Deniliquin Golf Club and Edward River Council have teamed up to bring the PGA of Australia (NSW) Pro-Am Series to Deniliquin, securing the event with a three-year sponsorship agreement.
Edward River Council will host the exciting PGA of Australia (NSW) Pro-Am Series on 6 September 2023, expected to attract more than 200 participants into the region over two days.
The event will be held at Deniliquin Golf Course and will include some of the heroes of golf. Managed by the PGA of Australia and largely operated by local Golf Clubs, the Pro-Am is part of the prestigious golf event circuit for professional golfers.
Edward River Council Mayor Peta Betts said Council was pleased to help attract this new sporting event.
"This is such a win for our region. This is a tourism initiative of Visit Deni and Edward River Council has been able to help secure the event for the next three years, ensuring it becomes a major drawcard on our region's sporting calendar."
The PGA Pro-Am Series has around 100 events nationally over the year. Players who have supported similar events on the PGA Tour of Australasia last year include Deyen Lawson 2022 WA Open winner, Andrew Martin 2022 VIC PGA winner and Tom Power Horan, winner of the Gippsland Super 6 & The National Tournament. Andrew Martin & Tom Power Horan also gained the Tour Cards for the DP World Tour for 2023/2024.
The Pro-Am Series sees tournament members and vocational members of the PGA competing for prize money which is typically around $12,500 per day of competition.
Deniliquin Golf Club President Tony Kew said the event was an exciting opportunity for the Club to cement its place in the annual PGA event calendar.
"With the generous funding support from Edward River Council we intend to make this an annual event which has the potential to attract golfers and their families to Deniliquin to experience the great facilities the club and the town has to offer.
"This is an opportunity for us to showcase our course, showcase our town, promote our local businesses and give visitors a reason to return. Plus, our local and regional golfers will have an opportunity to participate in a team of four with an up and coming golf professional."
Event promoter Sports Marketing Australia's Partnerships Manager, Steffan Jurd, said the real value of the event was in the branding and destination marketing benefits, which assist in attracting more golf tourism.
"Pro-Am events are excellent drivers of return visitation because they are showcasing a region's golf courses to the wider golfing community and promoting recreational tourism outside of the event duration, ultimately providing further economic benefits than the one-off event," he said.
"The tour is exceptional and visits a range of stunning regions with events at different golf courses. Rest days are incorporated into the tour, allowing for more tourism opportunities with genuine time to explore the regions like beautiful Deniliquin and this leads to more extended stays within the region."
