Gold Coast loses PGA Championship as new Brisbane location announced for 2020
The long-time Gold Coast venue for the country’s premier golf tournament has revealed their disappointment after organisers announced a new location today.
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THE long-time Gold Coast venue for the country’s flagship golf tournament has revealed their disappointment after organisers announced a new location today.
The Australian PGA Championship will now be held in Brisbane for the next three years.
Gold Coast’s RACV Royal Pines has hosted the premier event for the past seven years but it will now be relocated to Brisbane’s Royal Queensland Golf Club.
An RACV spokesman said they were disappointed with the news.
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“RACV has been a long-time supporter of the Australian PGA Championship at the Gold Coast, and had maintained its support of the event for 2020,” he said.
“RACV understands that the PGA has, however, decided to move the Australian PGA Championship to Brisbane in 2020.
“This is a disappointing outcome.”
PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said they were excited to return to Brisbane to celebrate their centenary year.
“Royal Queensland Golf Club is a rich breeding ground which has unearthed a number of PGA Professionals, including one of the game’s icons, Greg Norman,” he said.
“We look forward to celebrating the club’s history with our flagship event.”
Brisbane will also hold the rights to host the 2021 and 2022 Australian PGA Championship as part of the host city agreement, a statement by the Australian PGA today said.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the Gold Coast had saved the tournament “as it was dying along with the dinosaurs”.
“I take this opportunity to thank RACV Royal Pines for its major sponsorship in this event and its investment in upgrading the golf course to the tune of $18 million,” he said.
“It was a team effort to make this event world class.
“This has enabled the PGA the opportunity to negotiate the European Tour sanction, which resulted in the increase of the TV audience into Europe of around 400 million viewers.
“Future major events partners should view the Gold Coast as an opportunity to increase and receive goodwill from our city. We've done it before and we’ll do it again.
“As a Queenslander, I wish the PGA every success as the Royal Queensland Golf Course celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“When the contract expires, I would think they will look at the Gold Coast as a future location. As I always say, ‘be the boomerang and come back’.”
The announcement comes after officials last month were adamant no deal had been signed to move the event away from its Gold Coast location.
Destination Gold Coast chairman and avid golfer Paul Donovan said at the time the event had made enormous impact on the city since arriving in 2013 and needed to stay.
“Having the PGA here has been terrific because we have been able to bring important international travel people to the Coast to participate,” he said before the December tournament.
“It’s a catalyst to get the people here.”
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