The Australian Open, owned and run by Golf Australia, is the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The Open was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year.
The Australian Open was the flagship tournament of the PGA Tour of Australasia from 1992 to 2019. It had a special status in the Official World Golf Ranking's points system, awarding a minimum 32 points to the winner regardless of the strength of the field.
The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour from 2009 to 2016. The 2022 edition was co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
Since the Open Qualifying Series was introduced for the 2014 Open Championship, the Australian Open has been the first of a number of qualifying tournaments, giving up to three non-exempt players entry into the Open Championship.[2]
The Australian Golf Union was formed in 1898 and from 1899 organised a championship meeting. From 1899 to 1902 this included the Australian Amateur championship contested over 72 holes of stroke play. In 1903 the format was revised, there being a 36-hole stroke-play stage after which the leading 8 played match-play with a 36-hole final. The 1904 championship meeting was held at The Australian Golf Club. In 1903, the club had hosted the New South Wales Amateur and had run the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying stage as an open event, with professionals as well as amateurs competing. The idea was used at the 1904 championship meeting. There was a 72-hole stroke-play event open to professionals, played over two days, after which the leading 16 amateurs competed for the amateur championship. The stroke-play event became the first Australian Open and was won by an English amateur, Michael Scott, with a score of 315. Two more amateurs Leslie Penfold Hyland and Dan Soutar finished second and third, while Carnegie Clark was the leading professional, tied for fourth place.[5]
The 1905 championship meeting was played at Royal Melbourne and the open and amateur championship were decided by the same 72-hole tournament. Dan Soutar, now a professional, won the open with Michael Scott second, 10 strokes behind. As the leading amateur, Scott won the amateur championship.[6] The 1906 open was won by Carnegie Clark, 5 ahead of Soutar.[7] Soutar was to be runner-up in five successive opens, from 1906 to 1910. In 1907 Scott repeated his success of 1904, and further amateur wins came in the following two years, Clyde Pearce winning in 1908 and Claude Felstead in 1909.[8][9][10] The 1910 open was held in South Australia for the first time and resulted in a second win for Clark, with a record score of 306, 11 strokes ahead of Soutar.[11] Clark won for the third time the following year, although only by a single shot from Fred Popplewell.[12] The 1912 open was won by an 18-year-old amateur, Ivo Whitton, 5 ahead of Popplewell and Soutar.[13] Whitton won again the following year with a new record score of 302. Another amateur Audley Lemprière came second with Soutar third, a distant 15 strokes behind Whitton.[14]
The open restarted in 1920 and was won by Joe Kirkwood Sr. with a score of 290, 12 strokes better than the previous record score. Dan Soutar was second, 5 shots behind, the seventh time he had been runner-up.[15] Five of the nine opens between 1924 and 1932 were won by amateurs. In 1924 Alex Russell led from the start after an opening round of 68 and, with further rounds of 79, 78 and 78, won by two strokes from Carnegie Clark.[16]Ivo Whitton won in 1926, 13 years after his last win, and won again in 1929 and 1931.[17][18][19]Mick Ryan won in 1932, the third successive amateur winner at Royal Adelaide.[20] Of the professionals, Fred Popplewell won twice, in 1925 and 1928, while Rufus Stewart won in 1927 and was runner-up in the other four opens between 1926 and 1930.[21][22][23] 1928 was the first Open played over 3 days, with 36 holes on the final day. There was a cut after 36 holes with the leading 60 and ties playing on the final day. With the leading 16 amateurs in the Open qualifying for the match play stage of the amateur championship, there was also a proviso that at least 24 amateurs should make the cut.[24] The 1930 open was the first to be held at the Metropolitan Golf Club and the winner, Frank Eyre, was the first to be presented with the Stonehaven Cup.[25]
1931 saw the emergence of 16-year-old Jim Ferrier. Needing 5 at the last hole to tie Ivo Whitton, he took 6 and finished runner-up.[19] He was also a runner-up in 1933 and 1935. He had another good change to win in 1935 but took 7 at the 71st hole and again finished a stroke behind the winner.[26] He didn't win the open until 1938, when he won by a record 14 strokes from Norman Von Nida.[27] He repeated his success in 1939.[28] 1934 saw the first serious American challenger when Gene Sarazen played in the event. He was on a world tour with Joe Kirkwood Jr. However Billy Bolger won the open with a new record score of 283, with Sarazen second and Kirkwood fourth.[29] Sarazen returned in 1936 and won with a score of 282, a new record.[30]
