So often a leader, Western Australia is again blazing a trail for Aussie golf through the next two weeks.

Professional tournament play, largely a victim of this pandemic-riddled year, will return to WA this week and next, albeit with a little twist.

The TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship will return to its home of the past eight years, the beautiful Kalgoorlie Golf Club, from Thursday – the first event on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia since the New Zealand Open finished on March 1.

It will be followed next week by the Nexus Risk WA Open at the magnificent Royal Fremantle Golf Club.

Both tournaments will be played over 54 holes instead of the traditional 72 and will feature only eligible players resident in WA as tournament organisers work within Covid-19 rules and associated border restrictions.

“We are clearly delighted that these iconic WA golf tournaments will be held this year,” GolfWA chief executive Gary Thomas said.

“In addition, another feature of the WA Open will be the eight players vying for the concurrent All Abilities Championship.

“We acknowledge that we have been fortunate in WA for many of our sporting events to proceed and with crowds able to attend and these events will give golf fans the opportunity to see high-class professional golf, for free, over the next fortnight.”

Thomas said that despite the field’s limitations, fans would see elite golf headed by six-time European Tour winner and previous winner of both events, Brett Rumford.

“There’s a host of other Australian PGA Tour winners on show, too, including Jarryd Felton, Michael Long, Scott Strange and Daniel Fox.

“And they will be joined by some of the state’s leading male and female amateurs including Hayden Hopewell, Haydn Barron, Josh Greer, Kirsten Rudgeley, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Kathryn Norris.”

Much interest will focus on the young women in the field with Rudgeley and Hinson-Tolchard in particular having distinguished themselves in mixed-field events this winter.