PGA Tour of Australasia
Encyclopedia
The PGA Tour of Australasia is a professional golf
tour for men. Official events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking
points. The tour was formed in 1973 as the PGA Tour of Australia and adopted its current name in 1991.
Most of the leading players on the tour are Australia
n, with a smaller domestic contingent from New Zealand
, but players from many other countries all over the world also participate. The very best Australasian players devote most of their time to the PGA Tour
or the European Tour, typically returning home for two or three events each year or even not at all. Therefore the Australasian Tour is a feeder for the larger tours. Some of the leading events are co-sanctioned by the European Tour in order to encourage higher ranked
players to enter and to attract more sponsorship. Players with a background on the tour who have reached the world top 20
since the turn of the Millennium include Steve Elkington
and Adam Scott. The leading tournaments on the tour include the Australian Open
, the Australian PGA Championship
, the Australian Masters
and the New Zealand Open
.
The PGA Tour of Australasia's development tour was the Von Nida Tour (named after Australian golfer Norman Von Nida
) which featured around ten events with purses in the region of A$
100,000 each. The main tour events took place in the Southern Hemisphere summer, that is late one calendar year and early the next, while the Von Nida Tour events mainly took place in the local spring and autumn. However the money list was calculated for calendar years. From 2009, the Von Nida Tour has been merged into the PGA Tour of Australasia Tour.
In November 2005 it was reported by the BBC
that the tour was going through difficult times, with the schedule for the 2005/06 summer season reduced to six events, three of them co-sponsored by other tours. The Heineken Classic
, which was the richest event in Australasia in 2005, was cancelled in 2006 due to the withdrawal of the sponsor. One factor in the tour's problems is the rise of the nearby Asian Tour
. Tour chairman Wayne Grady
, and player Mark Hensby
both accused Australia's biggest golf icon Greg Norman
, who is a U.S. resident, of not doing enough to support the tour. Norman dismissed their comments.
region, to be organised by the PGA Tour of Australasia in co-operation with China Golf Association, the Japan Golf Tour
, the Korean Golf Association and the Korean PGA. The aim of these events would be to raise the profile of professional golf in the region, and compete with the likes of the European Tour
. The series would initially consist of six events, three in China
, two in Australia and one in South Korea
, with plans to expand to at least thirteen in 2010 as events in Japan were added, and over 20 by 2011.
The introduction of the OneAsia series has not been universally welcomed, with strong opposition coming from the Asian Tour
in particular, with support from its members. All of the six events announced for 2009 were existing tournaments, including some already sanctioned by the Asian Tour
. One of them, the Pine Valley Beijing Open, was called off a few weeks before it was due to be held. The organisers officially attributed this decision to the state of the course and a clash of dates with The Players Championship
on the U.S.-based PGA Tour
, but some media commentators dismissed these reasons since the tournament had clashed with the Players Championship the previous year as well, and attributed the cancellation to sponsor discontent with the sanctioning changes.
OneAsia was discussed at the annual meeting of the International Federation of PGA Tours during the 2009 Masters Tournament
. The Series would need to become a member of the Federation if it wishes to be able to award Official World Golf Ranking
points in its own right. Points are currently available in all events due to those conferred by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour, as the Chinese and Korean tours are not Federation members. Under present arrangements it is unlikely that any new tournaments launched by OneAsia will receive ranking points, and could prove difficult to attract top players without them. At the meeting OneAsia and the Asian Tour both claimed that the game's powerbrokers understood the strength of their case, but neither received any public endorsements from the others members.
, have been held in several other countries, including India
and Thailand
.
There was a significant increase in the number of regular season tournaments in 2009, following the integration of the former Von Nida Tour events. Typically, only tournaments that were on the tour schedule prior to the merger are eligible for world ranking points
.
The tour's richest events are those that are co-sanctioned by the larger global tours, such as the European Tour and the United States based second tier Nationwide Tour
. The Australian Open
and Australian PGA Championship
have also maintained elevated prize funds as part of the OneAsia Tour
.
PGA Tour of Australia
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tour for men. Official events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
points. The tour was formed in 1973 as the PGA Tour of Australia and adopted its current name in 1991.
