The full schedule of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia has been revealed totalling 16 tournaments set to be played right across Australia and New Zealand.

The season is highlighted by back-to-back DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournaments – the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane, and the groundbreaking ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne which will feature men, women and the national All Abilities championship as well as the New Zealand Open Presented by Sky Sports. The full season is set to be played for more than $8 million. 

The Australian Open returns to the schedule after two years’ absence caused by the pandemic and travel restrictions, as does the New Zealand Open, to be played at Millbrook Resort near Queenstown.

Both the men’s tournament at the Australian Open and the PGA Championship will be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour as part of the Australasian Tour’s alignment. 

The 2022-23 Australasian Tour season begins in Kalgoorlie in October with the WA PGA Championship, followed by the WA Open at the Western Australian Golf Club in Perth. 

The summer of golf features tournaments across the country, from Kalgoorlie to the Hunter Valley, Cobram Barooga, Gippsland, the Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth wrapping with a season finale in late March in Victoria with tournament details to be confirmed. 

The Webex Players Series will return for a third year following the success of the mixed-gender format last year, highlighted by Hannah Green’s historic win at TPS Murray River. The four tournaments will again be co-sanctioned with the WPGA Tour of Australasia, as will the Australian Open and the Vic Open, giving golf fans a taste of the mixed-gender golf that has proven to be such a winner in the past two seasons.

The innovative Gippsland Super 6 returns at Warragul Country Club with its popular series of six-hole matches between players. 

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia is an important launch pad for Australasian golfers to hit the world stage, again providing leading pathways to the DP World Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour:

• The Order of Merit top three receive a DP World Tour playing card for the following season, with the next three receiving an exemption to Final Stage of Q-School, the next seven receiving an exemption to second stage of Q-School.

• The Order of Merit winner receives starts in various major tournaments in world golf including The Open Championship.

• The Order of Merit top 5 receive an exemption to the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School, with the top 6-15 receiving an exemption to second stage.

PGA of Australia Chief Executive Gavin Kirkman said he was excited about the bulked-up schedule for 2022-23.

“What I love about this is the pathways that it creates for our exciting crop of future Australian stars,” said Kirkman. “We’ve worked hard to build the schedule back after Covid knocked everyone around in the tournament space, and having the Australian Open and the New Zealand Open back stronger than ever really makes a difference.

“In addition, the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland last season and the recent addition of the four Webex Player Series tournaments, have all been extremely popular all over the country. “Overall, it’s a fantastic 2023 schedule with room for even more tournaments in the future, and we can’t wait for it to get underway later this year.”

Nick Dastey, Tournament Director for the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, said the tour offered up some of the best opportunities in the world for professional golfers.

“We’re delighted that the schedule has come together like this,” said Dastey. 

“To have two co-sanctioned tournaments with the DP World Tour is fantastic, with the winner getting automatic entry to the DP World Tour, a sensational opportunity for any young player.

“There’s a number of long-standing tournaments in the schedule that are back again for the 2022/23 season and we’re excited to see the next wave of golfers making Australasian golf history. 

“It’s a strong schedule that offers lots of opportunities for players, and the pathways are incredible.”