Magazine: Australian Open to Stay in Sydney until 2015
By Editor in Golf on 31st Jul 2008 6:00
Sydney so long the poor cousin to Melbourne in the staging of major golf, yesterday trumped the southern city with the announcement that the Australian Open will be played in the harbour city through 2015.
The only break in the series is 2011, when the tournament is scheduled to be played at Moonah Links on The Open course specifically designed by Peter Thomson in a contract to host the Open every other year. Golf Australia also revealed that the 2009 championship will be played at the NSW Golf Club over its spectacular layout on the rugged coastline at La Perouse, which has never hosted the Open in the event's 104-year history.
GA has struck the deal, believed to be worth approximately $15 million, with the NSW Government and its Events NSW corporation for Sydney to become home to the Open. Royal Sydney, The Australian, NSW and The Lakes courses will likely rotate the hosting of the championship.
The Herald understands that negotiations will be held with the owners of Moonah Links to relinquish the 2011 championship so it, too, can be played in Sydney. The reasoning is that Melbourne, which is the permanent home of the Australian Masters, is also hosting The Presidents Cup in 2011, so holding three major golf events within the space of a few weeks in the same city would not be viable.
Yesterday's announcement was made jointly by NSW Premier Morris Iemma and GA chairman and interim CEO Anne Lenagan at the NSW GC. "This is another big win for NSW, another big event," said Iemma. "This tournament has a long history, a proud tradition and is synonymous with Sydney, combining tradition, heritage, history and an honour roll of golf's greatest champions. Our objective is to build it into the premier golf event in the Asia-Pacific region … and with this long-term arrangement we're out chasing the best golfers in the world as part of that objective."
"The last two Opens in Sydney [at Royal Sydney in 2006 and The Australian last year] have witnessed growing crowds, a festival atmosphere and a new sense of ownership and pride in our national championship. Events NSW's vision and commitment can only raise our championship to new levels." This year's Open will be played at Royal Sydney from December 11-14. GA director of championships Trevor Herden said yesterday that negotiations had begun with former US Masters champion Mike Weir, twice US Open champion Retief Goosen, Colombian star Camilo Villegas and Rocco Mediate to play at Royal Sydney.
The late Kerry Packer had the vision and cash in the 1970s to make Sydney - and The Australian Golf Club - the permanent home of the Australian Open. It was played there for four years, between 1975 and 1978, with Jack Nicklaus redesigning the course, a project financed by Packer.
Source & More: http://www.smh.com.au/
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