Australian Open (golf)

The Australian Open is the "flagship tournament" of the PGA Tour of Australasia, having a special status in the Official World Golf Ranking's points system. This status awards a minimum 32 points to the winner regardless of the strength of the field. The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour from 2009 to 2016.

Since the Open Qualifying Series was introduced for the 2014 Open Championship, the Australian Open has been the first of a number of qualifying tournaments, giving up to three non-exempt players entry into the Open Championship.

The Australian Golf Union was formed in 1898 and from 1899 organised a championship meeting. From 1899 to 1902 this included the Australian Amateur championship contested over 72 holes of stroke play. In 1903 the format was revised, there being a 36-hole stroke-play stage after which the leading 8 played match-play with a 36-hole final. The 1904 championship meeting was held at The Australian Golf Club. In 1903, the club had hosted the New South Wales Amateur and had run the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying stage as an open event, with professionals as well as amateurs competing. The idea was used at the 1904 championship meeting. There was a 72-hole stroke-play event open to professionals, played over two days, after which the leading 16 amateurs competed for the amateur championship. The stroke-play event became the first Australian Open and was won by an English amateur, Michael Scott, with a score of 315. Two more amateurs Leslie Penfold Hyland and Dan Soutar finished second and third, while Carnegie Clark was the leading professional, tied for fourth place.[2]

The 1905 championship meeting was played at Royal Melbourne and the open and amateur championship were decided by the same 72-hole tournament. Dan Soutar, now a professional, won the open with Michael Scott second, 10 strokes behind. As the leading amateur, Scott won the amateur championship.[3] The 1906 open was won by Carnegie Clark, 5 ahead of Soutar.[4] Soutar was to be runner-up in five successive opens, from 1906 to 1910. In 1907 Scott repeated his success of 1904, and further amateur wins came in the following two years, Clyde Pearce winning in 1908 and Claude Felstead in 1909.[5][6][7] The 1910 open was held in South Australia for the first time and resulted in a second win for Clark, with a record score of 306, 11 strokes ahead of Soutar.[8] Clark won for the third time the following year, although only by a single shot from Fred Popplewell.[9] The 1912 open was won by an 18-year-old amateur, Ivo Whitton, 5 ahead of Popplewell and Soutar.[10] Whitton won again the following year with a new record score of 302. Another amateur Audley Lemprière came second with Soutar third, a distant 15 strokes behind Whitton.[11]

The open restarted in 1920 and was won by Joe Kirkwood Sr. with a score of 290, 12 strokes better than the previous record score. Dan Soutar was second, 5 shots behind, the seventh time he had been runner-up.[12] Five of the nine opens between 1924 and 1932 were won by amateurs. In 1924 Alex Russell led from the start after an opening round of 68 and, with further rounds of 79, 78 and 78, won by two strokes from Carnegie Clark.[13] Ivo Whitton won in 1926, 13 years after his last win, and won again in 1929 and 1931.[14][15][16] Mick Ryan won in 1932, the third successive amateur winner at Royal Adelaide.[17] Of the professionals, Fred Popplewell won twice, in 1925 and 1928, while Rufus Stewart won in 1927 and was runner-up in the other four opens between 1926 and 1930.[18][19][20] 1928 was the first Open played over 3 days, with 36 holes on the final day. There was a cut after 36 holes with the leading 60 and ties playing on the final day. With the leading 16 amateurs in the Open qualifying for the match play stage of the amateur championship, there was also a proviso that at least 24 amateurs should make the cut.[21] The 1930 open was the first to be held at the Metropolitan Golf Club and the winner, Frank Eyre, was the first to be presented with the Stonehaven Cup.[22]

1931 saw the emergence of 16-year-old Jim Ferrier. Needing 5 at the last hole to tie Ivo Whitton, he took 6 and finished runner-up.[16] He was also a runner-up in 1933 and 1935. He had another good change to win in 1935 but took 7 at the 71st hole and again finished a stroke behind the winner.[23] He didn't win the open until 1938, when he won by a record 14 strokes from Norman Von Nida.[24] He repeated his success in 1939.[25] 1934 saw the first serious American challenger when Gene Sarazen played in the event. He was on a world tour with Joe Kirkwood Jr. However Billy Bolger won the open with a new record score of 283, with Sarazen second and Kirkwood fourth.[26] Sarazen returned in 1936 and won with a score of 282, a new record.[27]

