Women's Open Under Threat

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday September 23, 2004

Peter Stone

A scheduling change in the Australasian golfing calender has put next year's Women's Australian Open in jeopardy.

The New Zealand Open, traditionally played in January, will move into the second week of February and, along with the Heineken Classic to be played a week earlier, will be co-sanctioned by the European Tour.

Essentially, the Australasian Tour will partner the European Tour in the first two weeks of February before joining the Nationwide Tour for the $1million Jacob's Creek Open in Adelaide on February 17-20 and the New Zealand PGA a week later.

Australian Ladies Professional Golf, acting on the assumption that Jacob's Creek and the NZ PGA would follow the Heineken Classic, scheduled the women's open from February 17-20, with the ladies' masters a week later.

Jacob's Creek and the open are now scheduled for the same week with Seven contracted to telecast both. Sponsor AAMI is against moving the open into March as it would clash with the Australian Grand Prix.