South Australia has landed one of the most significant deals in Australian golf in recent memory.

On May 7, the state government confirmed that Greg Norman’s redesigned North Adelaide Golf Club will host the 2028 Australian Open, followed by five more Australian Opens through 2034.

Six tournaments are now confirmed in a region that had never hosted the event before. This also happened in the same week when South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas publicly raised doubts about LIV Golf’s future in the state.

“We are thrilled to make this a reality, at a high quality public facility on the doorstep of our city," Peter Malinauskas said.

"The Australian Open is a must stop event on the Australian sporting calendar, and we have the potential to grow it here in Adelaide."

Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland announced the deal at a strategy meeting in Adelaide. He confirmed that NAGC will host three men’s and three women’s Australian Opens between 2028 and 2034.

The men’s 2028 tournament will be only the third time in more than 50 years that the championship is being held outside Victoria or New South Wales. Sutherland spoke clearly about how important this deal is.

"The Australian Open is one of the great championships in world golf, but in recent years we have not always had the certainty needed to plan and build the event to its full potential," he said.

"Our aspiration is clear. We want our Australian Opens to be recognised among the world's top golf tournaments, both for men and women."

The $45 million redevelopment of NAGC was first planned to host LIV Golf from 2028 to 2031. But now, that plan is in trouble. PIF, the Saudi Arabia-backed fund that has supported LIV Golf since it began in 2022, has now withdrawn its support.

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil said that around 12 outside groups have shown interest, but no deal has been finalized yet.

Peter Malinauskas puts LIV golf on notice over Adelaide future

"I don't owe LIV anything," Malinauskas said. "We're not going to pay for anything that doesn't deliver, plain and simple."

That is a big statement. The South Australian government spent $45 million to rebuild NAGC, mainly with LIV Golf in mind. Since it started in 2022, the tour has reportedly been losing money. Only a few events, including Adelaide, have brought good financial results.

Stars like Bryson DeChambeau, John Rahm, and Cameron Smith now face real uncertainty about their future on the tour.

Malinauskas acknowledged LIV's run in Adelaide has delivered results so far. But he drew a hard line on what comes next.

"We welcome (news they are searching for new partners) and we’ll be at the front of the queue if it stacks up for us," he said.

The 2025 men’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne attracted more than 113,000 fans. Victoria will still be part of the tournament rotation, and the Presidents Cup will be held in Melbourne in 2028, which gives Adelaide the chance to host that year.

With six Australian Opens now confirmed, South Australia has secured the long-term future it wanted in golf.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Sahil Prashar