Golf Australia are not wedded to playing the men and women’s Australian Open together in the future after leading players expressed their concern about the format and its timing during this year’s event at Kingston Heath.
However, CEO James Sutherland said they had to balance the concerns of the game’s best players with the financial realities that led to the dual format being introduced three years ago.
The greens at the Australian Open became tougher to play in the second round.Credit: Getty Images
He said it was no secret that many leading male players like the tournament’s date but don’t like the format while the best female players struggle with the date but like the exposure the format gives their game.
Sutherland said financial realities and the need to grow the game meant the solution was not as simple as just making the obvious decision to play the men’s and women’s events at different times.
The tournament’s main drawcard, Cameron Smith, set the debate alight when he criticised the course set-up leading into the tournament, prompting Sutherland to admit it would be ideal to play the dual format at a 36-hole golf course such as Royal Melbourne or Peninsula-Kingswood.
Sutherland said decisions about whether the tournaments would remain in Victoria were yet to be made. Discussions with the Victorian Government about the location are now expected to ramp up.
Weather played a major part in the Australian Open as debate raged about the formatCredit: Getty Images
“We understand the focus on the future of the Australian Open as all three championships [men’s, women’s and all abilities] mean so much to so many, so we will continue to consult with key stakeholders to ensure the success of the event moving forward,” Sutherland said.
On Sunday, after completing his round, Smith was cautious in giving his view on whether the men and women should play together, but said it had “been a long week” and he remained none the wiser as to some of the reasons behind the format and the course set-up.
Sutherland said Golf Australia, while well aware of the stars’ views, was balancing many issues, including the fact the women’s tournament had struggled for financial viability as a standalone event.
“Any suggestions that we sit idly in our offices and make decisions about these events without talking to players and their representatives is just categorically untrue,” Sutherland said.
“We’ve spent time with players this week and their representatives this week, and we will continue to do that. Some of them know more than others where we are at with all of that.
“The simple solution would be to separate [the men and women] and let’s go back to great events like that, but it’s not quite that easy because there are a lot of very, very important stakeholders who bring this event together and make it economically viable, financially sustainable and also sustainable in terms of getting the outcomes we want.”
Sutherland said the tournament organisers knew how critical the broadcast was to getting commercial partners investing in the game and everyone understood how important it was to attract the game’s biggest names to attract viewers.
Smith played this week, however Adam Scott decided to give the dual format tournament a miss while Jason Day played in the Australian PGA but not the Open. Hannah Green arrived from Florida on Wednesday to play in the Open.
Cameron Smith tees off at the Australian Open.Credit: Getty Images
“The players are the star of the show, and they are incredibly important to us and the way that they support our event at the end of a very, very long season is incredible,” Sutherland said.
He said enough had been said about the way the courses were set up, however WPGA CEO Karen Lunn backed Sutherland’s previous comments that the instructions were, to her understanding, to “play how they are supposed to play hard and fast but we can’t control the weather”.
“From the girls’ point of view, the pins we are playing here and Victoria are much, much harder than they would normally play any other week,” Lunn said.
Earlier in the day Smith admitted he was so angry after torpedoing his chances in the tournament with a disastrous back nine on Friday that he could hardly sleep.
With his playing group “put on the clock” on Friday, Smith, 31, dropped five shots to fall back in the pack, and he was unable to regain that ground at the weekend as he finished a disappointing tournament three under par on Sunday.
“That back nine on Friday just kind of hurt, and it was hard to get over. I was frustrated and angry that whole night, got a terrible sleep and was up all night thinking about it,” Smith said. “It was just hard to get back into the rhythm of things.”
It ended a frustrating week at Kingston Heath for Smith who criticised the preparation of the course ahead of the tournament. He said on Sunday he had asked whether officials wanted the courses more friendly to help the scoring in the women’s tournament but had not received an adequate response.
Asked whether he thought it was fair on the women to combine the two national titles as part of the same event, Smith played a straight bat.
“I don’t know. I have asked that question and I haven’t got any answers from the higher-uppers, so it is probably unfair for me to answer for them. It’s a long week out here. I’ll just say that,” Smith said.
He said he had enquired in each of the past two years whether the courses had been prepared differently because of the format but had not received an adequate answer on that issue either.
“It’s a question I have asked consecutively about course set-up, and we have had some conversations with it, and it was the same again this year, so I am not sure on the reason. But like I said, I have asked plenty of questions and haven’t got an answer back,” Smith said.
Huge crowds followed Smith on the back nine of his final round in Australia before his scheduled departure late Sunday, showing their appreciation when he made a birdie on the final hole.
Smith played four tournaments in the past five weeks, hoping to cap the homecoming off with his first Australian Open victory, but left with runner-up prizes from the Australian PGA and NSW Open and a third placing in the Queensland PGA.
The British Open champion and LIV Golf teams winner said he enjoyed playing in the four tournaments, particularly the NSW Open at Murray Downs.
With his first baby due in March, Smith’s plans for 2025 remain uncertain, but he said he would like to return, having made a positive impact on the Australian summer.
“Particularly the state events don’t get a lot of support from top players, and it’s nice to be back to support those and give back to local communities,” Smith said. “Hopefully I can keep doing it in the future.”
Shin overcomes nerves to take title
A remarkable two eagles in the first 10 holes gave Korean golfing veteran Jiyai Shin enough of a gap to ride out an attack of the nerves and win her second Australian Open by two shots from defending champion South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai.
Buhai pushed Shin right to the line, drawing back to within two shots after being seven shots behind at one stage, and bar for missing two gettable putts in the final two holes, she could have forced the tournament into an unlikely play-off.
That pair were eight shots ahead of third-placed Korean amateur Hyojin Yang after Australian star Hannah Green lost her way with a disappointing round of six-over to finish tied in fourth place with fellow Australian Grace Kim.
Shin, who won the Patricia Bridges Bowl in 2013, holed out a par to finish with a score of 70.
Korea’s Jiyai Shin celebrates her Australian Open victory.Credit: Getty Images
She described her eagle on the par four fourth as close to the best shot of her career as she drained a 102-metre wedge shot from under a tree but was not immune to nerves as her lead dwindled.
“I welcome to feel nervous because sometimes when I play, I miss feeling nervous,” Shin said.
“[Nerves] means I really want it. I had a good feeling with the nervousness.”
Buhai, who won the previous two Australian opens, was pragmatic about the result.
“I’m proud of myself for giving it a shot and making it interesting down the stretch,” Buhai said.
Her friend and playing partner Green was disappointed to drop away after battling fatigue through the week but said she was proud of her year and tournament.
“Overall, I’m just really happy with how I tried to fight out there,” Green said.
“When [Shin] came out blazing I was obviously tough on myself and I think that made the situation worse.”
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