South Australia has secured hosting rights for the men’s Australian Open golf tournament, after weeks of uncertainty about the future of LIV Golf in Adelaide.
The men’s event will be held from 2028 at the soon-to-be redeveloped North Adelaide Golf Course.
It will alternate each year with the women’s Australian Open, meaning there will be at least three men’s and three women’s opens held in Adelaide between 2028 and 2034.
The exact timing of events beyond 2028 and their split with another state is yet to be determined, Golf Australia said.
The men’s event has not been held in Adelaide since 1998.
The announcement follows weeks of uncertainty about the future of LIV Golf. (ABC News)
The South Australian government announcement on Thursday followed weeks of political pressure over the $45 million upgrade of the North Adelaide course, which is meant to host LIV Golf in 2028.
LIV Golf’s future is uncertain beyond this year after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew its funding support, leaving LIV organisers scrambling to find new revenue sources.
The doubts around LIV, which has had an Adelaide event since 2023 and was the catalyst for the government pursuing the North Adelaide course upgrade, has seen both the Greens and the Liberal Party call for a rethink on the project due to the cost and felling of hundreds of trees.
Both the Greens and Liberals had called on the government to rethink the redevelopment of North Adelaide Golf Course, which includes felling 585 trees. (ABC News)
Premier Peter Malinauskas, who on Wednesday declared “I don’t owe LIV anything”, said the Australian Open took golf in Adelaide to “a whole new level”.
“The renovation of the golf course stacks up even if you just look at it from a community perspective and a golf tourism perspective,” he said.
“But clearly, having a major event improves the economic metrics quite substantially.
“That’s been the plan with LIV and now we’ve got it with the Australian Open which is the most prestigious golf event in the country.”
Peter Malinauskas says the Australian Open is the most prestigious golf tournament in the country. (ABC News)
Mr Malinauskas rejected suggestions that LIV Golf potentially leaving Adelaide put the government on the backfoot in negotiations with Golf Australia.
“We’ve been having this negotiation with Golf Australia for some time and none of that changed as a result of the recent news,” he said.