Most of the leading players on the tour are Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n, with a smaller domestic contingent from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, but players from many other countries all over the world also participate. The very best Australasian players devote most of their time to the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
or the European Tour, typically returning home for two or three events each year or even not at all. Therefore the Australasian Tour is a feeder for the larger tours. Some of the leading events are co-sanctioned by the European Tour in order to encourage higher ranked
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
players to enter and to attract more sponsorship. Players with a background on the tour who have reached the world top 20
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
since the turn of the Millennium include Steve Elkington
Steve Elkington
Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998.-Early years and education:...
and Adam Scott. The leading tournaments on the tour include the Australian Open
Australian Open (golf)
The Australian Open is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and also the OneAsia Tour since its formation in 2009. The event was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year...
, the Australian PGA Championship
Australian PGA Championship
The Australian PGA Championship, formerly known as the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship, is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA and dates back to 1905...
, the Australian Masters
Australian Masters
The Australian Masters, currently known as the JBWere Masters for sponsorship reasons, is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The tournament was founded in 1979, and was co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the first time in 2006, with a significant 20% increase in the prize...
and the New Zealand Open
New Zealand Open
The BMW New Zealand Open is the leading men's golf tournament in New Zealand. In 2011, it will be hosted by The Clearwater Resort in Christchurch from 1–4 December. The tournament is being promoted by New Zealand Golf...
.
The PGA Tour of Australasia's development tour was the Von Nida Tour (named after Australian golfer Norman Von Nida
Norman Von Nida
Norman Guy Von Nida was an Australian professional golfer.Von Nida was born in Strathfield and grew up in Brisbane. He turned professional in 1933, after attracting attention by winning the Queensland Amateur aged just 18...
) which featured around ten events with purses in the region of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
100,000 each. The main tour events took place in the Southern Hemisphere summer, that is late one calendar year and early the next, while the Von Nida Tour events mainly took place in the local spring and autumn. However the money list was calculated for calendar years. From 2009, the Von Nida Tour has been merged into the PGA Tour of Australasia Tour.
In November 2005 it was reported by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
that the tour was going through difficult times, with the schedule for the 2005/06 summer season reduced to six events, three of them co-sponsored by other tours. The Heineken Classic
Heineken Classic
The Heineken Classic was a men's professional golf tournament played in Australia from 1993 to 2005 as part of the PGA Tour of Australasia. It was held at the Vines Resort in Western Australia from 1993 to 2001 and moved to the Royal Melbourne Golf Club from 2002 to 2005. From 1996 onwards it was...
, which was the richest event in Australasia in 2005, was cancelled in 2006 due to the withdrawal of the sponsor. One factor in the tour's problems is the rise of the nearby Asian Tour
Asian Tour
The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia except for Japan, which has its own Japan Golf Tour, which is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Asian Tour is administered from offices in Singapore...
. Tour chairman Wayne Grady
Wayne Grady
Wayne Desmond Grady is an Australian professional golfer.Grady was born in Brisbane. He turned professional in 1978. He is best known for winning the PGA Championship, one of golf's four majors, in 1990. He was also runner up at The Open Championship in 1989, losing in a playoff against Greg...
, and player Mark Hensby
Mark Hensby
Mark Adam Hensby is an Australian professional golfer.Hensby was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He grew up in Tamworth, New South Wales and attended Tamworth High School, leaving at the age of 16 to work as a postie while spending most of his time on the golf course...
both accused Australia's biggest golf icon Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
, who is a U.S. resident, of not doing enough to support the tour. Norman dismissed their comments.
OneAsia Tour
In January 2009, it was announced that there would be a new series of events across the Asia-PacificAsia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
region, to be organised by the PGA Tour of Australasia in co-operation with China Golf Association, the Japan Golf Tour
Japan Golf Tour
The Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with...
, the Korean Golf Association and the Korean PGA. The aim of these events would be to raise the profile of professional golf in the region, and compete with the likes of the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
. The series would initially consist of six events, three in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, two in Australia and one in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, with plans to expand to at least thirteen in 2010 as events in Japan were added, and over 20 by 2011.
The introduction of the OneAsia series has not been universally welcomed, with strong opposition coming from the Asian Tour
Asian Tour
The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia except for Japan, which has its own Japan Golf Tour, which is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Asian Tour is administered from offices in Singapore...
in particular, with support from its members. All of the six events announced for 2009 were existing tournaments, including some already sanctioned by the Asian Tour
Asian Tour
The Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia except for Japan, which has its own Japan Golf Tour, which is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Asian Tour is administered from offices in Singapore...
