HOUSEHOLD Aussie golfing names including Peter Lonard, Peter O’Malley and Peter Fowler will join emerging stars to help relaunch the 2015 summer of golf this week.
First up on the PGA Tour of Australasia this week will be the Oats Vic Open at the Thirteenth Beach Golf Links.
The three Peter’s will be joined by the likes of 2014 Aussie Masters winner Nick Cullen, NZ Open champion Dimi Papadatos and European Tour rookie Jason Scrivener.
A prizemoney increase to AU$250,000 has helped inspire a strong field to challenge defending champion Matthew Griffin for the title.
After a huge 2014 season, which saw 15 tournaments contested in four countries for more than AU$7.8million in prize money, the pros are eager to get back into action.
“Last year was another highly successful summer of golf in Australia and I, like all golf fans, am excited for the PGA Tour of Australasia to get back underway,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
“The PGA Tour of Australasia continues to go from strength to strength with prize money increases for both the Oates Vic Open and the BMW NZ Open as well as the return of the Holden NZ PGA Championship.”
The first half of the 2015 season is jam packed. After the Vic Open the
Tour will then head to Huntingdale Golf Club, a course synonymous with Australian golf, for the Mercedes-Benz Truck & Bus Victorian PGA Championship.
This will be the first time a Professional tournament will be contested on the Melbourne Sandbelt layout since 2009.
Being played in a pro-am format some of Australia’s best golfers will be joined by Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Sir Ian Botham and Sir Viv Richards as they battle for the Jack Harris Cup.
The Coca-Cola QLD PGA Championship will then once again bring Professional golf to City Golf Club for a celebration of golf throughout the entire Toowoomba community.
With plenty of activities for the whole family going on throughout the week there will be plenty of fun to be had outside the ropes while the Pros, including Brad Kennedy, Steve Jeffress and Michael Sim, demonstrate their talent inside the ropes.
The PGA Tour of Australasia will then head across the ditch for the
Holden NZ PGA Championship at Remuera Golf Club in Auckland, where local national hero Michael Hendry will be aiming for his third consecutive NZ PGA title.
The following week Queenstown will provide a picturesque back drop as the BMW NZ Open Championship is contested at The Hills and Millbrook Resort.
A strong contingent of Kiwis will be aiming to break the winning drought at their National Open with Ryan Fox, Mark Brown, David Smail, Gareth Paddison, Josh Geary and Michael Hendry all strong chance to be the first local to claim the title since Mahal Pearce in 2003.
“While we are excited to see the season get back underway on home soil it is also pleasing to see our players exceeding on the world stage with Mathew Goggin this morning claiming the first Australian international victory of the year,” added Thorburn.
“Already 2015 is shaping up to be a big year for the PGA Tour of Australasia and Australian golfers and I look forward to watching their success throughout the year.”
2015 PGA Tour of Australasia Schedule:
05/02/15 – 08/02/15, Oates Victorian Open Championship
13th Beach Golf Links (Beach), Barwon Heads, VIC
10/02/15 – 13/02/15, Mercedes-Benz Truck & Bus Victorian PGA Championship, Huntingdale Golf Club, Oakleigh South, VIC
19/02/15 – 22/02/15, Coca-Cola QLD PGA Championship
City Golf Club, Toowoomba, QLD,
05/03/15 – 08/03/15, Holden NZ PGA Championship, Remuera Golf Club, Auckland, New Zealand.
12/03/15 – 15/03/15, BMW NZ Open Championship, The Hills Golf Course, Arrowtown, New Zealand.
The PGA Tour of Australasia will then take a break until the big end of year tournaments get underway with the schedule yet be announced.