Victoria partnership secures Sandbelt future for men’s Aussie Open

15 Jun 2026

Media Release:

Golf Australia has today taken another major step in securing the long-term future of the men’s Capital.com Australian Open, confirming Victoria will host the national championship in 2027, 2029 and 2030.

The partnership with the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria will see Victoria host the Capital.com Australian Open in 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2030, staging the tournament on the world-renowned Melbourne Sandbelt.

As previously confirmed, the 2026 Capital.com Australian Open is expected to attract tens of thousands of interstate and international visitors to Kingston Heath Golf Club from 3–6 December, with back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy returning to Australia.

The 2027 Capital.com Australian Open will again be played on the Melbourne Sandbelt, with Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club set to host its first major national event.

Located in Melbourne’s south-east Sandbelt corridor, Peninsula Kingswood boasts two of the country’s top-20 golf courses and is globally recognised as one of Australia’s finest golf destinations, with the tournament to be staged on a composite course layout designed to excite golf fans and challenge the world’s best players.

Peninsula Kingswood will also host the innovative Players Series Victoria in January 2027, giving players and fans a taste of a professional tournament ahead of the 2027 Capital.com Australian Open later in the year.

The move reaffirms Victoria’s position as one of the greatest golfing destinations in the world, with Kingston Heath also preparing to host the 2028 Presidents Cup.

This announcement follows news earlier this week that the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR has formally partnered with Golf Australia, with the agreement set to ensure the Capital.com Australian Open has increased prize money, a distinct window in the global golf calendar and the best opportunity to attract the world’s best players.

Covering 2027, 2028 and 2029, the new agreement will enable the national championship to again be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, continuing the tournament’s momentum following a significant period of growth.

Minister for Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said: "Victoria's Sandbelt is world-famous for a reason - and Labor is making sure the world's best players keep coming back."

Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said: "Events like the Australian Open help strengthen Victoria's reputation as a global golf destination.

"From the Melbourne Sandblet to our outstanding regional courses, we continue to attract golfers seeking some of the finest playing experiences in the world."

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said the commitment from the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria is critical to the future success of the Capital.comAustralian Open.

“We thank the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria for their continued partnership and confidence as we work together to grow the Capital.comAustralian Open into one of the world’s great golf tournaments.”

“Kingston Heath will provide another outstanding stage this year, and Peninsula Kingswood is a magnificent venue and a brilliant addition to the Australian Open story.

“With two outstanding golf courses and the ability to create a composite championship layout, Peninsula Kingswood gives us the chance to present something new, exciting and worthy of our national Open.”

As previously announced, South Australia will host the 2028 men’s Capital.comAustralian Open at the redeveloped North Adelaide Golf Course in the same year the Presidents Cup is played in Victoria, marking the first time in 30 years that the event will be played in South Australia.

PGA of Australia and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia CEO Gavin Kirkman said the agreement was an important outcome for the future of the national championship and the Tour.

“Golf Australia deserves enormous recognition for the work it has done to secure greater long-term certainty for the men’s Australian Open,” Kirkman said.

“For our Tournament Members and the fans of our sport, that certainty matters. It strengthens the platform for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, helps build stronger fields, creates more value around our biggest events and gives our players the chance to compete on world-class courses against world-class opposition.

“The Australian Open headlines our summer of golf through the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, sitting alongside the BMW Australian PGA Championship as an important focal point for golf fans.

“Peninsula Kingswood will also host the co-sanctioned Challenger PGA of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australia’s Players Series Victoria event in January next year. The Players Series is one of the most innovative concepts in world golf, bringing male and female tour professionals, elite amateurs, juniors and All Abilities golfers together to compete in the same field,” he said.

This year's tournament in December will feature as one of the early tournaments on the DP World Tour's 2027 schedule and Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament and Operations Officer for the DP World Tour, welcomed today's announcement.

"On behalf of the DP World Tour, we want to thank both the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria for their continued support of the Capital.com Australian Open," he said.

"The Melbourne Sandbelt is synonymous with world-class golfing destinations and our players love competing on such great courses and in front of the enthusiastic and supportive Australian golf fans. I also want to recognise the partnerships we have with Golf Australia and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, both of which continue to go from strength to strength, and we look forward to staging some memorable golf together moving forwards."

PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of International Christian Hardy said: “We are proud to support Golf Australia, the DP World Tour and the Capital.com Australian Open, and to continue our longstanding commitment to the region.

“Australia’s passionate and knowledgeable fans, world-class venues and rich competitive history make it a key part of the global game, and our members value the opportunity to compete in the Melbourne Sandbelt and the unique challenge those courses provide. With the Presidents Cup returning to Victoria in 2028 at Kingston Heath Golf Club, we look forward to building on that momentum.”

Further details on future host venues, dates and sanctioning agreements will be announced in due course.

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