The championship resumed in 1946 at Royal Sydney and was won by Ossie Pickworth, who finished two ahead of the amateur Alan Waterson.[31] The Australian Amateur was also played at Royal Sydney, starting the following week. However, the Open no longer acted as a qualifying event for the amateur championship, which became match-play only.[32] 1947 was the first year that the open and amateur were played at different venues, Royal Queensland hosting the open for the first time. It was also the first time it had been played as early as June. Billy McWilliam scored 65 in the first round and took an 8 stroke lead. He still led by 4 at the start of the final round but took 78, while Pickworth scored 69 to retain his title by 5 shots.[33] From 1947 it was generally the case that the Open and the Amateur were played at separate venues. This naturally tended to reduce the number of amateurs playing in the open, since they no longer had to play it to qualify for the amateur championship. 1948 saw the first appearance of Jim Ferrier since 1939, creating much public interest in the event. Pickworth and Ferrier tied on 289, resulting in the first open playoff.[34] Pickworth won the 18 hole playoff with a score of 71 to Ferrier's 74, to win his third successive title.[35] Pickworth seemed likely to win his fourth title in 1949 as he led by 6 strokes after 3 rounds. However, Eric Cremin had a last round of 68 to Pickworth's 80 to win the title. Pickworth was later disqualified for recording an incorrect score at his final hole, so that Norman Von Nida, playing in his first open since 1939, became the runner-up.[36]
Norman Von Nida was the leading player of the early-1950s, winning the open in 1950, 1952 and 1953 and being a runner-up in the other four opens between 1949 and 1955. Peter Thomson won in 1951 while Ossie Pickworth took his fourth title in 1954.[37][38] 1952 was the first open held in Western Australia, being played at Lake Karrinyup. Von Nida won with a record score of 278.[39] Von Nida equalled that record in 1953 and also equalled the record for the lowest round, with his final 65.[40]Bobby Locke won in 1955, the first overseas winner since 1936. This was played at Gailes, near Brisbane, in late May, the earliest of any open.[41]Kel Nagle seems a likely winner in 1956 but finished badly, for a final round 76, while Bruce Crampton finished with two birdies for a 68 and won by two strokes.[42]
Gary Player made his first appearance in 1957, and would eventually win the title 7 times. He seemed a likely winner on his debut, but in the final round took 7 at the 13th and 6 at the 16th and lost by a stroke from Frank Phillips.[43][44] Player returned in 1958, winning by 5 strokes.[45]Kel Nagle had been close to winning a number of times and won his only open in 1959.[46] The 1960 open was held at Lake Karrinyup for the second time, a week after the amateur championship. Bruce Devlin, still an amateur, won his only open. Amateurs took 8 of the first 9 places.[47] Player returned in 1961 but only finished tied for third, Phillips winning by two strokes from Nagle.[48] Player won in 1962, by two strokes from Nagle. Jack Nicklaus made his debut in 1962, finishing 5th.[49] Player won again in 1963, his third win, by 5 shots from Bruce Devlin.[50] Devlin came close to winning in 1964. Needing a par-5 at the 72nd hole he took 6, and then lost to Jack Nicklaus by 3 strokes in an 18-hole playoff. The playoff was played on a Sunday, the first Sunday play in the open's history.[51] Player won his fourth title in 1965, setting a new record score of 264, despite taking a bogey-5 at the final hole. Player started with a record round of 62 and had another 62 in the third round. Nicklaus and Phillips tied for second place, 6 behind Player.[52]
The 1966 open was the first to be held over four days and the first to finish on a Sunday. Arnold Palmer made his debut in the event and won by 5 strokes from Kel Nagle.[53]Peter Thomson won his second open in 1967, the first Australian winner since 1961. He won by 7 strokes from Col Johnston.[54]Jack Nicklaus won for the second time in 1968, beating Gary Player by a stroke after making a birdie-3 at the final hole.[55] The 1968 open was sponsored by a local TV company, the first open to be sponsored. From 1969 the event was sponsored by Qantas.[56][57] In difficult conditions, Player had a final round 77, but still won his 5th title in 1969, equalling Ivo Whitton's record.[58] In 1970 Player led by 8 strokes after three rounds and, despite a last round 74, won by 3, for his 6th win in the event.[59] In 1971 the open was held in Tasmania for the only time, at Royal Hobart. Nicklaus had a 9-stroke lead after three rounds and won by 8 shots.[60] In 1972 there was an 18-hole playoff after a tie between Peter Thomson and David Graham.[61] Graham drove out-of-bounds at the first hole and Thomson took a three-stroke lead after making a birdie. Thomson eventually won by 6 strokes for his third title.[62]J. C. Snead won in 1973, by two strokes from Jerry Breaux, a little-known American.[63] In 1974 Player won his 7th title. Leading by 5 strokes at the start of the final round, he scored 73 and won by 3.[64]
From 1975 to 1978 the open was held at The Australian Golf Club. Kerry Packer had funded a redesign of the course by Jack Nicklaus. The event was broadcast through Packer's Channel Nine network. He also financed a large increase in the prize money.[citation needed] Nicklaus won three of the four events, in 1973, 1974 and 1976 while David Graham won in 1975.[65] The 1979 and 1980 events were sponsored by Dunhill but with less prize money than in 1978. Jack Newton won in 1979 with Greg Norman winning in 1980.[66][67] The 1981 event was multi-sponsored, without a title sponsor, and was won by Bill Rogers, beating Norman by a stroke.[68][69]
Having not been played in 2020 or 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event returned in 2022. It was announced that the 2022 tournament would feature the men's and women's Opens played on the same course at the same time. They would also share a prize fund of US$3,400,000. In addition to this announcement, it was also confirmed that the European Tour would sanction the men's event for the first time.[70]
↑ Westwood won with a par on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff.
↑ Morse won with a par on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
↑ Thomson won the title following an 18-hole playoff; Thomson 68, Graham 74.
↑ Nicklaus won the title following an 18-hole playoff; Nicklaus 67, Devlin 70.
↑ Pickworth won the title following an 18-hole playoff; Pickworth 71, Ferrier 74
Related Research Articles
Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a 36-hole golf club in Australia, located in Black Rock, Victoria, a suburb in southeastern Melbourne. Its West and East courses are respectively ranked number 1 and 6 in Australia. The West course is ranked in the top-five courses in the world. Founded 133 years ago in 1891, it is Australia's oldest extant and continually existing golf club. Unlike many metropolitan golf venues, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club has a capacity for 15,000 spectators.
The Australian PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA. Since 2000 it has been held in the South East Queensland region. The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour from 2009 to 2014, and it has been co-sanctioned with the European Tour from 2015 to 2019 and again in 2022.
The Australian Amateur is the national amateur golf championship of Australia. It has been played annually since 1894, except for the war years, and is organised by Golf Australia. Having traditionally been a match play event, from 2021 it has been a 72-hole stroke play event, having last been played as a stroke play event in 1907.
The Tasmanian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Tasmania, Australia.
The Victorian PGA Championship is a golf tournament played in Victoria, Australia. It has been part of the PGA Tour of Australasia each season since 2009. It is the oldest of the state professional championships, having been first held in 1922.
The Queensland Open is a golf tournament held in Queensland, Australia as part of the PGA Tour of Australasia. It was founded in 1925. The event was not held from 2008 to 2012 but returned as a PGA Tour of Australasia event in 2013.
The New South Wales PGA Championship was a professional golf tournament played in New South Wales, Australia between 1923 and 2015.
The Ampol Tournament was the richest golf event of its time in Australia. From 1952 the sponsor, Ampol, offered great prize money to attract the leading American and European players to compete.
Robert James Stanton is a retired professional golfer from Australia. He had considerable success in the late 1960s, winning a number of tournaments in Australia and playing on the PGA Tour. As a 20-year-old, he won the 1966 Dunlop International, beating Arnold Palmer in a sudden-death playoff. He never won on the PGA Tour but was runner-up twice, in the 1969 AVCO Golf Classic and the 1970 Florida Citrus Invitational. He had a brief return of form in 1974/1975 and again for a few years from 1982.
The Victorian Close Championship was an annual golf tournament held in Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1948. It was superseded by the Victorian Open which was first held in 1957, but was reintroduced the following year and continued until about 1978.
The Victorian Amateur Championship is the state amateur golf championship of Victoria, Australia. It has been played annually since 1899, except for the war years.
The New South Wales Amateur Championship is the state amateur golf championship of New South Wales, Australia. It was first played in 1898.
James Dalrymple Howden was an Australian amateur golfer. He won the Australian Amateur in 1904 and 1911 and was runner-up four times. He also won the Victorian Amateur Championship twice and the New South Wales Amateur Championship.
