Aaron Baddeley hits out of a bunker Australian Masters at Huntingdale Golf Course – AAP Image /Andrew Brownbill
Australian Golf always complains that they can’t keep up with the tours in America and Europe and attract the big international names to play here. But they are getting the basics wrong.
For a start, most professional golfers finish their season around about now to get some time with family – and now, ironically, is when the Australian golf season commences.
That alone sounds silly enough.
Secondly, they promote the ‘Australian Masters’ as the Australian tour’s main event, when really it was, and always will be, the Australian Open – won seven times by Gary Player, six times by the great Jack Nicklaus, and other names like Peter Thomson and Arnold Palmer.
The Australian Open started in around 1904, it is over 100 years old and was once one of the big five tournaments in the world of golf. It was a sought after trophy, but it is no longer.
Why is that? Because they are getting the basics wrong.
If the Australian Open was held in our winter, or at least in the international season, and it was held at the same venue every year, in Melbourne, it would be half way to being a realistic option for international players.
But why would they travel half way around the world to play for less money? They won’t. But, if Australian golf took a long look at itself, maybe it would forget about promoting the ‘Australian Masters’, ‘The Australian PGA’, ‘The Vines’ etc and put all their energy and money into one tournament to set it up on the international stage.
What Australian Golf is trying to do is get back on the international stage, but they are trying to do it with several tournaments. They should take a step back and realise the only way to take a step forward onto the international stage is with one tournament. They need one tournament that draws in the players – and it needs to be in the golfing season, from January to November.
I don’t get the ‘Australian Masters’.
Is it Australia’s infatuation with all things American? What is with the Gold Jacket? Maybe it should be run on the Gold Coast and they should give the winner some white shoes as well?
If a golfer wants the win the ‘Masters’ they want to win the US Masters, which even non-golfers know is on in April at Augusta Georgia, USA and the winner gets a Green Jacket in the Butler Cabin, presented by the champion from the previous year.
Even the Australian PGA has more credit to it than the ‘Australian Masters’. The Australian PGA was established over 100 years ago, but the ‘Australian Masters’ gold jacket and white shoes thing, has been around since 1979. I don’t think Nicklaus ever played it, or Palmer (but i could be wrong).
Why isn’t Australian golf trying to keep the tradition alive and dump the ‘Australian Masters’ tagline of ‘The tradition continues’ and revert to the Australian Open as the trophy to win, with all the great names that have done so previously.
The ‘Australian Masters’ is some modern two-bit effort to copy a successful tournament in America.
But we are Australian.
To put the Australian Open golf tournament into perspective, the coveted ‘Major Title’ that is the ‘US Masters’ started in 1933 – 30 years after the Australian Open began.
Officials, take heed that the Australian Open is and should be promoted as not only Australia’s premier golf event but should sit proudly alongside other world majors.
Make it again one of the ‘must-have’ majors for golfers.
truthbetold
Guest
well said matt
Matt
Guest
It really frustrates me that the European Tour seems to be moving away from Australia, to focus more on Asia and the Middle East, Australia is an established and strong golfing country, as is New Zealand, with history, great courses and generally great weather. I would love to have seen how different last weeks fields in Australia and Singapore would have been if the prize fund in Australia had have been $6million Personally I think the Australian Open should focus on the European Tour if at all possible and get the week after the Dubai Desert Classic in February, the same week last season saw Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas and over 90 international players play in the Johnnie Walker Classic, and that was the week before the Accenture Match Play in the US I would bet on the PGA Tour taking over the Australian Masters, and dropping the Masters tag, there is no way another tournament on the PGA Tour will have the Masters tag. COME ON AUSTRALIAN OPEN GET IT TOGETHER
truthbetold
Guest
What about the history? what about Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazan, Bobby Locke, Tom Watson/??? They are not Australian pro's or amateurs. They are LEGENDS of golf and former winners of the Australian Open golf tournament. The Australian Open should be up there with biggest tournaments in Golf, it once was, it just needs life and energy breathed into it. ...It needs the Australian public to understand the tournaments history/legacy. If Tiger Woods came out to Australia for the Australian Open each year, that would help. It surprises me that Tiger is interested in chasing a tournament that Nicklaus never won, i dont think he ever player the 'Australian Masters'? But Nicklaus won the Australian Open 6 times. Yes the 'Australian Masters' was a television bonanza this year and the script could not have been more perfect for the organisers. Well done Stuart Appleby and the IMG crew behind it.
