This is the future of golf – Scott says new Australian Open format will revolutionise the sport

Adam Scott says the divided world of golf can learn a thing or two from this week’s Australian Open.

Adam Scott says he would like to see a dual-gender major tournament Picture: Getty Images

Adam Scott says the Australian Open will push the boundaries of what’s possible in world golf’s evolution when the first dual-­gender national championship makes its shotgun start across the picturesque and demanding layouts of Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne on Thursday.

Mixed USPGA and LPGA events in the future? Simultaneous men’s and women’s majors?

“I hope the rest of the world pays attention,” former world No.1 Scott said before the Open’s step into the great unknown.

“I’m here to embrace it and hopefully it’s a win-win. So far it’s been really enjoyable.

“I got to play nine holes with Minjee Lee yesterday at the Heath and Min Woo, her brother. Fun things like that aren’t normally happening. I think certainly at this time in the golfing world, eyes have been opened to different formats. Hopefully we’ve all got our eyes open this week to see the best is this one.”

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Minjee, the two-time major winner, said of future joint events: “I think there’s some conversation but I’m not sure how far along it has gone. It would be pretty cool if they did it.

“If they were to put PGA and LPGA, or women and men events, on an international scale together. It’s something I’m not sure I can control but I guess if more players are more interested in those kinds of things, then maybe we’d get the conversation rolling a bit faster.”

Min Woo acknowledged the metronomic expertise of his sister when talking up mixed formats: “It would be nice to have a partner that hits every fairway and every green and you can just lash at it. Whenever it comes, I’ll be excited for it. To play with each other, that would be cool, because we don’t really get to do that.

“Hopefully the bigger tours or this tour just keeps doing it and we can keep playing as a family.”

Tournament director Trevor Herden agreed the Open, including the All Abilities championship and an extra cut at 54 holes for the men and women to keep the combined field to 60 players on Sunday, might be the future of the sport if this tournament does become a win-win.

“It’s all a first,” Herden said. “We get the best women and best men together. I see it as a positive.

US Open champion Minjee Lee is the favourite for the women’s tournamnet Picture: Getty Images

“Certainly worth experimenting with – not experimenting, trialling. One thing we don’t talk about is, are the players sick of normal 72-hole tournaments?

“The same thing week in and week out? Travelling each week and then the same again.

“I think it’s certainly worth trialling and it could well become the way of the future.”

Three playoffs could provide a chaotic yet gloriously entertaining finish on Sunday. Of the umpteen unknowns at the Open as late as Wednesday night was which tournament would have the honour of finishing last.

It’s rather a moot point and yet an interesting one. It’s understood the women will play last in the closing round, raising the prospect of Cam Smith holing the winning men’s putt for his first Open title – before being ushered off the 18th green because there’s another group coming through.

Meanwhile, Marc Leishman has steered clear of the drama surrounding Greg Norman following calls by Tiger Woods for The Shark to step away from his LIV role for the good of the sport. But Leishman, one of the rebel league recruits, is adamant the defectors deserve to receive world rankings points.

“Greg’s done a good job,” Leishman said. “He’s got the players. I think it’s something that everyone’s got an opinion on and they’re certainly entitled to that. I’m just enjoying where I’m at. I’m happy to go about my career quietly and not get into all that stuff. Like I say, I’m just enjoying myself and excited to be here this week to try and win an Australian Open.”

LIV would have more grounds for ranking points if it played 72-hole rather than 54-hole events.

LIV golfer Marc Leishman has defended tour organiser Greg Norman Picture: Getty Images

“The world rankings, I think it’s important that we get them, otherwise they’ll be obsolete, like a lot of people have said,” Leishman said. “There are a lot of great players on LIV that are near the top of the rankings and I think they deserve to get points.

“They’re playing against very good fields and they’re hard tournaments to win. If that (72 holes) is what it took, I think I would be open to it, but one of the things that we knew when we went over to LIV was that there might not be world ranking points. That was one of the things I certainly took into account when making a decision.

“So again, that’s out of my control. I’ll go about my business and if we get them, which I hope we do, I would love that.”