Golf Australia editor Brendan James examines growing speculation that a rebel invitation-only tournament will be played opposite the Australian Open on the eve of the Presidents Cup.
Speculation about the rebel event has been gaining momentum in recent days as the International Management Group (IMG), the owner of the Australian Masters, maintains its silence on being overlooked for the plum date leading into the Cup to be played at Royal Melbourne between November 17 and 20.
The November 10 to 13 date is seen as a advantageous date for tournament organisers as they can possibly attract a host of Presidents Cup players from both teams to compete. That lucrative date was subsequently awarded to the Australian Open, which will be played at The Lakes GC in Sydney. Earlier suggestions were that the Australian Masters will fill the date and it would make for a massive two weeks of golf in Melbourne.
In choosing the Open ahead of the Masters, the PGA of Australia, which pushed its own event back to the week after the Cup, said it made the decision in the “best interests of Australian golf.”
When Tiger Woods announced at last year’s Masters that he would certainly like to play at Kingston Heath in 2011, it was almost taken as gospel that the Masters would keep its November date and lead into the Cup. Not so.
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Will Tiger sign up for a rebel tournament?
The decision to hold the Open the week before the Cup has unfortunately polarised Australian golf. Those in favour of the move say it is surely the best thing for the game in this country.
I tend to agree and not for the emotive reason that spreading around the talent will inspire the young across the country to take up the game. It might.
Having the Open in Sydney the week before the Cup will, however, spread the corporate dollar injection into the game. Having the Masters and the Presidents Cup in Melbourne on consecutive weeks had the potential for one event to dilute the other in terms of corporate spending and crowd attendences.
But news of a possible rebel event in opposition to the Open is not really that surprising, particularly if IMG are involved because they have the player resources as well as the corporate support already. If the rebel event goes ahead it will obviously mean the Australian Masters won’t.
Also, a rebel event would undermine Golf Australia from drawing maximum star power for the Open but IMG have no allegiance to that tournament. Of the players involved in the Presidents Cup, the Open can only really be assured, at this stage, of defending champion Geoff Ogilvy and NSW Events ambassador and International team captain, Greg Norman, teeing up at The Lakes. It is understood Phil Mickelson is on the Open wish list but he may be required to fulfil commitments that same week at the Singapore Open. Likewise, Adam Scott is the reigning Singapore Open champion and is likely to defend his title.
So who would play in Melbourne the week before Cup? Woods has already signalled that his preference has always been Melbourne.
Tiger is managed by IMG so he might be a starter. Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, Columbia’s Camilo Villegas and South African Retief Goosen are also in the IMG stable. Add to that list one Robert Allenby, who is currently serving a self-imposed exile from the Open while it remains in Sydney. This already has the makings of a quality field that could generate big crowds.
What do you think? Would you support a rebel tournament in Melbourne the same week as the Australian Open? Do you think the decision by the PGA of Australia to overlook the Australian Masters has killed off that tournament?