Gold Coast snares 2013 Australian PGA Championship

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THE Australian PGA Championship will move to the Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast for the next five years following the split with billionaire Clive Palmer’s Coolum resort after 11 years.

RACV Royal Pines is already the home of the Australian Ladies Masters and the owners have promised to invest $5 million over the next five years further developing the course to make it the “home of championship golf in Queensland”.

At a Wednesday media conference, the PGA of Australia said there had been an extensive search within Queensland for a new venue and a number of competitive offers were considered.

“This is a significant and exciting day in the history of the Australian PGA Championship,” said PGA CEO Brian Thorburn.

“The Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola holds great importance to the entire PGA Membership, and the relocation to RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast now provides us with the required assets to grow the tournament.”

The Championship has previously been contested on the Gold Coast on three occasions, at Surfers Paradise (1970 and 1971) and at Burleigh Heads (1975).

The event this year will mark the first time in over 10 years that the PGA Tour of Australasia has staged a major tournament on the Gold Coast, the last being the 2001 Australian Open, won by Stuart Appleby.

Dates for the event are expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

 

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