The championship resumed in 1946 at Royal Sydney and was won by Ossie Pickworth, who finished two ahead of the amateur Alan Waterson.[28] The Australian Amateur was also played at Royal Sydney, starting the following week. However, the Open no longer acted as a qualifying event for the amateur championship, which became match-play only.[29] 1947 was the first year that the open and amateur were played at different venues, Royal Queensland hosting the open for the first time. It was also the first time it had been played as early as June. Billy McWilliam scored 65 in the first round and took an 8 stroke lead. He still led by 4 at the start of the final round but took 78, while Pickworth scored 69 to retain his title by 5 shots.[30] From 1947 it was generally the case that the Open and the Amateur were played at separate venues. This naturally tended to reduce the number of amateurs playing in the open, since they no longer had to play it to qualify for the amateur championship. 1948 saw the first appearance of Jim Ferrier since 1939, creating much public interest in the event. Pickworth and Ferrier tied on 289, resulting in the first open playoff.[31] Pickworth won the 18 hole playoff with a score of 71 to Ferrier's 74, to win his third successive title.[32] Pickworth seemed likely to win his fourth title in 1949 as he led by 6 strokes after 3 rounds. However, Eric Cremin had a last round of 68 to Pickworth's 80 to win the title. Pickworth was later disqualified for recording an incorrect score at his final hole, so that Norman Von Nida, playing in his first open since 1939, became the runner-up.[33]

Norman Von Nida was the leading player of the early-1950s, winning the open in 1950, 1952 and 1953 and being a runner-up in the other four opens between 1949 and 1955. Peter Thomson won in 1951 while Ossie Pickworth took his fourth title in 1954.[34][35] 1952 was the first open held in Western Australia, being played at Lake Karrinyup. Von Nida won with a record score of 278.[36] Von Nida equalled that record in 1953 and also equalled the record for the lowest round, with his final 65.[37] Bobby Locke won in 1955, the first overseas winner since 1936. This was played at Gailes, near Brisbane, in late May, the earliest of any open.[38] Kel Nagle seems a likely winner in 1956 but finished badly, for a final round 76, while Bruce Crampton finished with two birdies for a 68 and won by two strokes.[39]

Gary Player made his first appearance in 1957, and would eventually win the title 7 times. He seemed a likely winner on his debut, but in the final round took 7 at the 13th and 6 at the 16th and lost by a stroke from Frank Phillips.[40][41] Player returned in 1958, winning by 5 strokes.[42] Kel Nagle had been close to winning a number of times and won his only open in 1959.[43] The 1960 open was held at Lake Karrinyup for the second time, a week after the amateur championship. Bruce Devlin, still an amateur, won his only open. Amateurs took 8 of the first 9 places.[44] Player returned in 1961 but only finished tied for third, Phillips winning by two strokes from Nagle.[45] Player won in 1962, by two strokes from Nagle. Jack Nicklaus made his debut in 1962, finishing 5th.[46] Player won again in 1963, his third win, by 5 shots from Bruce Devlin.[47] Devlin came close to winning in 1964. Needing a par-5 at the 72nd hole he took 6, and then lost to Jack Nicklaus by 3 strokes in an 18-hole playoff. The playoff was played on a Sunday, the first Sunday play in the open's history.[48] Player won his fourth title in 1965, setting a new record score of 264, despite taking a bogey-5 at the final hole. Player started with a record round of 62 and had another 62 in the third round. Nicklaus and Phillips tied for second place, 6 behind Player.[49]

The 1966 open was the first to be held over four days and the first to finish on a Sunday. Arnold Palmer made his debut in the event and won by 5 strokes from Kel Nagle.[50] Peter Thomson won his second open in 1967, the first Australian winner since 1961. He won by 7 strokes from Col Johnston.[51] Jack Nicklaus won for the second time in 1968, beating Gary Player by a stroke after making a birdie-3 at the final hole.[52] The 1968 open was sponsored by a local TV company, the first open to be sponsored. From 1969 the event was sponsored by Qantas.[53][54] In difficult conditions, Player had a final round 77, but still won his 5th title in 1969, equalling Ivo Whitton's record.[55] In 1970 Player led by 8 strokes after three rounds and, despite a last round 74, won by 3, for his 6th win in the event.[56] In 1971 the open was held in Tasmania for the only time, at Royal Hobart. Nicklaus had a 9-stroke lead after three rounds and won by 8 shots.[57] In 1972 there was an 18-hole playoff after a tie between Peter Thomson and David Graham.[58] Graham drove out-of-bounds at the first hole and Thomson took a three-stroke lead after making a birdie. Thomson eventually won by 6 strokes for his third title.[59] J. C. Snead won in 1973, by two strokes from Jerry Breaux, a little-known American.[60] In 1974 Player won his 7th title. Leading by 5 strokes at the start of the final round, he scored 73 and won by 3.[61]

From 1975 to 1978 the open was held at The Australian Golf Club. Kerry Packer had funded a redesign of the course by Jack Nicklaus. The event was broadcast through Packer's Channel Nine network. He also financed a large increase in the prize money. Nicklaus won three of the four events, in 1973, 1974 and 1976 while David Graham won in 1975.[62] The 1979 and 1980 events were sponsored by Dunhill but with less prize money than in 1978. Jack Newton won in 1979 with Greg Norman winning in 1980.[63][64] The 1981 event was multi-sponsored, without a title sponsor, and was won by Bill Rogers, beating Norman by a stroke.[65][66]

Sources:[67][68]

Year	Winner[lower-alpha 1]	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up[lower-alpha 1]	Venue	First prize (A$)	Ref.
Emirates Australian Open
2020	Tournament cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic							[69]
2019	Matt Jones (2)	269	−15	1 stroke	Louis Oosthuizen	The Australian	225,000	[70]
2018	Abraham Ancer	272	−16	5 strokes	Dimitrios Papadatos	The Lakes	225,000	[71]
2017	Cameron Davis	273	−11	1 stroke	Jonas Blixt Matt Jones	The Australian	225,000	[72]
2016	Jordan Spieth (2)	276	−12	Playoff[lower-alpha 2]	Ashley Hall Cameron Smith	Royal Sydney	225,000	[73]
2015	Matt Jones	276	−8	1 stroke	Adam Scott Jordan Spieth	The Australian	225,000	[74]
2014	Jordan Spieth	271	−13	6 strokes	Rod Pampling	The Australian	225,000	[75]
2013	Rory McIlroy	270	−18	1 stroke	Adam Scott	Royal Sydney	225,000
2012	Peter Senior (2)	284	−4	1 stroke	Brendan Jones	The Lakes	225,000
2011	Greg Chalmers (2)	275	−13	1 stroke	John Senden	The Lakes	270,000
Australian Open presented by Century 21
2010	Geoff Ogilvy	269	−19	4 strokes	Matt Jones Alistair Presnell	The Lakes	270,000
Australian Open
2009	Adam Scott	273	−15	5 strokes	Stuart Appleby	New South Wales	270,000
2008	Tim Clark	279	−9	Playoff[lower-alpha 3]	Mathew Goggin	Royal Sydney	270,000
MFS Australian Open
2007	Craig Parry	277	−11	1 stroke	Won Joon Lee Nick O'Hern Brandt Snedeker	The Australian	315,000
2006	John Senden	280	−8	1 stroke	Geoff Ogilvy	Royal Sydney	270,000
2005	Robert Allenby (2)	284	−4	1 stroke	Nick O'Hern John Senden Paul Sheehan	Moonah Links	216,000
Hillross Australian Open
2004	Peter Lonard (2)	281	−3	1 stroke	Stuart Appleby	The Australian	270,000
Australian Open presented by Hillross Financial
2003	Peter Lonard	279	−9	1 stroke	Chris Downes Stephen Leaney	Moonah Links	270,000
Holden Australian Open
2002	Stephen Allan	198[lower-alpha 4]	−12	1 stroke	Aaron Baddeley Rich Beem Craig Parry	Victoria	270,000
2001	Stuart Appleby	271	−13	3 strokes	Scott Laycock	The Grand	270,000
2000	Aaron Baddeley (2)	278	−10	2 strokes	Robert Allenby	Kingston Heath	250,000
1999	Aaron Baddeley (a)	274	−14	2 strokes	Greg Norman Nick O'Hern	Royal Sydney	(180,000)
1998	Greg Chalmers	288	E	1 stroke	Stuart Appleby Peter Senior	Royal Adelaide
1997	Lee Westwood	274	−14	Playoff[lower-alpha 5]	Greg Norman	Metropolitan
1996	Greg Norman (5)	280	−8	8 strokes	Wayne Grady	The Australian	180,000
Heineken Australian Open
1995	Greg Norman (4)	278	−10	2 strokes	Peter McWhinney	Kingston Heath	153,000
1994	Robert Allenby	280	−8	1 stroke	Brett Ogle	Royal Sydney
1993	Brad Faxon	275	−13	2 strokes	Mike Clayton Jeff Woodland	Metropolitan	153,000
Australian Open
1992	Steve Elkington	280	−8	2 strokes	Peter McWhinney Duffy Waldorf	The Lakes	144,000
1991	Wayne Riley	285	−3	1 stroke	Robert Allenby (a)	Royal Melbourne	126,000
1990	John Morse	283	−5	Playoff[lower-alpha 6]	Craig Parry	The Australian	108,000
1989	Peter Senior	271	−17	7 strokes	Peter Fowler	Kingston Heath	90,000	[76]
National Panasonic Australian Open
1988	Mark Calcavecchia	269	−19	6 strokes	Mark McCumber	Royal Sydney	63,000	[77]
1987	Greg Norman (3)	273	−15	10 strokes	Sandy Lyle	Royal Melbourne	54,000	[78]
1986	Rodger Davis	278	−10	1 stroke	Ian Baker-Finch Graham Marsh Bob Shearer	Metropolitan	49,500	[79]
1985	Greg Norman (2)	212[lower-alpha 4]	−4	2 strokes	Ossie Moore	Royal Melbourne	45,000	[80]
1984	Tom Watson	281	−7	1 stroke	Bob Stanton	Royal Melbourne	36,000	[81]
Australian Open
1983	Peter Fowler	285	−3	3 strokes	Ian Baker-Finch	Kingston Heath	27,000	[82]
1982	Bob Shearer	287	−1	4 strokes	Jack Nicklaus Payne Stewart	The Australian	40,500	[83]
1981	Bill Rogers	282	−6	1 stroke	Greg Norman	Victoria	27,000	[66]
Dunhill Australian Open
1980	Greg Norman	284	−4	1 stroke	Brian Jones	The Lakes	35,000	[64]
1979	Jack Newton	288	E	1 stroke	Graham Marsh Greg Norman	Metropolitan	30,000	[63]
Australian Open
1978	Jack Nicklaus (6)	284	−4	6 strokes	Ben Crenshaw	The Australian	44,000	[84]
1977	David Graham	284	−4	3 strokes	Don January Bruce Lietzke John Lister	The Australian	36,000	[85]
1976	Jack Nicklaus (5)	286	−2	4 strokes	Curtis Strange	The Australian	32,000	[86]
1975	Jack Nicklaus (4)	279	−9	3 strokes	Bill Brask	The Australian	8,820	[62]
Qantas Australian Open
1974	Gary Player (7)	277	−11	3 strokes	Norman Wood	Lake Karrinyup		[61]
1973	J. C. Snead	280	−8	2 strokes	Jerry Breaux	Royal Queensland	4,000	[60]
1972	Peter Thomson (3)	281	−7	Playoff[lower-alpha 7]	David Graham	Kooyonga	3,600	[58][59]
1971	Jack Nicklaus (3)	269	−19	8 strokes	Bruce Crampton	Royal Hobart	3,600	[57]
1970	Gary Player (6)	280	−8	3 strokes	Bruce Devlin	Kingston Heath	3,000	[56]
1969	Gary Player (5)	288	E	1 stroke	Guy Wolstenholme	Royal Sydney	2,500	[55]
Australian Open
1968	Jack Nicklaus (2)	270	−18	1 stroke	Gary Player	Lake Karrinyup	2,500	[52]
1967	Peter Thomson (2)	281	−11	7 strokes	Col Johnston	Commonwealth	1,600	[51]
1966	Arnold Palmer	276	−20	5 strokes	Kel Nagle	Royal Queensland	1,600	[50]
1965	Gary Player (4)	264	−28	6 strokes	Jack Nicklaus Frank Phillips	Kooyonga		[49]
1964	Jack Nicklaus	287	−1	Playoff[lower-alpha 8]	Bruce Devlin	The Lakes		[48]
1963	Gary Player (3)	278	−18	7 strokes	Bruce Devlin	Royal Melbourne		[47]
1962	Gary Player (2)	281		2 strokes	Kel Nagle	Royal Adelaide		[46]
1961	Frank Phillips (2)	275		2 strokes	Kel Nagle	Victoria		[45]
1960	Bruce Devlin (a)	282		1 stroke	Ted Ball (a)	Lake Karrinyup		[44]
1959	Kel Nagle	284		5 strokes	Vic Bulgin (a) John Sullivan	The Australian		[43]
1958	Gary Player	271		5 strokes	Kel Nagle	Kooyonga		[42]
1957	Frank Phillips	287		1 stroke	Ossie Pickworth Gary Player	Kingston Heath		[40][41]
1956	Bruce Crampton	289		2 strokes	Kel Nagle	Royal Sydney		[39]
1955	Bobby Locke	290		1 stroke	Kel Nagle Norman Von Nida	Gailes		[38]
1954	Ossie Pickworth (4)	280		8 strokes	Norman Von Nida	Kooyonga		[35]
