Kirkwood Cup goes on tour ahead of BMW Australian PGA Championship

Press Release:

The Kirkwood Cup is hitting the road.

The iconic BMW Australian PGA Championship trophy is about to be taken on a week-long journey down the NSW coast ahead of the tournament’s return to Sydney on November 26-29 after a 28-year absence.

The first-ever Kirkwood Cup Tour will begin at the NSW-Queensland border on October 26 before travelling south through some of the state’s most renowned coastal destinations, stopping at golf clubs and tourism locations along the way before arriving in Sydney ahead of championship week.

The coastal tour’s stops will include Tweed Heads, Ocean Shores, Byron Bay, Ballina, Yamba, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Bonville, Crescent Head, Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Magenta Shores and Shelly Beach, bringing the Kirkwood Cup directly into golf communities while showcasing the combination of golf and tourism experiences available across regional NSW.

At each golf club, the trophy will be the centrepiece of a local activation involving PGA Professionals, Club Champions, junior golfers, members and club representatives, while the journey will also feature iconic destinations including Point Danger, Cape Byron Lighthouse, Angourie Point, Tacking Point Lighthouse, Tomaree Head and Stockton Beach.

The Joe Kirkwood Cup dates to 1929, when Australian golf legend Joe Kirkwood Sr. donated the trophy for the inaugural Australian Professional Championship.

Its list of winners includes major champions Greg Norman, Adam Scott, Cam Smith,  Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Geoff Ogilvy and Ian Baker-Finch,

PGA of Australia Chief Executive Officer Gavin Kirkman said the Trophy Tour would build excitement for a significant moment in the Championship’s history.

“It has been 28 years since the Australian PGA Championship was last played in Sydney, so the return in 2026 is a really significant moment for Australian golf,” Kirkman said.

“We wanted to start that celebration well before tournament week, and what better way to do it than take the Kirkwood Cup on the road and connect with golf communities right along the NSW coast.

“As one of the oldest trophies in world golf, the Kirkwood Cup has such a rich history and this journey gives us an opportunity to celebrate that history while also looking forward to a new chapter for the championship at The Lakes.”

The tour will create a series of local media, photography and video opportunities, with each destination producing content for the Championship’s digital and social channels in the lead-up to tournament week.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing the reaction when the Kirkwood Cup arrives at each club,” Kirkman said.

“There will be opportunities for juniors, club champions, our PGA Professionals and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia members, and long-standing members to get involved, but it is also a chance to showcase the incredible golf and tourism experiences that exist all the way down the NSW coast.

“The journey will finish at The Lakes, but the story starts at the Queensland border and we want golf fans and communities to come along for the ride.”

The BMW Australian PGA Championship will be played at The Lakes Golf Club from November 26-29, with a 156-player field competing for the $2.5 million purse.

The event’s headliners include Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Lucas Herbert, Daniel Hillier and defending champion David Puig.

COASTAL TOUR ITINERARY

Monday, October 26: Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club, Ocean Shores Country Club

Tuesday, October 27: Byron Bay Golf Club, Ballina Golf Club, Yamba Golf Club

Wednesday, October 28: Grafton Country Golf Club, Coffs Harbour Golf Club

Thursday, October 29: Bonville Golf Resort, Crescent Head Country Club, Port Macquarie Golf Club

Friday, October 30: Newcastle Golf Club

Saturday, October 31: Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club, Shelly Beach Golf Club

 

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