The Australian Amateur returns to the Melbourne Sandbelt – Australian Golf Digest

[PHOTO: Gary Lisbon]

Melbourne’s famous Sandbelt will host the national amateur championship again in 2024 with a new naming rights sponsor in adidas.

World famous Yarra Yarra [pictured] and neighboring Keysborough Golf Clubs have been selected as the venues for the adidas Australian Amateur from 16 to 19 January 2024. Men and women will compete in four rounds of strokeplay.

Both courses will host the first two days of the competition, with a cut at 36 holes before players return to Yarra Yarra for the final two rounds.

“These are wonderful venues and ideal for an event with this kind of history and status,” said Therese Magdulski, Golf Australia’s general manager of events and operations.

“The Sandbelt is renowned throughout the golfing universe and we are always delighted to be able to bring the national championship to this part of the world.

“It’s an event that showcases the best amateur players not just in Australia but from around the world and it makes perfect sense that it’s held on golf courses that will test those players but also provide a great spectacle for golf fans.

“The adidas Australian Amateur is important to the development of our future stars, highlighted by an amazing honors list including Minjee Lee, Cameron Smith and Cam Davis.”

The adidas partnership is part of a wider agreement between the various arms of Australian golf and the sporting goods company that also covers the men’s and women’s professional tours.

Golf Australia’s general manager of commercial, Anthony Everard, said: “The adidas team loves golf, is committed to helping us achieve our goals and their focus on sustainability and inclusion aligns closely with our strategy for Australian golf’.

Darryn Lowe, general manager of adidas Golf Pacific, said: “We are extremely excited to be associated with the Australian Amateur. The event is really that connection between grassroots and professional golf.”

“From an adidas perspective, we see the Australian Amateur as one of the biggest global moments in amateur golf and an important story and honor. It’s very important that we continue to invest in the next generation and Australian Amateur is the perfect platform for us.”

Yarra Yarra in suburban East Bentleigh last hosted the Australian Amateur in 2017, when Victorian Mathias Sanchez defeated Min Woo Lee in the final and world number 30 Hye-Jin Choi of South Korea won the women’s championship.

The club is one of eight ‘official’ Sandbelt clubs in Melbourne and celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, having undergone a substantial restoration under the supervision of renowned architect Tom Doak.

Club president Michael Reidy said: “Yarra Yarra is delighted to once again host the Australian Amateur alongside our friends in Keysborough. It is a historic tournament with a long history and we are confident that players will not only be challenged by the famous Yarra greens but will also find it an enjoyable experience.

“Having gone through a major rebuild in recent years, we’re looking forward to the best players in the country getting a first-hand experience of what we think is a great result.”

Keysborough Golf Club, which dates back to 1898, will host its first Australian Amateur.

“The entire KGC board and staff are looking forward to the opportunity to showcase our outstanding course to some of the best amateur golfers in the world,” said general manager Darren Eckhardt.

“To coincide with our 125th anniversary celebrations, this partnership sets the stage for an incredible start to the year.”