The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia is in full flight, and the stars have landed on Australian shores for an epic two weeks and we simply cannot wait.
Some of us are Sunday morning specialists who love having a round to dust off the cobwebs from the night before – yes, this is me.
But for a growing number of others, they like to refer to themselves as golf anoraks who live and breathe the sport.
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Whatever category you fall into, getting to witness some of the world’s best live in the flesh in our own backyard is an amazing opportunity.
Well, it seems we’re in luck.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia is kicking on Down Under and it’s taking the Australian sports summer by storm.
Here’s five reasons why you NEED to watch the upcoming Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events…
Golf in Australia is the most popular it’s ever been
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Let’s call a spade a spade here: Aussies absolutely love golf.
Gone are the days where you normally associate golf with retirees, triangular sandwiches and endless schooners in a clubhouse.
No, nowadays everyone and anyone is a golfer, despite many lying about their handicaps – they know who they are.
No matter what your yearly income is, you can join your local club or even just enjoy a few rounds with mates.
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According to the recently-released Community Benefits report, Australians that play rounds of golf on-course are 7.1% happier than your average adult.
And let’s be honest, there’s some truly beautiful courses on this side of the world – no bias here, of course.
In fact, over the last 12 months, Australia’s golf courses hosted a whopping 1.5 million golfers with a further 1.2 million playing off-course at driving ranges, mini-golf facilities and simulators.
That means 2.7 million people have played some kind of golf!
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But accessibility aside, one massive reason for the growth of the sport in Australia is the current batch of pros smashing it on the international circuit.
From Cameron Smith and his luscious mullet and his sexy short game to legends like Adam Scott who look destined to win on home soil, there’s a bunch of homegrown stars doing us proud on the world stage.
Cameron Smith
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One of the best golfers in the world is Australian.
Let that sink in.
Not just that, he also happens to be a sweet-talking, mullet-sporting larrikin from Queensland.
That’s right, Cameron Smith’s rapid rise to superstardom has been nothing short of incredible – and in 2022, it was Smith’s year.
Not only did he win The Players Championship but he also became the first Aussie to win The Open since Greg Norman back in 1993.
In 2023, the favourite will be looking to round off another impressive year with some victories on home soil at the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open.
Min Woo Lee
Now this bloke, right here, is potentially the future of Australian golf.
At just 25 years of age, Min Woo Lee is already breathing down the necks of his compatriots.
An up and coming Aussie, Lee is coming off the back of a win last month at the SJM Macao Open on the Asian Tour and has sewn up a PGA TOUR card in the US for next year.
He recently received a rather pleasant compliment from arguably the greatest golfer of all-time when Tiger Woods asked him to join his new TGL virtual golf league.
Not bad, not bad at all.
All that aside, Lee is gold on social media.
He has quickly become one of the most likeable players on the Tour and is very different from your stereotypical golfer
The Chase Is On
For golfers, it’s all about moving up the rankings and ‘The Chase Is On’ promotional campaign focuses on that intense challenge of improving your position in the professional game.
Granted, everyone wants to be at the very top of the season-long Order of Merit , but there’s some other perks that come with such a feat too – more than $9 million in prize money, to be exact.
And for the homegrown stars, what better place to climb up the ranks than in your own backyard in front of your home crowd.
From Lachlan Barker, who was the winner of the PNG Open and is chasing a DP World Tour card, through to fellow winners like Ben Eccles and young up and comers such as Josh Greer – there’s so much Aussie talent on offer.
There’s also characters like Harrison Crowe, who famously went viral at The Open after hitting an unbelievable trick shot from outside a pub onto the 18th green at St Andrews.
Speaking on the 18 events happening on our shores, PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said: “Our Tour is all about ‘the chase’, which is why our new campaign resonates so strongly for me. Our players are chasing titles and prize money, exemptions into future events on our Tour and eventually for the opportunity to ply their trade across the globe against the world’s best.
“It’s going to be a Summer of Golf to remember.”
There’s so many events happening Down Under:
- Fortinet Australian PGA Championship (23 - 26 Nov)
- ISPS HANDA Australian Open (30 Nov - 3rd Dec)
- 2023 Cathedral Invitational (5 - 6 Dec)
- 2024 Heritage Classic (11 - 14 Jan)
- Webex Players Series Murray River (18 - 21 Jan)
- Webex Players Series Rosebud VIC (25 - 28 Jan)
- 2024 Vic Open (1st - 4th Feb)
- Webex Players Series Sydney Hosted by Braith Anasta (8 - 11 Feb)
- Webex Players Series Hunter Valley (15 - 18 Feb)
- 103rd NZ Open ( 29 Feb - 3 Mar)
The Tour is broadcast across the majority of our Summer on weekends.
Fox Sports and Kayo will be the broadcasters for 16 events during the season, while Nine and Nine Now will play host to the major tournaments.
Max Sherry