Masters on the Move

 

The Australian Masters, which for the past 29 years has been hosted at Melbourne’s Huntingdale Golf Club, is set to change venue. In a major announcement made Thursday (23 October), the Australian Masters has entered into a three-year agreement with the Victorian Government to grow the event, which includes adopting a venue rotation policy starting with next year’s tournament.

Huntingdale, home to superintendent and current VGCSA president Michael Freeman, will host this year’s event from 27-30 November, but the 2009 and 2010 tournaments will move to other venues in the Melbourne sand belt. The 2009 and 2010 events will also deliver at least three international players within the top 25 of the Official World Golf Rankings following IMG’s commitment to increasing the quality and depth of the field.

Speaking at the launch of the 2008 Australian Masters at the Langham Hotel in Melbourne, IMG vice-president David Rollo said: “We have a vision to grow the event via world class talent in arguably the greatest sporting city in the world.  While this is not an overnight process there will be a quantum shift in the event in 2009 and 2010.

“We are hugely appreciative of the support of the Victorian Government in helping to realise this vision and look forward to partnering with them in building a major event asset in Melbourne.

“We would also like to thank the Huntingdale Golf Club, not only for the huge contribution it has made to the Masters since 1979 but also for its understanding and support of our decision to adopt a venue rotation from next year.”

The 2008 Australian Masters will again be co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour and will mark the third event of the recently announced Race to Dubai. 

Ben Sellenger, Commissioner Tour Division, commented: “The Australian Masters has held a long and esteemed tradition as an integral part of the Australasian Tour and it is a great boost for the Masters to feature as one of the first events of The Race to Dubai schedule.  The new direction for the Masters will ensure its future as a major attraction on the Australian sporting calendar.”

The field for the 2008 tournament is set to include former champions Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Craig Parry and 2005 US Open winner Michael Campbell, while Nick O’Hern, John Senden and Rod Pampling have also committed. In addition, two time representative on the International Team at The Presidents Cup and a past winner of the Scottish Open, world #37 Tim Clark will play the Australian Masters alongside last year’s runner-up and winner of the 2008 Mercedes Championship, Sweden’s Daniel Chopra.  2008 US Amateur Champion, Danny Lee, has also accepted an invitation to play the Australian Masters.  In August Lee became the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur breaking Tiger Woods’ record by six months

Click here to view the official press releases from the Victorian Government and IMG