Record $7M Prize Pool Headlines First Half of 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Schedule

The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia today unveiled the first half of its 2025/26 season schedule, featuring 10 tournaments and a record $7 million in total prizemoney – the most lucrative stretch in the Tour’s history.

With growing international interest and momentum, two of Australia’s marquee golf events – the BMW Australian PGA Championship and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open – will return in November and December with significantly increased prize pools and elite fields.

Royal Queensland Golf Club will once again host the BMW Australian PGA Championship from November 27–30, with prizemoney reaching a record $2.5 million, up $500,000 from 2024 and the richest purse in the event’s 121-year history.

A week later, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club will stage the Australian Open from December 4–7, offering a minimum purse of $2 million and welcoming global superstar and Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy to headline the field.

PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said the expanded prize pool and competitive opportunities were reflective of the Tour’s increasing relevance as a springboard to global stages.

“The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season is all about ‘the chase’, and we’re thrilled to give our professionals a chance to chase record prizemoney, titles, and career-defining pathways,” said Kirkman.
“We’ve seen what’s possible — just last year Elvis Smylie won twice, topped the Order of Merit, and secured a DP World Tour card and starts in two majors. Careers can be transformed in a single season.”

The 2025/26 season officially tees off with the PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby from August 14–17, followed by a return to Palmerston Golf Course in Darwin for the Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship from August 28–31.

A major highlight of the early schedule is the return of some of Australia’s premier championship venues:

• Mt Lawley Golf Club in Perth will host the Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open for the first time since 2018, showcasing its newly redesigned layout (October 16–19).

• The Vintage Golf Club, the Greg Norman-designed gem in the Hunter Valley, will welcome back the Ford NSW Open from November 13–16, offering a minimum $800,000 purse.

The Webex Players Series – known for its inclusive format where men and women compete head-to-head – will return with five events this season, beginning with Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett at Willunga Golf Course (October 23–26). Four more Players Series events will be staged in early 2026, including the return of Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee.

Challenger CEO – Customer, Mandy Mannix, said the Tour continues to resonate with the company’s community-focused values:

“This partnership is about more than golf,” said Mannix. “It’s a way to connect with Australians, especially retirees who love the game and the lifestyle it represents. Supporting this Tour aligns perfectly with our mission to help Australians enjoy a secure, active retirement.”

To officially mark the launch of the new season, Anthony Quayle, 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship third-place finisher and recent DP World Tour cardholder, hit a ceremonial tee shot at Nudgee Golf Club, which will host the Queensland PGA Championship from November 20–23.

Nick Dastey, PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relationships, said the upcoming season promises elite-level action across diverse venues.

“We’re visiting six Australian states and territories, as well as Papua New Guinea, with a great mix of regional and metro venues,” said Dastey. “Every stop on the Tour will offer fans the chance to see Australia’s best up close — and perhaps the next big international star in the making.”

The remainder of the 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule — post-Christmas through to the March season finale — will be announced in the coming weeks.

2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia – Schedule (First Half)