The Papua New Guinea Open is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The event is held at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It has been a tour event since 2016. Total prize money was A$140,000 in 2016, rising to $142,000 in 2017, $145,000 in 2018 and $150,000 in 2019. The 2019 winner was Peter Cooke who won by 2 strokes.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
| Established | 1977 |
| Course(s) | Royal Port Moresby Golf Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,947 yards (6,352 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour of Australasia |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | A$200,000 |
| Month played | August |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 265 Daniel Gale (2018) |
| To par | −23 as above |
| Current champion | |
 William Bruyeres | |
| Location map | |
  Royal Port Moresby GC Location in Papua New Guinea | |
History
editIn 1978, Papua New Guinea joined the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation with the intention of adding the Papua New Guinea Open to the Asia Golf Circuit,[1] but attempts were ultimately aborted.[2][3] That year, the PNG Open had a field of 144 competitors, including 40 professionals, 37 of whom were from Australia.[4]
After a three-year hiatus from 2020 to 2022, the tournament returned in 2023, featuring as the season-opening event on the 2023–24 PGA Tour of Australasia season.[5]
Tournament conditions
editIn September 2024, an article was released by Monday Q Info, outlining the extremities of the conditions that the players have participated in Papua New Guinea during the PNG Open. It had been noted that the course had been fenced off and guarded by corrupt security guards, as well as caddies being paid $20 a day; with reports suggesting that many players experienced theft of personal items from some caddies during tournaments.[6]
The tournament in recent years has also invited the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape to participate in the tournament.[7]
Winners
edit| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNG Open | ||||||
| 2024 | William Bruyeres |
271 | −17 | 2 strokes | James Conran
| |
| 2023 | Lachlan Barker |
274 | −14 | 4 strokes | Jack Murdoch
| |
| 2021–22: No tournament | ||||||
| SP Export PNG Golf Open | ||||||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[8] | |||||
| SP PNG Golf Open | ||||||
| 2019 | Peter Cooke |
270 | −18 | 2 strokes | Jack Wilson
| |
| 2018 | Daniel Gale |
265 | −23 | 9 strokes | Braden Becker Tim Stewart
| |
| SP Brewery PNG Golf Open | ||||||
| 2017 | Cory Crawford |
278 | −10 | Playoff | Brett Rankin
| |
| South Pacific Export Radler PNG Open | ||||||
| 2016 | Brad Moules |
277 | −11 | Playoff | Anthony Quayle (a) Aaron Wilkin
| |
- Prior to PGA Tour of Australasia sanctioning
This list is incomplete
- 2015 Josh Cabban
- 2014 Kalem Richardson
- 2013 Pieter Zwart
- 2012 Paul Spargo
- 2011 Matthew Ballard
- 2010 Leigh Deagan
- 2009 Michael Wright
- 2008 Joshua Carmichael
- 2007 Andrew Bonhomme
- 2006 Pat Giles
- 2005 Eddie Barr
- 2004 Troy Kennedy
- 2003 Dean Alaban
- 2002 Chris Downes
- 2001 David Grenfell
- 2000 Kyle Woodbine
- 1999 Eddie Barr
- 1998 Lucas Bimbo
- 1997 Anthony Musgrave
- 1996 Neal Kerry
- 1995 Dale Walsh
- 1994 Mark Officer
- 1979 Gerard Taylor[9]
- 1978 Mike Ferguson[10]
- 1977 Ted Ball[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Asian circuit expands". The Straits Times. Singapore. 20 March 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 20 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
- ^ "PNG golfers enter big league". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. Papua New Guinea. 12 April 1978. p. 40. Retrieved 20 February 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "PNG pull out from circuit". The Straits Times. Singapore. 18 October 1980. p. 37. Retrieved 20 February 2020 – via National Library Board.
- ^ "40 professionals enter PNG Open". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier (Port Moresby : 1969 - 1981). 13 September 1978. p. 38. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ "PNG Open returns to kick off 2023 season". PGA of Australia. Australian Golf Media. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ French, Ryan (8 September 2024). "A Game of Risk and Reward". Monday Q Info. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Ewart, Richard (4 May 2023). "First PNG Open in four years features local talent and Prime Minister James Marape on the tee". ABC Sport. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Morobe and PNG Opens cancelled due to COVID-19". PGA of Australia. 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Consistency gives Taylor golf victory". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. Papua New Guinea. 21 September 1979. p. 62. Retrieved 12 February 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "Six-stroke victory". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. Papua New Guinea. 18 September 1978. p. 35. Retrieved 12 February 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "Ball fights off pain to win first PNG Open". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. Papua New Guinea. 15 June 1977. p. 31. Retrieved 12 February 2020 – via Trove.