. One of them, the Pine Valley Beijing Open, was called off a few weeks before it was due to be held. The organisers officially attributed this decision to the state of the course and a clash of dates with The Players Championship
The Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
on the U.S.-based PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, but some media commentators dismissed these reasons since the tournament had clashed with the Players Championship the previous year as well, and attributed the cancellation to sponsor discontent with the sanctioning changes.
OneAsia was discussed at the annual meeting of the International Federation of PGA Tours during the 2009 Masters Tournament
2009 Masters Tournament
The 2009 Masters Tournament was the 73rd Masters Tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club and was played from April 9-12. This was the first major championship of the 2009 season.-Field:...
. The Series would need to become a member of the Federation if it wishes to be able to award Official World Golf Ranking
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
points in its own right. Points are currently available in all events due to those conferred by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour, as the Chinese and Korean tours are not Federation members. Under present arrangements it is unlikely that any new tournaments launched by OneAsia will receive ranking points, and could prove difficult to attract top players without them. At the meeting OneAsia and the Asian Tour both claimed that the game's powerbrokers understood the strength of their case, but neither received any public endorsements from the others members.
Schedule
PGA Tour of Australasia events have mainly been held in Australia and New Zealand although in past seasons, tournaments that have been co-sanctioned with other tours, such as the Johnnie Walker ClassicJohnnie Walker Classic
The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event...
, have been held in several other countries, including India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
There was a significant increase in the number of regular season tournaments in 2009, following the integration of the former Von Nida Tour events. Typically, only tournaments that were on the tour schedule prior to the merger are eligible for world ranking points
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
.
The tour's richest events are those that are co-sanctioned by the larger global tours, such as the European Tour and the United States based second tier Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
. The Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
and Australian PGA Championship
Australian PGA Championship
The Australian PGA Championship, formerly known as the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship, is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA and dates back to 1905...
have also maintained elevated prize funds as part of the OneAsia Tour
OneAsia Tour
OneAsia is a men's professional golf tour based in the Asia-Pacific region. The tour was founded in 2009 as a joint venture between the PGA Tour of Australasia, the China Golf Association, the Korean Golf Association and the Korean PGA. The Japan Golf Tour has been invited to participate in the...
.
Order of Merit winners
- 2010 Geoff OgilvyGeoff OgilvyGeoff Charles Ogilvy is an Australian professional golfer. He won the 2006 U.S. Open and has also won three World Golf Championships.-Professional career:...
- 2009 Michael SimMichael Sim-Amateur career:Sim was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and moved to Australia when he was 5 years old. He was the top ranked amateur in the world in 2005 having won four titles during the year including the Sunnehanna Amateur, which boasts major winners Ben Crenshaw and Tommy Aaron amongst its list of...
- 2008 Mark BrownMark Brown (golfer)Mark Brown is a New Zealand professional golfer.Brown was born in Lower Hutt. He had played golf on the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Canadian Tour and the Asian Tour without much success until 2007 when he had four top ten finishes on the Asian Tour and finished 15th on the Order of Merit.In 2008,...
- 2007 Craig ParryCraig ParryCraig David Parry is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational and the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral.Parry was...
- 2006 Nick O'HernNick O'HernNicholas Simon O'Hern is an Australian professional golfer.O'Hern has played on both of the world's premier professional golf tours, the European Tour, and the United States based PGA Tour...
- 2005 Adam Scott
- 2004 Richard GreenRichard Green (golfer)Richard George Green is an Australian professional golfer.Green was born in Williamstown, Melbourne, Victoria. He turned professional in 1992, and joined the PGA Tour of Australasia the same year....
- 2003 Peter LonardPeter LonardPeter Lawrence Lonard is an Australian professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour. He credits fellow Australian Greg Norman as his inspiration....
- 2002 Craig ParryCraig ParryCraig David Parry is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational and the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral.Parry was...
- 2000/01 Aaron BaddeleyAaron BaddeleyAaron John Baddeley is an American-Australian professional golfer. He was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA and now plays on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, has joint U.S. and Australian citizenship and was raised in Australia from the age of two...
