Every event in the 2023 Webex Players Series will now be worth a minimum of $250,000 after an increase of prizemoney announced on the eve of TPS Victoria at Rosebud Country Club.
An innovative format that allows both male and female professionals to compete for a share of the same prize purse, the Webex Players Series has grown since its introduction to the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia in 2021 to now feature four tournaments in Victoria and New South Wales.
Celebrating the inclusiveness that golf offers men and women of all ages, the Webex Players Series has proved popular with players and fans alike.
That popularity has seen the prize pool grow by $50,000 to elevate each tournament to a total of $250,000.
Gavin Kirkman, chief executive of the PGA of Australia, said: “We couldn’t be happier with the way the Webex Players Series has evolved in the past three years.
“This increase in prizemoney means that the tournaments have boosted their prize pool by $100,000 each since we started out, as well as doubling from two to four events, and it just shows that the concept with men and women, professionals and amateurs playing together is a winner. We think that there’s a really strong appetite for top-level golf in Australia and the Webex Players Series is meeting that demand.”
Nick Dastey, PGA of Australia tournaments director, said the hefty increases reflected the growth in popularity of the series.
“The Webex Players Series was developed to not only showcase our best young players but to give them the platform to take their careers to the next level,” Dastey said.
“By increasing the prize pool for the Webex Players Series for the second year in succession, we not only attract stronger fields to each event but continue to offer opportunities to our players to win the prizemoney they need to forge their path as a professional golfer.”
The 2023 Webex Players Series consists of TPS Victoria (Rosebud Country Club, January 26-29), TPS Murray River (Cobram Barooga Golf Club, February 2-5), TPS Sydney (Bonnie Doon Golf Club [pictured], February 16-19) and TPS Hunter Valley (Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort, February 23-26).
Starting on Thursday, TPS Victoria is the second event of an expanded WPGA Tour of Australasia season and chief executive Karen Lunn welcomed the prizemoney increases that her players will compete for.
“The Webex Players Series has become an integral part of the WPGA Tour season and I know our players love the challenge of playing against the men on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia,” Lunn said.
“We’ve seen our players feature prominently right up until the 72nd hole since the first TPS event where Su Oh finished second at Rosebud, and we’ll never forget Hannah Green’s historic win at Cobram Barooga last year.
“With the talent coming through, I’d expect to see that continue across this year’s Webex Players Series.”
All 2023 Webex Player Series events are free to attend and for the first time the entire PGA Tour of Australasia season is being broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo. That means golf fans all over Australia can tune into all four TPS tournaments live and watch history being made.
