The Presidents Cup will be returning to Australia for a fourth time with the US PGA Tour announcing today the 2028 edition of the must-watch international event will be played at a venue to be confirmed in Victoria.
The venue many would assume will again be Royal Melbourne but organisers are keeping their options open and say they will be holding discussions with other potential hosts – all likely in the Melbourne sandbelt.
The announcement was made by Matt Rapp, US PGA Tour Vice President, and Martin Pakula, Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, in Melbourne on Thursday morning.
Royal Melbourne was the popular host course for the Presidents Cup in 1998, 2011 and most recently in 2019, when the Tiger Woods captained US team came from behind on the final day to defeat the Ernie Els led Internationals.
The Presidents Cup is played every two years and sees a team of 12 top US golfers fighting it out against a team comprising 12 top international golfers (from the rest of the world excluding Europe). The Internationals have only won once.
The event was first contested in 1994 when two-time major champion David Graham captained the Internationals against the Hale Irwin-led American team.
Peter Thomson captained the Internationals to their only win in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, Ernie Els’s team came up heartbreakingly short in 2019 after leading 10-8 going into the Sunday singles in front of enormous Melbourne galleries.
That was the first time that a location outside of the United States had held the Presidents Cup on three occasions, the success of those tournaments enough to convince the PGA TOUR to return for a fourth time in 2028, and a promised fifth in 2040.
“Since the Presidents Cup was first staged in Melbourne in 1998, Australia and its passionate fanbase have played a leading role in the growth of the Presidents Cup,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “As the event continues to visit new corners of the globe, we remain committed to a presence in Melbourne and the Sandbelt region, a place our players and fans around the world hold in high regard. Our partnership with State of Victoria and Visit Victoria has been a winning combination, and we’re thrilled with the support we’ve received from Premier Andrews in securing the 2028 and 2040 dates.”
The 2028 Presidents Cup marking the event’s fourth visit to Melbourne will match Gainesville (Virginia, USA) for most Cups contested in one city.
Upcoming Presidents Cup venues
2022 Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
2024 The Royal Montreal Golf Club, Quebec, Canada
2026 Medinah Country Club, Chicago, Illinois
2028 Victoria, Australia (Course TBC)
PHOTO GALLERY from the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.
Click small arrow bottom right for full screen.
