[Photo: Gary Lisbon]<\/p>\n
As weather-disrupted as many have been, the recent editions of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland \u2013 and indeed in South-East Queensland \u2013 have given Australia\u2019s professional championship a much-loved home.<\/p>\n
RELATED: A scintillating Sunday awaits at Royal Queensland<\/a><\/p>\n That might change from next year, however, when Royal Queensland will relinquish hosting rights for at least the next few years.<\/p>\n Preparations for the 2032 Olympic Games, of which \u201cRQ\u201d is the host venue<\/a>, will begin next year. Several design tweaks plus the returfing of the entire property will take place gradually and last approximately four years, ensuring the Australian PGA Championship needs to move in the short term.<\/p>\n But where?<\/p>\n While state-government interests have traditionally kept certain Australian tournaments in their aligned states, there is no contractual obligation for the PGA Championship to remain in Brisbane or Queensland beyond this year.<\/p>\n A Code Sports report published last week<\/a> suggested the New South Wales Government is seeking to host the event, given that the Australian Open will be domiciled in Melbourne until at least 2026. Having no golf tournaments of significance in Sydney (even the NSW Open is played in regional areas) seems like an odd set of circumstances, so Chris Minns\u2019 government making a play for the PGA makes sense. Having the eyeballs of Australian golf on Sydney for a week might even increase pressure on correcting the Moore Park debacle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yesterday, after the conclusion of his third round, Adam Scott placed another option on the table. The dual Australian PGA champion suggested that Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club might be an ideal option.<\/p>\n Emphasising that he has \u201cno say\u201d in potential venue discussions, Scott did suggest The Pines course would fit the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a soft spot for Sanctuary Cove, having had a home there for quite a few years, and my parents are still living there,\u201d Scott said. \u201cThe Pines course [pictured] is up to it, but there are [other] golf courses that are up to it. And then the logistics of a tournament is a whole other story.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s some logical synergy in choosing Sanctuary Cove. The Australian WPGA Championship will be contested across the club\u2019s Palms course in March<\/a>, so staging both PGA championships at opposite ends of the year on the twin layouts feels like a good fit.<\/p>\n RELATED: Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee rally around an out-of-sorts Cameron Smith<\/a><\/p>\n Late November is a tricky time for tournament golf in Queensland. The traditional storm season has wreaked havoc with the schedule of play on numerous occasions and even forced tournaments to be shortened. A break away from the region might also be what the championship needs.<\/p>\n Also on the horizon is a potential window for more Australian tournaments to be held in January and February, should the PGA Tour\u2019s foreshadowed late-February start to future seasons<\/a> take root. The late November\/early December timeframe has become \u2018ours\u2019 by leftovers or default. The PGA Tour\u2019s mooted change could open up another window.<\/p>\n An announcement on the 2026 Australian PGA Championship venue isn\u2019t expected until next year.<\/p>\n