STATE |
| October 17-20 | Perth International | Lake Karrinyup Country Club, Perth | WA |
| November 7-10 | Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola | RACV Royal Pines, Gold Coast | QLD |
| November 14-17 | Australian Masters | Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Melbourne | VIC |
| November 21-24 | World Cup of Golf | Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Melbourne | VIC |
| November 28-Dec 1 | Emirates Australian Open | Royal Sydney Golf Club, Sydney | NSW |
Golf to the fore on Seven
The Seven Network and IMG have announced a multi-year broadcast partnership for the Australian Masters, Australian Open and Perth International over the next three years.
“We are delighted to be extending our commitment to golf,” said Head of Sport for the Seven Network, Saul Shtein. “Seven was the home of the Australian Masters for over twenty years through the height of the Greg Norman era. On the back of Adam Scott’s historic and memorable victory at Augusta in April it marks another exciting time for Australian golf and we look forward to broadcasting the event across Australia.
“We are also delighted to be broadcasting the Perth International given our strong links with the people of Western Australia through Channel Seven Perth and The West Australian. “
‘We’re pleased to be partnering with the Open and Golf Australia and bringing Adam Scott’s phenomenal journey to all Australians. The Emirates Australian Open is a tremendous event and we’re looking forward to delivering a terrific coverage to our audience.”
David Rollo, Vice President-Director of Golf, IMG Australia added: “Seven has a rich history of broadcasting world-class sporting events and we could not be more delighted to enter into this long-term partnership to showcase the Australian Masters and Perth International. Both events will attract 20 hours of live national coverage which will deliver a great outcome for our valued partners and all Australian golf fans.”
The Perth International is Australia’s richest annual golf tournament with prize money of US$2M and the only event to be co-sanctioned with the European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia. After a successful inaugural event in 2012, this year’s event will return to the picturesque Lake Karrinyup Country Club from 17-20 October with American star Bo Van Pelt confirmed to defend the title he won last year.
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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