Date: April 12, 2012
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Open set for 6-9 December

The 2012 Emirates Australian Open will again be held at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney from 6-9 December. This year s Open will be played for $1.5 million prizemoney and tournament organisers are hoping to capitalise on an outstanding year in 2011 in which all prior television and crowd numbers were eclipsed. The very best of Australian golf will be showcased across two countries and four states with the PGA Tour of Australasia announcing key dates for their biggest tournaments to end their 2012 schedule. Following on from one of the most successful seasons in recent history, details for the Australian Masters, BMW New Zealand Open, Emirates Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola were today confirmed, joining the previously announced Perth International in an action packed PGA Tour of Australasia schedule. The Australian Masters will remain on the Melbourne sandbelt this year and return to Kingston Heath Golf Club where Tiger Woods claimed the gold jacket in 2009. The Australian Masters will be contested from November 15 to 18 with a minimum prizepool of AUD$1 million. From Melbourne the PGA Tour of Australasia will head over the Tasman for the staging of the BMW New Zealand Open from November 22 to 25. The second Tour event to be contested in New Zealand in 2012 (following NZ PGA Pro-Am Championship played two weeks ago,) the Open will be played at Clearwater Resort in Christchurch for a prize pool of AUD$400,000. The action will then head to Sydney and The Lakes Golf Club for the Emirates Australian Open where the coveted Stonehaven Cup and AUD$1.5 million prize pool will be on offer. The Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola will stand as a fitting finale to the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit season from December 13 to 16 also with a prize pool of AUD$1.5 million up for grabs. Both the Emirates Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola will again be co-sanctioned by OneAsia for the fourth consecutive year.