Stand-alone Women’s Australian Open golf tournament set for March 2026 in Adelaide

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — The Women’s Australian Open will make its return as a stand-alone tournament in 2026, officially ending Golf Australia’s attempts at playing both men’s and women’s events at the same time.

After sharing the tournament with the men in a mixed and alternate-tees format from 2022 to 2024, the women’s event to be co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour will move from December to March 12-15 at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide.

Golf Australia said Friday that Adelaide, the South Australian state capital, will host the tournament for the next three years.

While the 2026 LPGA Tour schedule has not been announced, the U.S.-based circuit typically plays co-sanctioned events in Asia in February and March. That could result in greater opportunities for international players to travel to Australia from the Asia region, including recently-crowned Women’s PGA champion Minjee Lee, Australia’s top women’s player.

Last month, Golf Australia announced that Rory McIlroy will headline the men’s Australian Open this year at Royal Melbourne from Dec. 4-7. This year’s Masters champion is also contracted to play at nearby Kingston Heath, another Melbourne sandbelt course, in 2026.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf