IN WHAT promises to be two of the biggest-ever weeks in Australian golf, next year’s Australian Masters will be moved to the week before the Presidents Cup.
Plans are already in place to bring the Australian Masters forward to the week before the November 17-starting Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.
The Presidents Cup is returning to Australia for the first time since 1998 when the Internationals, captained by Peter Thomson, humbled a Star-Spangled USA side boasting Tiger Woods and double major winner that year, Mark O’Meara.
It was the only occasion in the history of the event the Internationals have won the biannual competition. Greg Norman and Fred Couples, who captained the 2008 teams in San Francisco, have agreed to stay on to lead the sides in Australia. The presence of Norman as International Captain will surely guarantee a sell-out crowd.
Golfer Pacific has learned the Australian PGA Tour and the Victorian Government are already well advanced in moving the 2011 Australian Masters to a November 10 starting date at Kingston Heath. That would ensure a ‘sold out’ sign for two weeks in a row – particularly if Woods should decide to return to the Kingston Heath course where he won his first tournament on Australian soil.
There are also suggestions the Australian Open could be staged in Sydney starting on November 24, 2011 and the week after the Presidents Cup. If so, that would make for a triple treat of international golf for Australian starved fans.
It could also mean a good sprinkling of International and American players looking to acclimatise in Australia by teeing up at Kingston Heath. Certainly Golf Australia administrators will also be working hard to attract a handful to remain ‘Down Under’ for the Australian Open in Sydney.
“I’ve heard that there are already considering moving one of the Australasian Tour events to the week before the Presidents Cup,” said USA Team Captain Couples.
“That sounds very attractive – to try and have some of my team members compete in that event.
“I believe it’s the Australian Masters. But whatever event it is going to be it should make for two big weeks of golf in Australia and that can only be a good thing.
“If it happens I won’t be saying to my players that they should be playing but I will highlight that it will help acclimatising by playing the week before.
“Maybe we can get a number of players from both teams playing the week before.”
Australia’s Stuart Appleby, who’s played in five Presidents Cup including a first on home soil in 2008, believes it makes good sense to switch the Australian Masters to the week before the Presidents Cup.
“If Australian Open or Australian Masters organisers were able to organise guys like Stewart Cink, Hunter Mahan or someone like Anthony Kim to play in Australia the week before the Presidents Cup then that would be great,” said Appleby.
“It would be the ideal preparation for them to play in Australia the week before the Cup and I am sure that there will also be a number of International Team players who might want to play the week before.”
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