Australian Open (golf)
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| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Rose Bay, Australia (2016) |
| Established | 1904 |
| Course(s) | Royal Sydney Golf Club (2016) |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,230 yards (6,610 m) |
| Tour(s) |
PGA Tour of Australasia OneAsia Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | A$1,250,000 |
| Month played | November |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 264 Gary Player (1965) |
| To par | –28 Gary Player (1965) |
| Current champion | |
 Jordan Spieth | |
Sydney GC
The Australian Open, owned and run by Golf Australia, is the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The tournament is also part of the OneAsia Tour which was formed in 2009. The Open was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year. The winner of the tournament receives the Stonehaven Cup.
The prize money is considered modest when compared to tournaments on the PGA Tour and the European Tour, however the Australian Open's position is one of the traditional golf powers. Its roll of honour for the years between the mid-1950s to the late 1980s includes many of the most distinguished international golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
The Australian Open is one of the "national opens" having a special status in the Official World Golf Ranking's points system since 2007. This status awards a minimum 32 points to the winner regardless of the strength of the field. The 2011 edition had several top Americans such as Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, therefore the winner's points were increased to 42.
In recent years American Jordan Spieth has dominated the event winning twice (2014, 2016) and finishing runner-up once (2015). England's Lee Westwood and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy are the only European golfers to have won the tournament.
Since 2014, the Australian Open has been one of the tournaments in the Open Qualifying Series that would give three non-exempt players entry into The Open Championship.
Winners
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(a) denotes amateur
Multiple winners
As of the 2016 event, the following golfers have won the Australian Open more than once.
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See also
External links
- www.AusOpenGolf.com, official tournament website from Golf Australia
- Coverage on the PGA Tour of Australasia official site
- New hole promises to enliven Open from The Age
Coordinates: 33°52′23″S 151°15′58″E / 33.8731°S 151.2661°E