The DP World Tour will return to New South Wales for the first time in three years next season when The Lakes Golf Club hosts the BMW Australian PGA Championship from November 26-29.
The prestigious Sydney venue, which was established in 1928 and has a rich history of staging elite events, has featured four times on the DP World Tour’s International Schedule, most recently hosting the 2023 Australian Open.
This year’s tournament will again launch the season-long Race to Dubai and will be followed by the Australian Open at Kingston Heath in Melbourne.
The fortnight of golf action down under is once again thanks to the DP World Tour’s Strategic Alliance with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, with the two co-sanctioned events providing playing opportunities for members and clearly defined pathways for players to compete at the highest level around the world.
Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament & Operations Officer of the DP World Tour, said: “We are delighted to be returning to New South Wales and The Lakes Golf Club this November, for what will be our first visit in three years.
“Our members thoroughly enjoy opening our season down under, with the BMW Australian PGA Championship in particular a key launchpad for the Race to Dubai. We look forward to another fantastic edition in Sydney later this year.
“As golf’s Global Tour, we take great pride in providing our members with pathways to the world stage, allowing players to compete with the very best at the highest levels of the game. Co-sanctioned events such as this one are an important part of making this possible.”
The BMW Australian PGA Championship, which has been held in Brisbane in recent years, returns to Sydney as part of an agreement between the PGA of Australia and the NSW Government through Destination NSW. It marks the first time since 1998 the state has hosted the event.
Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with the NSW Government in bringing the BMW Australian PGA Championship back to Sydney.
“The city is synonymous with world-class sporting events and we are thrilled that we are able to return to The Lakes Golf Club. The venue has a rich history in hosting Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events, so we know we are in for a warm welcome in November.”
The Hon. Steve Kamper MP, Minister for Jobs, Tourism & Sport, said: “The NSW Government is thrilled to be partnering with the PGA of Australia to bring the nation’s most prestigious golf tournament back to Sydney for the first time in almost three decades.
“We can’t wait to welcome some of the best golfers on the planet for the Australian PGA Championship in November at The Lakes, one of our country’s most iconic golf courses. This will be a fair way to tee off Sydney’s summer of sport, reinforcing our city’s reputation as the nation’s home of major international sporting events.
“This is a fantastic coup for our local golf-loving community. But most importantly it will provide a significant boost to the NSW visitor economy, attracting thousands of visiting fans, players and officials who will spend locally, while also showcasing Sydney as one of the world’s great golf destinations on top of everything else we do so spectacularly to a vast international audience of golf enthusiasts.”
Tickets to the DP World Tour’s season opener at The Lakes Golf Club will be available to purchase via Ticketek on April 17.
