Golfers Smith and Scott say Australian Open regains status after returning to stand-alone format

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Golfers Cameron Smith and Adam Scott believe the Australian Open has regained its status as a prestigious tournament after returning to its traditional format without playing it concurrently with the Women’s Australian Open.

Smith had been highly critical of Australian golf’s biggest event, which for the past three years had been played concurrently with the Women’s Australian Open, with male and female golfers playing off alternate tees.

Smith and Scott will join Rory McIlroy in this year’s Australian Open which starts on Thursday at Royal Melbourne.

While Golf Australia claimed it made the most sense commercially, the women, including top-ranked local Minjee Lee, mostly didn’t benefit, arriving jet-lagged after the LPGA season-ending event in the U.S. and playing in a reduced field.

The stand-alone Women’s Australian Open returns to Adelaide in 2026 at Kooyonga Golf Club from March 12-15. That date follows a three-tournament Asian swing by the LPGA Tour in Thailand, Singapore and China, increasing opportunities for more of the world’s top golfers to play in Australia before they return to the U.S.

Former British Open champion Smith said he had spoken with Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland about reverting to the traditional format, and was pleased with the outcome.

“There was a lot of back-and-forth throughout the last couple of years, and I think everyone’s pretty happy with the result,” said the LIV Golf player, who has struggled for form this year and has missed seven cuts in a row, including at last week’s Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in Brisbane.

“Everyone’s talking about the Aussie Open again, which is what we wanted,” Smith said Tuesday. “We wanted it back at Royal Melbourne and we wanted it to be an event where international stars come down and compete and make it the event that it once was, so I think we’re on the right track.”

Scott said the tournament, which also offers the winner a Masters invite, had been a talking point among players this year.

“It probably is more appealing, certainly for international players, to come down to play,″ Scott said. “Obviously Rory is on board and he’s coming off the back of an incredible year, so that’s very timely for the event, and coming to this venue is creating a lot of hype as well.

“I think winning the Aussie Open at Royal Melbourne has one of those asterisks next to it, where it’s just that little bit more meaningful,” added Scott, who finished seventh at last week’s PGA in Brisbane.

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