1953	Norman Von Nida (3)	278		2 strokes	Peter Thomson	Royal Melbourne		[37]
1952	Norman Von Nida (2)	278		5 strokes	Ossie Pickworth	Lake Karrinyup		[36]
1951	Peter Thomson	283		4 strokes	Norman Von Nida	Metropolitan		[34]
1950	Norman Von Nida	286		1 stroke	Peter Thomson	Kooyonga		[87]
1949	Eric Cremin	287		7 strokes	Norman Von Nida	The Australian		[33]
1948	Ossie Pickworth (3)	289		Playoff[lower-alpha 9]	Jim Ferrier	Kingston Heath		[31][32]
1947	Ossie Pickworth (2)	285		5 strokes	Billy McWilliam	Royal Queensland		[30]
1946	Ossie Pickworth	289		2 strokes	Alan Waterson (a)	Royal Sydney		[28]
1940–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1939	Jim Ferrier (a) (2)	285		2 strokes	Norman Von Nida Martin Smith	Royal Melbourne		[25][88]
1938	Jim Ferrier (a)	283		14 strokes	Norman Von Nida	Royal Adelaide		[24][89]
1937	George Naismith	299		1 stroke	Doug Davies (a) Tom McKay (a) Ossie Walker	The Australian		[90][91]
1936	Gene Sarazen	282		4 strokes	Harry Williams (a)	Metropolitan		[27][92]
1935	Fergus McMahon	293		1 stroke	Jim Ferrier (a)	Royal Adelaide		[23]
1934	Billy Bolger	283		3 strokes	Gene Sarazen	Royal Sydney		[26][93]
1933	Lou Kelly	302		3 strokes	Jim Ferrier (a) Gus Jackson (a) Reg Jupp	Royal Melbourne		[94][95]
1932	Mick Ryan (a)	296		1 stroke	Fergus McMahon	Royal Adelaide		[17]
1931	Ivo Whitton (a) (5)	301		1 stroke	Jim Ferrier (a)	The Australian		[16]
1930	Frank Eyre	306		7 strokes	George Fawcett (a) Rufus Stewart	Metropolitan		[96]
1929	Ivo Whitton (a) (4)	309		5 strokes	Frank Eyre Rufus Stewart	Royal Adelaide		[15]
1928	Fred Popplewell (2)	295		1 stroke	Rufus Stewart	Royal Sydney		[19]
1927	Rufus Stewart	297		2 strokes	Harry Sinclair	Royal Melbourne		[20]
1926	Ivo Whitton (a) (3)	297		3 strokes	Rufus Stewart	Royal Adelaide		[14]
1925	Fred Popplewell	299		2 strokes	Tom Howard	The Australian		[18]
1924	Alex Russell (a)	303		2 strokes	Carnegie Clark	Royal Melbourne		[13][97]
1923	Tom Howard	301		3 strokes	Arthur Ham	Royal Adelaide		[98]
1922	Charlie Campbell	307		3 strokes	Arthur Le Fevre	Royal Sydney		[99]
1921	Arthur Le Fevre	295		10 strokes	Tom Rutledge (a)	Royal Melbourne		[100]
1920	Joe Kirkwood Sr.	290		5 strokes	Dan Soutar	The Australian		[12]
1914–1919: No tournament due to World War I
1913	Ivo Whitton (a) (2)	302		3 strokes	Audley Lemprière (a)	Royal Melbourne		[11]
1912	Ivo Whitton (a)	321		5 strokes	Dan Soutar Fred Popplewell	Royal Melbourne		[10]
1911	Carnegie Clark (3)	321		1 stroke	Fred Popplewell	Royal Sydney		[9]
1910	Carnegie Clark (2)	306		11 strokes	Dan Soutar	Royal Adelaide		[8]
1909	Claude Felstead (a)	316		2 strokes	Dan Soutar	Royal Melbourne		[7]
1908	Clyde Pearce (a)	311		3 strokes	Dan Soutar	The Australian		[6]
1907	Michael Scott (a) (2)	318		8 strokes	Dan Soutar	Royal Melbourne		[5]
1906	Carnegie Clark	322		5 strokes	Dan Soutar	Royal Sydney		[4]
1905	Dan Soutar	337		10 strokes	Michael Scott (a)	Royal Melbourne		[3]
1904	Michael Scott (a)	315		8 strokes	Leslie Penfold Hyland (a)	The Australian		[2]

As of the 2019 event, the following golfers have won the Australian Open more than once.[67]

• Women's Australian Open
• Australian Amateur
• Australian Boys' Amateur

• Official tournament website from Golf Australia
• Coverage on the PGA Tour of Australasia official site