The Australian summer of golf heats up this week with the famed Triple Crown teeing off in Melbourne.
An icon of the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Triple Crown consists of the UNIQLO Masters, Emirates Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship.
Getting underway this week at the Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne the UNIQLO Masters has brought Adam Scott, Steven Bowditch and John Senden home to Australia.
The PGA Tour of Australasia will then head to Sydney for the Emirates Australian Open where it will welcome back defending champion Jordan Spieth as well as a slew of international stars including Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood.
The Australian PGA Championship, Australia’s richest tournament, will complete the Triple Crown on the Gold Coast rounding out three weeks of consecutive golf action.
Along with welcoming the European Tour back to Australian shores the Australian PGA Championship will also see Brandt Snedeker, David Lingmerth and Paul Lawrie in action.
“The PGA Tour of Australasia is about to see three huge weeks of golf action unfold across the eastern seaboard,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia.
“Fans are set for a real treat with some of the biggest names in world golf, including the World Number 1 Jordan Spieth teeing it up.”
“Each year the Triple Crown of tournaments sees intense battles on some of the best courses in the country and produces stand out moments that shape the history of Aussie golf. I am sure this year will be no different.”
The three big tournaments are revered by Australian Professional golfers and draw the nation’s brightest talents back each year to try and claim the coveted trio yet only one man has been able to claim the Triple Crown in one season, Robert Allenby.
In recent year’s both Greg Chalmers and Adam Scott have gone close but were upstaged by international superstar, Chalmers by Ian Poulter at the 2011 Australian Masters and Scott in 2013 by Rory McIlroy at the Australian Open.
“I believe it is a testament to the quality of the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Triple Crown tournaments that each year Australia’s best golfers come back to support golf in their home country,” added Thorburn.
“Each year they successfully ply their trade overseas but consistently speak of their love for playing on Australian golf courses and the unique style of golf required to win here.”
“It’s also a huge benefit for Aussie sports fans that while they are overseas they spruik the benefits of Australian golf to international stars which is why we see so many playing the Triple Crown each year.”