The PGA of Australasia and Golf Australia have announced the postponement of the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship from 2021 to 2022.
Both championship tournaments were scheduled for late 2021. The Australian Open was scheduled for 25 – 28 November 2021, and is now pending a new date at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney. Likewise, the Australian PGA Championship was scheduled for 2 – 5 December 2021, and has been changed to 13 – 16 January 2022.
The decision to delay both marquee golf events comes amid on-going Covid-19 challenges. Golf Australia released a statement ‘the need to ensure public safety and concerns over quarantine requirements have forced the postponement of the nation’s most prestigious golf tournaments, the Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship, until early-2022.”
Adding to the uncertainty is Australia’s harsh quarantine requirements. There is no way for Golf Australia or the PGA of Australiasia to avoid quarantine requirements in 2021, even for fully vaccinated players and officials. Golf Australia chievf executive James Sutherland said that “in addition to quarantine issues, public health considerations were a primary driver for the deferment. ‘Unfortunately, it is not a simple matter of the coordination of international players.'”
The greatest bargaining chip that these two sporting bodies have in staging Australia’s biggest golfing events is time. By delaying the events, but keeping them within the same summer season, it gives Australia’s vaccine program time to manifest while providing maximum safety for all players, officials and attendees. Proactivity is required during pandemics, and Golf Australia, as well as the PGA of Australiasia, have announced the two event postponements months in advance to ensure adequate planning is dedicated to the new dates. The postponements of both golf tournaments is the third in three years. Each event was scheduled for 2020, then 2021 and now 2022. The new dates will be the third time each event has been postponed due to Covid-19.
Can I still attend the Australian Open or Australian PGA Championship?
We are awaiting advice on whether specators will be allowed at either event on their new dates. Please contact us if you wish to attend to these events on the new dates.
