Just days after the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Golf Australia combined to elevate Australia’s national championship, Australian Open CEO James Sutherland suggested that another force may have helped shape the historic deal.

For the first time ever, the PGA Tour has partnered with Golf Australia, but Sutherland believes LIV Golf may have played a role in bringing the agreement together.

“I dare say it. It probably has,” Sutherland said when he was asked whether the LIV 2.0 model had pushed the PGA Tour to make a move.

“We had some constructive discussion with LIV around this and the DP World Tour were the pre-existing sanctioning partner with the Australian Open. I guess all I can say is it’s our job to have conversations and have relationships with everyone in the world,” Sutherland added on the latest episode of the Talk Birdie To Me podcast.

The LIV 2.0 model includes a move to try to incorporate national opens, as it has always highly prioritized its international market.

LIV Golf Adelaide attracted a record crowd of more than 115,000 spectators in 2026, and the Australian Open was on LIV Golf's wishlist.

However, the new PGA Tour-Golf Australia deal appears to have taken the Australian Open out of LIV Golf's immediate plans.

“We believe we’re on that path and the partners that we have for the Australian Open now gives us a platform on which to we can build and hopefully continue to grow the event,” said Sutherland.

The deal between the PGA Tour, Golf Australia, and DP World Tour will enhance the Capital.com Australian Open with a bigger prize pool from 2027 and a dedicated place on the global golf calendar, helping attract more top players.

Another agreement was signed by the Australian Open, securing the event's venues for the future.

Golf Australia Signs New Hosting Agreement

A multi-year hosting agreement with the Victorian Government was announced by Golf Australia today. As part of that deal, Victoria will host the Open in 2027, 2029, and 2030.

“We have seven years of certainty now of where the Australian open is going to be played and state government agreements. That’s a luxury we have never had,” said Sutherland.

The 2027 Australian Open will be played at Peninsula-Kingswood Country Golf Club near Frankston.

The venues for the 2029 and 2030 tournaments have yet to be announced, but they will take place at Melbourne’s famed sandbelt courses.

Follow Club Golf for more.

Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav