Why the likes of Major winners Cam Smith and Adam Scott and world number six Hannah Green want a shift of Australian Open

While the golfing world in Australia remains divided about Golf Australia hosting the national Australian Open combining the men’s and women’s competitions at the same time, the Golf Australia management believes that will be the format. While world number 954 Ryggs Johnston won the men’s title and former world number one Jiyai Shin won the women’s title playing on same course conditions within hours of each other’s rounds on Sunday, it meant that men and women winners emerged on the same day for the third time in row since 2022 in the tournament which has been played since 1904 in men’s and 1974 in women’s category.
With Golf Australia combining both the competitions together since 2022 due to economic viability, Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland, a former CEO of Cricket Australia, has termed the option of separating the two events as not a simple one.
“There’s no doubt that some of our male players aren’t terribly keen on the format but like the date… on the flip side, our female players don’t like the date but like the format. The obvious solution is to separate the two but it’s not as simple as that. Rebuilding it is really challenging because golf doesn’t enjoy the rivers of gold that some of the big sports do in terms of television media rights so the revenue that comes into fund the game has to come in from alternate sources. I don’t think this is an experiment. If you think this is an experiment, you’re missing the point from where we have come from since COVID. We had to rebuild from virtually nothing.” Sutherland told SEN 1170 Mornings.
The tournament’s men and women editions did not happen in 202 and 2021 due to Covid-19. The tournament saw the women golfers teeing off hours prior to men’s competition at the same course with same pin positions. 2022 Open champion Cam Smith, when asked about the issue, was quick to acknowledge the issue. “I’ve asked that question (of tournament organisers) and yet to hear back – it’s a question that I’ve asked consecutively, about course set up, and we’ve had some conversations with it and, and it was the same again this year. I’m not sure of the reason but I’ve asked plenty of questions and haven’t got an answer back.” Smith had told reporters last week.
Earlier, Smith had termed the rainfall in Melbourne as an excuse to the soft greens and course layout set easier for women golfers to play. “The course(s) are in great condition but playing is so much different to how they’re designed and how they’re meant to be played, which is pretty disappointing.I’ve played down here in rain before and it’s still like that the next day. So, I think that’s a bulls*** excuse, to be honest. I think it’s been prepared like this for a reason and it’s not how these golf courses are meant to be played.” Smith had told the media before the tournament.
Prior to 2020, the Australian Open Men’s tournament was played in the last week of November while the Australian Open women’s tournament was played over the new year week. Earlier this year, 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott too had voiced his support for two different formats. “There is a place for different formats, but your national Open is not the place for that.” Scott had told Golf Australia magazine. Scott’s LUV golf team-mate Marc Leishman too had raised the issue of pin positions being the same last week. “It’s been the same the last three years. There’s probably a lot I can say, but I’m not going to say it.” Leishman had told the media last week.
It also meant that players like world number Hanah Green missed a chance to practice ahead of her first round after she arrived from the LPGA Season finale in Florida and wanted the format to be changed. “It does not work for the best female players to come down to Australia. If you want the best of the best to come and play for the trophy, unfortunately this is not the best time of the year,” Green had told the media.