Jacob's Creek Open and Clearwater Classic rescheduled
IN: News | 18 Nov 2002
The PGA Tour of Australasia has been successful in bringing next year's Jacob's Creek Open and the Clearwater Classic forward one week.
The Jacob's Creek Open, to be played at Adelaide's Kooyonga Golf Club, was originally scheduled to be played between March 6-9 next year but will now move to the earlier February 27-March 2 timeslot. This change will allow the $1 million Clearwater Classic, to be played at Clearwater Resort in Christchurch, to move from March 13-16 to occupy the March 6-9 date.
PGA Tour officials were concerned that the summer playing schedule would lose momentum with a two week break after the £1 million Johnnie Walker Classic at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth, to be played between February 13-16.
"We felt it was best to maximise the public interest and publicity in the TOUR season by reducing the original two week gap between the Johnnie Walker Classic and the Jacob's Creek Open to just one week," said PGA Tour of Australasia chairman, Mr Wayne Grady.
Jacob's Creek Marketing and International Director, Mr Stephen Couche said, "This date change has allowed us to enter into a more comprehensive television coverage of the event both in Australia and overseas. The event has been hugely successful for us and is a major international sponsorship for Jacob's Creek" he added.
As an added bonus to the rescheduling of the two US co-sanctioned events the PGA TOUR announced a $50,000 increase in prize money for the Jacob's Creek Open.
"We are delighted with Jacob's Creek ongoing commitment to the event and the PGA Tour. The increase in the purse to $1,050,000 is representative of Jacob's Creek desire to build upon last year's success and is welcome by the members of the PGA Tour", said Mr Grady.
The PGA Tour of Australasia season continues with the Holden Australian Open at Victoria GC this week, the PGA Championship at Hyatt Regency Coolum between November 28 to December 1 and the MasterCard Masters at Huntingdale between December 5-8.
Craig Parry ($479,851) currently leads the 2002 Order of Merit from Peter O'Malley ($383,142) and Scott Laycock ($374,968).