- 1999/00 Michael CampbellMichael CampbellMichael Shane Campbell, CNZM is a New Zealand golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year. He is a member of the European Tour.Ethnically, he is predominantly Māori, from the Ngati...
- 1998/99 Jarrod MoseleyJarrod MoseleyJarrod James Moseley is an Australian professional golfer.Moseley was born in Mandurah, Western Australia. He turned professional in 1997. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1998/99, having won the European Tour co-sanctioned Heineken Classic during the season...
- 1997/98 Andrew ColtartAndrew ColtartAndrew John Coltart is a Scottish professional golfer.-Junior and amateur:Coltart was born in Dumfries. As an amateur, he won the 1987 Scottish Boys Championship and the 1991 Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship, and participated in the 1991 Walker Cup.-Professional:Coltart turned...
- 1996/97 Peter LonardPeter LonardPeter Lawrence Lonard is an Australian professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour. He credits fellow Australian Greg Norman as his inspiration....
- 1995 Craig ParryCraig ParryCraig David Parry is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational and the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral.Parry was...
- 1994 Robert AllenbyRobert AllenbyRobert Allenby is an Australian professional golfer.Allenby was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was from Leeds, England and emigrated to Australia as a young man.-Professional career:...
- 1993 Peter SeniorPeter SeniorPeter Albert Charles Senior is an Australian professional golfer who has won more than twenty tournaments around the world....
- 1992 Robert AllenbyRobert AllenbyRobert Allenby is an Australian professional golfer.Allenby was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was from Leeds, England and emigrated to Australia as a young man.-Professional career:...
- 1991 Rodger DavisRodger DavisRodger Miles Davis is an Australian professional golfer.Davis was born in Sydney. He turned professional in 1974 and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1990 and 1991...
PGA Tour of Australia
- 1990 Rodger DavisRodger DavisRodger Miles Davis is an Australian professional golfer.Davis was born in Sydney. He turned professional in 1974 and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1990 and 1991...
- 1989 Peter SeniorPeter SeniorPeter Albert Charles Senior is an Australian professional golfer who has won more than twenty tournaments around the world....
- 1988 Greg NormanGreg NormanGregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
- 1987 Peter SeniorPeter SeniorPeter Albert Charles Senior is an Australian professional golfer who has won more than twenty tournaments around the world....
- 1986 Greg NormanGreg NormanGregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
- 1985 Ossie Moore
- 1984 Greg NormanGreg NormanGregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
- 1983 Greg NormanGreg NormanGregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
- 1982 Bob ShearerBob ShearerRobert A. Shearer is an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect.Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur and turned pro in 1970....
- 1981 Bob ShearerBob ShearerRobert A. Shearer is an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect.Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur and turned pro in 1970....
- 1980 Greg NormanGreg NormanGregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
- 1979 Jack NewtonJack NewtonJack Newton OAM is a former Australian professional golfer.-Golf career:Newton was born in Cessnock, New South Wales. He was one of Australia's most successful golfers in the 1970s and early 1980s. He turned professional in 1971 and won his first professional tournament – the Dutch Open...
- 1978 Greg NormanGreg NormanGregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
- 1977 Bob ShearerBob ShearerRobert A. Shearer is an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect.Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur and turned pro in 1970....
- 1976 Mark LyeMark LyeMark Ryan Lye is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.Lye was born in Vallejo, California. He attended San Jose State University, where he was a three-time All-American as a member of the golf team. He graduated in 1975 and turned pro later that year...
- 1975 Bill DunkBill DunkWilliam Edgar Dunk is an Australian professional golfer.Dunk is renowned as one of the greatest shot makers in Australian golf. He was inducted as a life member of the Australasian Tour in 1996. Dunk won five Australian PGA Championships and the New Zealand Open...
- 1974 Bob ShearerBob ShearerRobert A. Shearer is an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect.Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur and turned pro in 1970....
- 1973 Stewart GinnStewart GinnStewart Ginn is an Australian professional golfer.Ginn was born in Melbourne. He grew up behind the twelfth green of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club and started caddying at the age of ten. In the 1970s and 1980s he won several professional tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia and one on the...