Hopes new Victorian golf tournament will be ’Australia’s answer to Masters’

A new tournament set to take place in regional Victoria aims to lure some of the world’s best players and help the state become the nation’s golf capital.

A new Australian professional golf tournament inspired by Augusta National and the iconic Masters is expected to lure some of the world’s best players to Victoria.

In a win for the state’s major events calendar and comeback, an annual golf drawcard will on Friday be announced for country Victoria.

The Herald Sun can reveal Cathedral Lodge and Golf Club in Thornton will play host to the inaugural Cathedral Invitational on December 5 and 6.

It will tee off two days after the Australian Open, featuring many of Australia’s best male and female golfers and showcasing some of the world’s leading international talent.

British Open winners Cameron Smith and Ashleigh Buhai are among the big names locked in for the Australian Open at Victoria Golf and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs, ahead of the new tournament.

It’s hoped the likes of Cameron Smith may play in the tournament. Picture: Getty Images

Cathedral Invitational chairman and course owner David Evans said he wanted it to be Australia’s answer to The Masters.

“The announcement of The Cathedral Invitational is the next step in our journey to become one of the world’s great member and event destinations,’’ he said.

“This year is just the beginning.’’

The unique 36-hole format will be played over two days, with the gates of Cathedral opened to the public for the first time on day two.

It will be broadcast through Fox Sports.

It is hoped the event will help stamp Victoria as the nation’s golf capital and help fill one of the only gaps in the state’s stunning sporting calendar.

Mr Evans said the event, backed by PGA Tour Australasia, would “cement Cathedral Lodge and Golf Club on the world stage and contribute to the development of professional golf in our country.

Greg Norman hits a few balls at the opening of the Cathedral Lodge golf course in 2017. Picture: David Crosling

“It is an incredibly exciting time in Australian golf right now, with the success of our female and male players on the world stage and the ever-changing structure of the world’s golf calendar.

“We are positioning ourselves to be embrace this momentum and be ready for new opportunities”.

Announcements about the player field, prize money, sponsors and ticketing will be released in coming weeks.

Tournament director Peter Johnston, also in charge of the Kooyong Classic, said there were parallels between the new golf event and the tennis drawcard played in the lead-up to Australia’s Grand Slam.

“We are assured that we will have a really strong player field,’’ he said.

“And we are piggy backing to some degree off the fact these players are all in Australia for the Australian Open and this is straight after.’’

At least 40 pros will take part in the event.

Tickets will go on sale on October 1.