"If you build it they will come"

If you follow golf in Australia (or anywhere really), our two biggest events, the BMW Australian PGA Championship and the Crown Australian Open, felt less like two standalone tournaments and more like a mini festival that put our summer golf scene on full display to the world. They didn’t just go well; they elevated the game here. From the changing weather and massive crowds to superstar presence and heart-in-mouth drama, they reminded everyone why we circle these dates in the diary every year.

Puig dominates 

First up was the Australian PGA, a tournament very close to my heart for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I’m a 30+ year member of the PGA of Australia. PGA pros are the soul and lifeblood of the game for all golf clubs around the country (and world, for that matter). And secondly, I was fortunate to win this event almost 20 years ago. I tried to throw it away on the 72nd hole, but after four extra visits to the 18th, my name was etched on the Joe Kirkwood Cup forever. It’s one of my proudest achievements in the game.

This year, 23-year-old Spaniard David Puig put on a masterclass at Royal Queensland over the final two days, going bogey-free and dominating the closing round from the start. There were various contenders, but Puig was never really threatened and deservedly joined his countryman, Seve Ballesteros, as an Australian PGA champion following the late legend's win back in 1981 at Royal Melbourne.

Speaking of Royal Melbourne…

There are important tournaments, and then there are tournaments that feel different the week a global star rolls into town. Rory McIlroy’s presence at Royal Melbourne turned the Australian Open into worldwide headlines. But it wasn’t just his name that mattered; it was the other superstar in attendance as well…

Royal Melbourne Composite.

The composite course combines 12 holes from Royal Melbourne’s West course and 6 holes from its East, providing a work of art that’s simply… a masterpiece. Its genius lies in the strategy and discipline required to tame not only the course but yourself. What looks straightforward suddenly becomes a complex equation, and you’re left scratching your head, wondering how you just made bogey (or worse) on a par four no longer than 300 meters.

Rory playing the Sandbelt’s finest example brought a curious mix of reverence and energy with fans who wanted to see how a player of his calibre would navigate the property. Its wide fairways require correct positioning to achieve the best angles to access firm, undulating greens protected by some of the game's finest bunkering.

Melbourne’s weather certainly didn’t disappoint, with all four days providing something different. A hot northerly wind blew in late Wednesday afternoon, which continued throughout the opening round on Thursday. The northerly is the toughest wind of all on Sandbelt courses. It dries out and firms up what are already rock-hard and fast greens. Not surprisingly, Rory struggled to a one-over-par 72. He was on the back foot from the beginning, but the crowds didn’t care. They came to see the man who became only the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam earlier in the year after winning the Masters. He gave organisers a scare on day two when, for a moment, he looked like missing the cut, but in typical Rory fashion, he conjured up some magic to safely make the weekend.

Drama is the oxygen of great tournaments, and the final day provided it in spades. Australia’s Cam Smith and Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen went toe-to-toe all day, with the final hole providing the climax to a phenomenal closing act. Heading up the last hole all square, Petersen flinched first, flaring his approach way right into some gnarly rough amongst a sea of sand right of the green (known as Dunk’s Island). Smith wisely played to the centre of the putting surface. It was a long way from the hole, but it was definitely advantage Cam. Somehow, the Dane managed to get his ball to 20 feet, while the Aussie putted down to 5 feet below the hole.

Rasmus calmly went through his routine, and as his ball disappeared in the left side of the hole, he gave a short right jab fist pump. A playoff loomed, then somehow, Smith missed. The groans from the massive galleries told the story. Yes, it wasn’t what they hoped for, but the finish befitted what had been an incredible, drama-filled tournament.

The vision of Royal Melbourne broadcast to the world by APAC PRODUCTIONS showcased the course and Australian golf at its finest. The dramatic drone footage and sublime camera angles allowed its leading lady to fully express herself. The ripple effect from TV audiences and media attention (especially the social kind) sent a buzz here and around the world.

It reminded me of the famous line from the movie, Field of Dreams, when Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, hears, “If you build it, he will come.” In this case, “they will come”, because next year I think we'll see an even more impressive field at Kingston Heath.

Let’s keep growing

What set these two tournaments apart was their ability to create meaningful storylines. Young players announced themselves with bold play. Champions with recent struggles once again showed their class. It’s exactly the sort of theatre that converts casual viewers into lifelong fans, and hopefully, more sponsors line up for next year because they get noticed when TVs are tuned in.

Australian golf is in a good spot right now. There's more to be done, but the BMW Australian PGA at Royal Queensland stepped up another level in class, while the Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne proved a great course, a global superstar, and golf-loving fans are the perfect recipe for what should return to one of the biggest tournaments in the game

Cheers,

Nick