Golf enthusiasts will flock to Queanbeyan in February, as the city hosts one of six regional qualifying tournaments for the NSW Open.
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Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro said the NSW Government is committing $2.1 million to assist Golf NSW in staging the COVID safe events in regional towns across the state.
"The Queanbeyan Golf Club is an important part of our local community and I'm excited to confirm that it will be hosting one of the six regional qualifying tournaments where professional and amateur golfers can vie for a total prize pool of $300,000," Mr Barilaro said.
"Queanbeyan, like many other regional communities, has been dealing with impacts drought, bushfires and COVID-19, and by staging this event here we are bringing much needed tourism dollars to the region.
"Usually professional and amateur golfers have to travel to Sydney to qualify for this prestigious golf tournament but this allows them to do this in their own backyard."
Golfing dates for the regional qualifiers are:
- North Coast Open at Coffs Harbour Golf Club: December 9 to 11
- Tweed Region Open at Tweed Heads Golf Club: December 13 to 15
- Murray Region Open at Corowa Golf Club: February 15 to 17
- Dubbo Region Open at Dubbo Golf Club: February 19 to 21
- Queanbeyan Open at Queanbeyan Golf Club: February 23 to 25
- South Coast Open at Moruya Golf Club: February 27 to March 1
Golf NSW general manager Graeme Phillipson said some of the host towns were among the hardest hit by the devastating summer bushfires, including Moruya where they used the fairways at the local golf course as an evacuation centre in the South Coast fires.
"Events like this not only boost community morale but they also bring new fans to the sport and attract visitors to the beautiful regions to enjoy the services and hospitality of local businesses," Mr Phillipson said.
Each round will have 120 players, which would consist of 90 professional golfers and 30 amateur golfers. The NSW Open Golf Championship will be played at Concord Golf Club in Sydney's Inner West from March 25-28, 2021.
