Some of the world’s best golfers are set to grace Greg Norman’s redesigned North Adelaide Golf Club in 2028 even if the LIV Golf tour fails to survive the massive financial hit it will suffer at the end of this season.
In a coup that provides insulation from criticism for a $45 million investment in redeveloping the course on the fringe of Adelaide’s CBD, South Australia has won the right to host the 2028 Australian Open.
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The nation’s golf powerbrokers are in Adelaide for a strategy session and an announcement confirming the prized jewel of the Australian calendar will be hosted in the SA capital as part of a rotation that continues through to 2034.
Under the agreement, the NAGC will host three men’s and three women’s opens between 2028 and 2034. The men’s Australian Open to be held in 2028 will be only the second hosted outside Victoria or New South Wales dating back to 2028.
It comes a day after South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas declared the state does not “owe LIV anything”.
“We are thrilled to make this a reality, at a high quality public facility on the doorstep of our city. The Australian Open is a must stop event on the Australian sporting calendar, and we have the potential to grow it here in Adelaide,” he said.
“Central to this move is the investment we are delivering in North Adelaide, a world-class public golf course uniquely located in our stunning parklands overlooking the CBD.
“Whether they be playing golf, walking or cycling through it, South Australians will have the benefit of enjoying this high-quality course for the vast majority of the year.”
After the success of the LIV Golf events in Adelaide, the SA Government decided to back a proposal to redevelop the south course of the NAGC with a view to hosting the breakaway tour from 2028 through to the end of 2031.
While 2022 British Open champion Cameron Smith expressed confidence on Wednesday that the LIV event will return in 2027 despite the decision of the Saudi Arabia-backed PIF withdrawing its massive support, clearly that is in question.
LIV Golf chief executive Scott O’Neil said a new business plan involving outside investors will be implemented and that he has received calls from “a dozen” interested parties.
“It was a split between private equity, family office and then your traditional high net worth [individuals] … the guys who invest in sports and sports teams,” he said.
“We need our media partners to stay with us. We’re broadcast in over 200 countries. It’s very important that those 40 partners stay with us.”
Update on the LIV fight for survival | 02:16
But the tour has been losing millions on millions of dollars since its inception in 2022, with only a handful of events led by Adelaide considered financially viable.
The premier players led by Bryson DeChambeau, John Rahm and Smith are facing questions as to their future and an event in Louisiana that was scheduled for this month was postponed in the wake of the announcement from the PIF.
Smith said on Wednesday he is confident the LIV tournament will return to Adelaide next year as the global search for new financial partners continues for a concept that is estimated to have cost $10 billion over five years.
But Malinauskas, who flagged in February a desire to add the Australian Open men’s event to a roster that included the LIV tournament and the women’s Australian Open, was blunt when assessing the event’s return to Adelaide, saying LIV was welcome only “if it stacks up”.
Some of the world’s best golfers are set to grace Greg Norman’s redesigned North Adelaide Golf Club in 2028.Source: Getty Images
“What matters is that we get what we pay for, and on that score, I don’t think there’s any doubt about the fact that it’s been a massive success for our state,” he said.
“We’re not going to pay for anything that doesn’t deliver, plain and simple, so that’s in their hands. We welcome (news they are searching for new partners) and we’ll be at the front of the queue if it stacks up for us.
“I don’t owe LIV anything. The people I owe and care about are the people of South Australia, and I’ll make my decisions about what’s in the best interest for the state writ large.
“Thus far, it’s been a massive success. Whether it is in the future or not will depend on whether or not it stacks up for us.”
LIV Golf dealt funding blow by Saudi PIF | 00:45
In defending the $45 million financial investment in the redesigned course, Malinauskas said in February it would be open to the South Australian public while hinting at a tariff for interstate and international visitors wishing to tackle the course.
“We have got eyes on the Aussie Open,” Malinauskas said.
“And the rest of the time, it’s the people of South Australia (who will be) paying public golf course prices for a course that will be at the standard that other members have to pay thousands of dollars a year to get access to.
“There’s going to be a South Australian taxpayer price and then there’s going to be a rest-of-the-country price, and we’re going to charge as much as we can get away with.”
Dual-Masters champion Rory McIlroy was a star attraction in last December’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne and will return to Victoria for the tournament later this year as part of a two-year deal.