Things to know (and think) about the 2023 Australian Open in Sydney

The Australian Open championships will be held back in Sydney in 2023 with a few changes to the format.

The 2023 Australian Open is returning to Sydney and on the back of yesterday’s announcement, here are a few talking points including an opinion on the Men’s and Women’s Opens being played at the same time, and whether the tournament should start rotating around the country.

Where will it be played?: The Australian Open will be back in Sydney in 2023, spread across two courses – The Australian Golf Club and The Lakes Golf Club.

While there is a valid argument in favour of hosting our national opens on Australia’s top golf courses, The Australian Golf Club has proven to be a commendable venue for such tournaments. The expansive surroundings surrounding the holes create an ideal environment for hosting a major golf event.

It is fitting for the tournament to be held at The Australian Golf Club and also at The Lakes when it takes place in Sydney. However, it might be beneficial to consider a rotation system that includes other major capital cities such as Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. This approach would ensure that the event reaches a wider audience and showcases the diversity of golfing destinations across the country.

Triple treat: Like in 2022 the Men’s, Women’s and All-Abilities Championships will be played at the same time. The All Abilities Championship will finish on Saturday this year.

From my understanding, the concurrent multiple-event format was previously agreed upon by tournament sponsors and it was always intended to be implemented again in 2023. However, this format poses challenges for tournament organizers and even resulted in an embarrassing incident in Melbourne last year when the tournament leader at the time was not allowed on a bus between courses with her clubs. It is crucial that the issues related to transporting players and fans between courses are resolved prior to this year’s event.

Although combining the events allows for a comprehensive display of the finest Australian golf talent in a single location and potentially reduces expenses, it is worth considering that the Women’s Australian Open deserves its rightful place on the golf calendar.

Format tweak: Unlike last year, there will be just one cut for both the Men’s and Women’s championships.

Last year there was the odd second cut for the men that saw Cameron Smith play on Saturday, but not on Sunday. It was again embarrassing to not have the world’s best golfer playing on the final day when he did make the cut. It’s something tournament organisers and sponsors won’t want to happen again.

Who is playing? Lucas Herbert and Steph Kyriacou are the first two players who have committed to play.

While it’s always nice to see a big international name or two in the field that has been enticed to come down with a wad of cash, tournament organisers should prioritize the inclusion of Australia’s best golfers.

We also want to see Hannah Green, Minjee Lee and Grace Kim in the tournament vying for the national title.

Given the ample downtime provided by LIV Golf, it is reasonable to anticipate Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith, and Matt Jones should be here. Additionally, we can also expect the return of the PGA Tour crew for the Australian Open, considering the PGA Tour’s schedule adjustments that result in fewer golf events towards the end of the calendar year.