The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship is here to stay in Queensland, and about to grow bigger than ever.
The 2022 championship will be played from November 24-27 at Royal Queensland Golf Club, and in a coup for Brisbane, it will be the opening event of the DP World Tour season. A stellar field of Australian and international players will compete for the Joe Kirkwood Cup and $2 million in prizemoney, the richest prize on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.
After a thrilling 2021 edition (played in January 2022) which saw local hero Jed Morgan break the all-time record in winning by 11 shots and big-time tournament golf returning after a pandemic-induced absence, the PGA of Australia today announced the extension of its partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane Economic Development Agency until the end of 2023 along with a new date for the next edition of the tournament.
The tournament resumes its DP World (European) Tour status after a gap of two years after the impact of the pandemic, putting the event on the world stage and opening the door for the return of Australian stars and DP World Tour players to the tournament. The 2021 DP World Tour visited 25 different countries.
Morgan’s win was an example of the opportunities on show for young professionals with DP World Tour playing cards up for grabs. Morgan, who is set to play on the DP World Tour in the 2022-2023 season, joined an elite group of former winners of the Australian PGA Championship including Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Gary Player, Peter Thomson and Greg Norman.
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said he was thrilled that Brisbane, Queensland and the Royal Queensland Golf Club would continue to host this event through until at least 2023.
“I think the return of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in 2021 will stay in our hearts for a long time,” Kirkman said.
“Everyone’s been through so much in the last two years in so many ways, so to see so many people out on the course at Royal Queensland following their favourite players, and to see the players themselves getting that opportunity to compete, it was just very heart-warming for us.”
Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said it was brilliant Brisbane would once again serve as the centrepiece of golf next summer.
“After the success of the PGA Championships in Brisbane earlier this year, fans and players alike will be thrilled to hear this premier event returning to our newly crowned Olympic city in November and then again in 2023,” Cr Schrinner said.
Ben Cowen, DP World Tour Chief Tournament Business Officer, said: “When we announced the extension to our strategic alliance with the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia at the event in January, we stated the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship was a key part of that partnership, underlining our joint commitment to providing playing opportunities for both memberships as well as pathways for players to compete on the biggest stage.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms that, and we are therefore delighted to confirm our return to Australia this November to start the new season at Royal Queensland Golf Club with a record prize fund of $A2 million”
The 2021 tournament was a big success at Royal Queensland with big crowds in attendance. The 2022 event will continue this same fan focus featuring a range of experiences and precincts for golf fans, families and party goers alike including the TaylorMade Party Hole, with a resident DJ, hospitality suites, great food and public bars.
It continues to confirm Queensland’s status as a premier tourism destination, with Brisbane set to attract the return of international travellers itching to experience Australia’s highly rated golf courses, and Royal Queensland already confirmed as the venue for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This year’s Australian PGA Championship will be a stand-alone event, with planning also underway for the next edition of the WPGA Championship to be run as a stand-alone event from 2023.
Significant announcements about players participating in the 2022 tournament will be made in the ensuing months, with plans to entice our best performing Australians on global golf tours to return home and play alongside the young stars of the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and global players on the DP World Tour.
General admission and hospitality suite tickets went on sale from 10am today via Ticketek.
