Australian Open (golf)
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| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sydney, Australia (2015) |
| Established | 1904 |
| Course(s) | The Australian Golf Club (2015) |
| Par | 71 |
| 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 | |
 Matt Jones | |
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, including several Americans.
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 Matt Kuchar, therefore the winner's points were increased to 42.
In recent years the majority of tournament winners have been Australians, though golfers from the United States and South Africa have also won. 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.
History
The 2009 Open was played at New South Wales Golf Club in New South Wales where Adam Scott lifted his first Stonehaven Cup, presented to him by Greg Norman. Stuart Appleby finished runner up. International players included Steve Marino, Bryce Molder, John Daly and Kevin Stadler.
The 2010–12 Australian Opens were played at The Lakes Golf Club.
The 2013 Australian Open was played at Royal Sydney Golf Club.
The 2014 & 2015 Australian Opens were played at The Australian Golf Club.
The 2016 Australian Open will be played at Royal Sydney Golf Club.
Winners
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(a) denotes amateur
Multiple winners
As of the 2015 event, the following golfers have won the Australian Open more than once.
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See also
External links
- AusOpenGolf.com - The official tournament site from Golf Australia
- Coverage on the PGA Tour of Australasia official site
- Australian Open to be given showbiz treatment from the Herald Sun
- New hole promises to enliven Open from The Age
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