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NSW has lured the Australian PGA Championship away from Queensland for the first time in 25 years, prompting golf officials to set their sights on targeting top 50 stars, including two-time US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau.<\/p>\n
Not since 1998 has the PGA \u2013 which joins the Australian Open as the nation\u2019s premier golf events \u2013 been held in NSW.<\/p>\n
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Bryson DeChambeau is the prime target for the 2026 Australian PGA in Sydney.AP<\/p>\n
But with former PGA venue Royal Queensland chosen as the host course for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and subsequently preparing for renovations, The Lakes Golf Club will stage the November 26\u201329 event.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re returning the BMW Australian PGA Championship to Sydney [and] an iconic golf course that\u2019s held many of our major events, including the Australian Open recently,\u201d PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said. \u201cSydney needs an international golf tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lakes, a prestigious club situated minutes from Sydney Airport, will host the PGA courtesy of an agreement between the PGA of Australia and the NSW government through Destination NSW.<\/p>\n
This masthead understands the deal is for one year, although there is an option for that to be extended.<\/p>\n
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Australia\u2019s Min Woo Lee would be a major drawcard for the Australian PGA Championship.AP<\/p>\n
Discussions were also held last week in the US during the Masters at Augusta National, between PGA of Australia officials and player agents for several golfers placed in the top 50 on the Official World Golf Rankings.<\/p>\n
The big fish to reel in would be the big-hitting DeChambeau, whose team has shown an interest. It would be DeChambeau\u2019s second Australian trip this year after competing in LIV Golf Adelaide in February.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would absolutely love to have Bryson DeChambeau play in the BMW Australian PGA,\u201d PGA of Australia chair and 1991 British Open winner Ian Baker-Finch told Australian media in Augusta.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he wants to come to Australia. A lot of it comes down to economics and scheduling for those guys. That\u2019s at the end of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The booming drives of Bryson DeChambeau could be on show in Sydney.Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia has enjoyed a recent resurgence, highlighted by an increase in prizemoney for the 2025 PGA, while dual Masters champion Rory McIlroy is halfway through a two-year Australian Open deal. Those factors have boosted interest from overseas players and agents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis [was] the most promising Masters I\u2019ve been to in a while, where the managers are coming to us, and this is all top 50 in the world players,\u201d Kirkman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there\u2019s more interest in Australia than ever. We\u2019ve still got to work on the economics, but that allows us to not make rushed decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeChambeau and other international targets would be a bonus alongside ensuring homegrown stars return such as PGA champions Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee and Elvis Smylie, as well as Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert.<\/p>\n
\u2018Sydney needs an international golf tournament.\u2019<\/p>\n
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman<\/p>\n
Helping officials\u2019 quest for big names is that the PGA is co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.<\/p>\n
The Australian PGA kicks off the predominantly European circuit\u2019s 2026\/2027 campaign, which is a Ryder Cup season leading up to the 2027 edition at Ireland\u2019s Adare Manor. Some recognisable European names may take advantage of European team points on offer in Australia.<\/p>\n
The Lakes has staged three Australian PGAs, eight Opens (including 2023 co- hosting with The Australian), and other tournaments. Big names to have won titles at The Lakes include Jack Nicklaus (1964 Australian Open), Greg Norman (1980 Australian Open) and Arnold Palmer (1963 Wills Masters).<\/p>\n
Related Article The almost 100-year-old club has undergone renovations recently and is raring to be the sole host of a DP World Tour event.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a club that\u2019s very engaged, a golf course that\u2019s been upgraded and continues to improve year on year,\u201d Kirkman said.<\/p>\n The Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper, welcomed a projected \u201csignificant\u201d injection to the NSW visitor economy.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to welcome some of the best golfers on the planet for the Australian PGA Championship at The Lakes, one of our country\u2019s most iconic golf courses,\u201d Kamper said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThousands of visiting fans, players and officials who will spend locally, while also showcasing Sydney as one of the world\u2019s great golf destinations on top of everything else we do so spectacularly to a vast international audience of golf enthusiasts.\u201d<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Rory](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776399674_514_bdeb953ca978e6c43b5ef77dea07fac02d4a59b0.jpeg\")
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