Australian golf stars Cameron Smith, Jason Day and Adam Scott are set to return home this summer for the first time in a decade to play in the revamped $1.7million Australian Open
- The stars haven’t played the Aussie Open in a decade
- A new tournament could lure them home
- Talks are underway with proposed millions
Heavyweights Cameron Smith, Jason Day and Adam Scott could all grace Australian fairways this summer for the first time in a decade following promising talks with golf officials.
PGA Tour of Australasia boss Gavin Kirkman announced on Friday that this year’s Australian Open will take place from November 30 to December 3 and will offer $1.7 million in prize money.
The tournament will once again be a mixed event, with Australian clubs and Lakes co-hosting after Victoria and Kingston Heath shared the first-ever mixed Open last year.
The Open will be the ninth event in an action-packed summer for golf fans and will take place the week after the $2million Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
The revitalized Day, who finished second at the British Open last week, has not contested his national championship since taking the lead in the third round and finally finishing fifth in 2017.
But Kirkman told AAP the former world No. 1 and soon-to-be father of five is eager to return home to Australia.
Cameron Smith has been a huge success story for Australia and could be part of a stellar summer of golf at home this summer
Jason Day is in career-best form and Australian golf fans will jump at the chance to see him play at home
Adam Scott rounds out the top talent organizers hope will return home for a revamped Australian Open this summer
If he’s unable to try and finish some unfinished business at the Australian after his final round collapse six years ago, it would make sense for the Queenslander to bring his growing family back and play the PGA Championship in front of his home fans.
“We’ve spoken to Jason twice now and he can’t wait to get home and play in Australia again,” Kirkman said after meeting several stars at Royal Liverpool.
“He has another child on the way due to arrive by the end of the year, so good talks with Jason.
“We’ll just see how it goes. But he is playing very well again now, so he would be a great addition to our pitches and to show what he has to show for his game.’
Kirkman is also extremely optimistic about bringing Smith, Scott, Marc Leishman, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert and Cam Davis back to their homes to bring fans the most exciting summer grounds in years.
“I can’t say yes now, but the talks have been very, very good and I’ll be very disappointed if I can’t announce them very soon,” he said when asked specifically if other big winners Smith and Scott would return.
Smith, Day and Scott haven’t all played in the same Australian Open since 2013 at the Royal Sydney when Rory McIlroy knocked down Scott on the final day to steal the Stonehaven Cup in one fell swoop.
Day finished tied for sixth and the 20-year-old Smith missed the halfway point.
“We are very excited about the 2023-24 season schedule as we watch golf continue to thrive in Australia,” Kirkman said.
The New Year schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.