The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), and Golf Australia today announced a new and exciting component to its successful golf program with six rookie PGA Professionals to receive scholarships. The AIS Golf program currently consists of eight amateur players with six rookie PGA Professionals (in their first three years as professionals) to be added thanks to funding made available through the Australian Sports Foundation. AIS Director Professor Peter Fricker said the introduction of a rookie professional component was an exciting new development for Australian golf. It will enable better support to some of Australia s leading athletes at an important stage of their golfing pathway, Professor Fricker said. In 2006 the Australian Sports Commission conducted a review of high performance golf pathways in Australia by hosting a workshop with the Australian golf industry. One of the key recommendations from that review was the introduction of a rookie professional component and that is what we are delivering through today s announcement. Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt said the addition of rookie professionals demonstrated how the industry can work together for the betterment of Australian golf. Not only will today s decision help us support our golfers through to their ultimate successes on the international stage but it is also symbolic of how the Australian golf industry is strengthened when all the stakeholders are working together, Pitt said. With the support of the PGA of Australia and the ALPG, our objective is to deliver a coordinated pathway of player development from elite junior, through elite amateur to rookie professional and internationally successful elite professional golfers. The AIS will shortly be calling for applications from rookie professional golfers for scholarships with a view to commencement in February 2009.