Anthony Yale Gresham is an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1977 Australian Amateur and represented Australia in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy events between 1968 and 1980. He also won two professional events, the 1975 New South Wales Open and the 1978 South Australian Open.
Robert Francis Stevens was an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1952 Australian Amateur. He was a member of the Australian team that won the first Commonwealth Tournament in 1954 and was also in the team that won the inaugural Eisenhower Trophy in 1958.
Alan Norman Waterson was an Australian amateur golfer. In 1946 he was runner-up in the Australian Open and the winner of the Australian Amateur. He won the New South Wales Amateur Championship four times, and represented Australia in the Sloan Morpeth Trophy.
Harry William Hattersley was an Australian amateur golfer. He won the Australian Amateur in 1930 and 1947, and the New South Wales Amateur Championship in 1933, 1935 and 1950. He was part of an Australian team that went to Britain in 1938 and he later represented Australia in the Sloan Morpeth Trophy.
Harry Williamson Berwick was an Australian golfer. He won the Australian Amateur twice, in 1950 and 1956, and won the 1952 New Zealand Amateur. He won two open titles in 1956, the Lakes Open and the New Zealand Open. He was part of the Australian teams that won the 1954 Commonwealth Tournament at St Andrews and the 1966 Eisenhower Trophy in Mexico City. He turned professional at the age of 52.
Clyde Bowman Pearce was an Australian amateur golfer. He won both the Australian Open and the Australian Amateur in 1908 and was runner-up in the Australian Amateur three times. He was killed in Belgium during World War I.
William Joseph Bolger was an Australian professional golfer. He won the Australian Open in 1934, finishing three strokes ahead of Gene Sarazen. He also won the New South Wales Professional Championship twice, in 1930 and 1939 and represented Australia in the Lakes International Cup in 1934 and 1936.
1 2 "Inter-State Golf". The Age. No.15, 799. Victoria, Australia. 28 October 1905. p.12. Retrieved 14 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". The Australian Star. No.5826. New South Wales, Australia. 15 October 1906. p.6 (First edition). Retrieved 14 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. No.21, 746. New South Wales, Australia. 28 September 1907. p.14. Retrieved 14 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". The Register (Adelaide). Vol.LXXIV, no.19, 604. South Australia. 11 September 1909. p.14. Retrieved 14 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". The Advertiser. Vol.LIII, no.16, 171. South Australia. 15 August 1910. p.10. Retrieved 14 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". Sunday Times. No.1339. New South Wales, Australia. 17 September 1911. p.10. Retrieved 16 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". The Advertiser. Vol.LVI, no.17, 122. South Australia. 1 September 1913. p.18. Retrieved 16 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. No.25, 752. New South Wales, Australia. 19 July 1920. p.7. Retrieved 16 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "A. Russell Wins". The Telegraph. No.16, 153. Queensland, Australia. 6 September 1924. p.9 (Second edition). Retrieved 16 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf Championship". The Age. No.23, 207. Victoria, Australia. 24 August 1929. p.23. Retrieved 17 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. No.27, 317. New South Wales, Australia. 24 July 1925. p.15. Retrieved 17 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "The Open Golf Championship". The Referee. No.2135. New South Wales, Australia. 22 February 1928. p.13. Retrieved 2 December 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Von Nida breaks Open record". The Age. No.30, 371. Victoria, Australia. 1 September 1952. p.14. Retrieved 18 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Player wins 7th Open title". The Canberra Times. Vol.49, no.13, 903. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 4 November 1974. p.14. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
1 2 Thomson, Peter (3 November 1975). "Big Jack canters home". The Age. p.23. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via Google News Archive.
↑ "Norman back at No 1". The Canberra Times. Vol.62, no.19, 049. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 December 1987. p.24. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Stunning victory to Fowler". The Canberra Times. Vol.58, no.17, 585. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 21 November 1983. p.16. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Shearer takes Open by four". The Canberra Times. Vol.57, no.17, 222. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 22 November 1982. p.24. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Nicklaus' Australian Open". The Canberra Times. Vol.53, no.15, 765. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 November 1978. p.16. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "David Graham wins open". The Canberra Times. Vol.52, no.14, 937. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 21 November 1977. p.20. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Now for the big one". The Age. 2 November 1976. p.26. Retrieved 22 November 2020– via Google News Archive.
↑ "Golf". Western Mail. Vol.XLVIII, no.2, 483. Western Australia. 14 September 1933. p.20. Retrieved 17 November 2020– via National Library of Australia.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Ryggs Johnston 
