PGA Championship dumps Sunshine Coast
Following months of speculation the PGA of Australia has confirmed the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola is headed to a new home in 2013, sending a fond farewell to the Sunshine Coast that has hosted the tournament for the last 11 years.
In a statement today Brian Thorburn, chief executive officer of the PGA, confirmed the imminent move.
“Since May last year the PGA has received a number of offers from Palmer Coolum Resort to continue to host the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola in 2013 and beyond.”
“For various reasons, including a lack of flexibility of dates for the tournament and signage matters, none of those offers have been acceptable to the PGA and, in the interest of our Members and stakeholders, late last year we decided to look at alternative venues outside the Sunshine Coast to host the event. The PGA has formally advised Palmer Coolum Resort of its decision that the Championship will not be returning to Coolum in 2013.”
According to Palmer Coolum Resort it withdrew its offer to host the Australian PGA Championship because a deal could not be struck on terms that suited the resort’s commercial interests. “It was a decision made purely on commercial terms,” resort general manager Bill Schoch said. “The event had been here for 11 years under a deal with the previous managers. It suited them.”
The PGA is now considering four other offers – three of which are from south-east Queensland courses, before an expected announcement at the end of the month.
Photo Courtesy of ABC
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