The Heineken Classic celebrates it’’s tenth anniversary next year with a move to Royal Melbourne Golf Club, consistently ranked the number one course in Australia, where players will compete for a record purse of A$2 million on Jan 28 – Feb 3.
The tournament, co-sanctioned by the Australasian Tour and The European Tour since 1996, will be played over the “President’’s Cup layout” which comprises six holes of the East Course and 12 holes of the West Course at Royal Melbourne.
The move to Melbourne, announced by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, coincides with Heineken’’s tenth year of sponsorship. In addition to the President’’s Cup, Royal Melbourne has hosted the Australian Open on 16 occasions.
Tournament chairman and President of SFX’’s golf division, Tony Roosenburg, said: “Sanctioned by both the Australasian and European PGA Tours, the Heineken Classic will bring 156 of the world’’s best golfers to Melbourne to compete for a record purse of $A2 million.
"This layout was tried and tested for the first time during the Presidents Cup and proved to be an enormous success. With holes 16, 17 and 18 situated around the central clubhouse area, it creates an exciting atmosphere for the final groups entering the home stretch. The corporate hospitality opportunities created by this layout are unrivalled in Australian golf.”
The tournament, which had been played at the Vines Resort in Perth since 1993, boasts Robert Allenby (1994), Ian Woosnam (1996), Thomas Björn (1998), Jarrod Moseley (1999) and Michael Campbell (2000 and 2001) amongst its former champions.
Greg Norman, an Honorary Life Member of The European Tour, has already committed himself to the 2002 Heineken Classic and will compete in the tournament for a fifth time, after previous starts in 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2001.
Norman said: “I applaud The Premier and Victoria as a whole for bringing a tournament of this magnitude to a golf course I consider to be one of the greatest in the world. Royal Melbourne should be showcased annually by a significant international event, and with the sanctioning from both the Australasian Tour and The European Tour, this tournament will give the golf course the exposure it richly deserves.”
