Northern Territory locks in PGA Championship dates

The 2017 Northern Territory PGA Championship returns to Palmerston Golf Course in Darwin and will run from 31 August – 3 September.

Following the success of the inaugural tournament in 2016, the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia will make its way north for a $150,000 prize pool.

More than just a golf tournament, the Northern Territory PGA Championship will make a point of community activations designed to promote golf in the region including a Junior Golf Pro-Am, Ladies and Sponsors Clinics, as well as hospital and indigenous community visits from some of the country’s best golfers.

The tournament will be backed by the Northern Territory Government who again have thrown their support behind the event.

“I’m thrilled to announce the return of the Northern Territory PGA Championship, with the government contributing $150,000 as prize money,” Tony Sievers, Assistant Minister for Sports and Community Events in the Northern Territory said.

“Golf is one of Australia’s most popular activities and is played by people of all ages, status and backgrounds – it’s a huge business and securing this tournament is a big deal.

“It’s exciting that we can provide the opportunity to both elevate the sport of golf in the NT while providing another boost to sport tourism in the Territory – this tournament will significantly raise the profile of the Palmerston Golf Club and the Territory.

“We look forward to welcoming  top players from the region to the Territory for the 2017 tournament in what will no doubt be an electrifying week of professional golf in the Top End.”

In the lead up to tournament week, the Queensland and Northern Territory Division of the PGA of Australia will be running the ‘Path to Palmerston’ in an effort to integrate the entire golfing industry of the Northern Territory with the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament.

The ‘Path to Palmerston’ allows the opportunity for every golf club within the Northern Territory to qualify their leading male and female player to compete in the official pro-am for the Northern Territory PGA Championship pro-am hosted on Wednesday 30 August.

“We’re very excited to be returning to Darwin and in particular Palmerston Golf Course for the second Northern Territory PGA Championship,” said Simon Butterly, General Manager of the Tournaments Divison for the PGA of Australia.

“Last year, the tournament was a great success in its maiden run. The tournament organising committee, volunteers and everyone at the Palmerston Golf Course did a fantastic job at creating a truly Top End experience for the players and officials. We had great feedback from the Professionals who competed and I know many of them will be looking forward to returning this year.

“This year, we’re looking forward to expanding the tournaments community involvement together with the Queensland and Northern Territory division of the PGA and ‘The Path to Palmerston’ is certainly a big step forward in bringing together the golfing fraternity in the top end.”

The 2016 Northern Territory PGA Championship was won in emphatic fashion by Jordan Zunic who went wire-to-wire to record his second career victory, his first coming in 2015 at the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open.

Zunic’s best finish so far this season was a fighting fifth place finish in the Queensland Coca-Cola PGA Championship, he gets the opportunity to defend his title and remain the sole winner of the Professional golf tournament come August.

The Northern Territory PGA Championship is proudly supported and hosted by the City of Palmerston.