Hooplah
Guest
It is NOT a direct copy. They rotate it throughout Melbourne's courses for starters. The Open is for Australian pro and amateurs. The Masters will have only the top performing Aussies. To get on the PGA tour you have to limit local entries, that is the deal I am afraid. It is not over the line yet, but stay tuned.
truthbetold
Guest
If the Masters got on the USPGA tour over the open, it would be a crying shame. It would be a great reflection of Australian Sport though, we lose our identity and copy America. The Jb Masters, Australian masters whatever is a direct copy of the successful, yet modern major, The US Masters. Why do we need to copy the Americans? Why couldnt the tournament that was just won by Stuart Appleby, why couldnt that be the Australian Open with all that money and Government support? Why can't IMG get behind the real thing? Why dont they see the value in 100+ years of history in the Australian Open, a tournament that used to attract the big names including the Worlds best in Jack Nicklaus. I dont get it.
Hooplah!
Guest
Well, you may not like it, but the Master's will be on the US PGA tour soon. This will make it have the strongest fields ever to play on our shores. It will make the tourney, the closest yet to us ever staging a 'major'. Maybe in time, if large attendances follow, the top players continue to show up and it get's good raps there is potential for it to become quite a presitgious event. Up there with the TPC, or one of the mainstay USPGA events. Far better than we have had. The Oz Open, because it is a Sydney event, will flounder. Most people there wouldn't go across the street to see something.
truthbetold
Guest
Thanks for all the feedback guys. I must say, watching Eddie McGuire commentate on golf is painful. Please leave it to the golfers Eddie and stick to being a game show host. IF, Australian golf dropped the Masters, and the other fringe tournaments and tried to have ONE tournament a year (in the golfing season/calendar) that attracts International players, they would be taking a step in the right direction. At present they have several tournaments (all out of season) TRYING to attract them and are failing miserably. Surely the investment companies and financiers (JB were) etc could all pile the money into the one tournament with International credibility (the Australian Open) and they could all make money from it, rather than trying to compete with each other over these little tournaments. Bring back the Australian Open and keep the legacy that Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazan, Bobby Locke, Tom Watson, Von Nida, Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Ossie Pickworth and MANY other players established before Australian tournament golf fell on its bones.
John Hunt
Guest
Junior The Masters began before Channel Seven televised it.
Junior
Guest
excellent article truth. can't really disagree with your sensible opinions. revenue, i'm indifferent as to whether the australian open is held at the same course in melb every year, rotated around the sandbelt every year or rotated around the country every year. we're all australian, so it doesn't really matter. btw, i think the australian masters "concept" is a channel seven thing and we all know how amateur they are. no surprises that it's tacky then. all i think of when the tournament comes around is sandy roberts trying to sound serious when he says "the tradition continues". big, big turnoff!
djsinnema
Roar Rookie
Well it don't matter what a tournament held at a sand belt course is really called. You would find that no matter which of those "big three" is held in Melbourne, that would be the one that was to take the role of the biggest in Australia. As it turns out the Australian Masters is that tournament, it is unfortunately the least likely to be shifted to another city to make room for the Open
benobass
Guest
I agree and i beleive Melbourne is the right area as the sandbelt courses are known world wide. Has anyone heard any press about this years Aus open? I sure haven't. Make the Aus open a world class event again.
John Hunt
Guest
Both the Masters and the Open are held in Melbourne and Sydney cause the major events corps bought the rights and sponsor the events. Without it, both would not happen. Melbourne is very aggressive in getting playter whereas the Open has little support from Sydney Read during the week that Australia may be considered for a PGA Tour event. That would be a boost. The OneAsia while in developing stages, is going to be a boost for the Open
rupert
Guest
I agree Ken. It should move around the country, like they do with 'the open' (British Open) they rotate it each year and keep the courses, the flavor and the tradition consistent and attractive. The post written by 'truth be told' has a lot of merit though. Enjoyed reading it
Ken
Guest
I'm with you except why would it be held in Melbourne every year? I'm not an expert but hasn't this event always moved around the country? If you're principle point is that this tournament should be front and centre because of it's history, changing it's traditions is probably not the first thing you want to do. Besides, Melbourne can't have much more money in the kitty to buy up more events can they? :-)