Australian Open to make golf history with equal billing and prize money for men and women

Golf history will be made when players tee off on the opening hole of this year’s Australian Open with the men’s and women’s events to be played at the same time and at the same venue.

They will be the first recognised national Opens to feature the women’s and men’s tournaments side by side, with an equal share of the minimum $3.4m prizemoney on offer to fields comprising 144 men and 144 women.

Victoria Golf Club will be the primary host venue across all four days of the tournament running from 1 to 4 December, with Kingston Heath Golf Club hosting on the first two days.

Five-time women’s Australian Open winner Karrie Webb, who will come out of semi-retirement to chase another title, said the alignment of the two tournaments represented a big step forward in the pursuit of gender equality in golf.

“I love this concept, the game is cooperating and bringing down barriers and that needs to happen,” she said.

“It’s just awesome for me to see women on the same stage with the same billing, as they should be. We’ve seen it with other events, the public love it and they want it that way.”

Webb was the last local woman to win the Open in 2014 at Victoria, but she has also tasted success at Kingston with victory there in 2008.

“At this stage I plan to dust off the clubs – I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to play both of these courses,” Webb said on Friday. “I’ve played two Australian Opens, one at Vic and one at Kingston Heath, and fared pretty well at both, definitely would love to tee it up.

“I did play a tournament in Florida in January and plan to play a couple in the summer over in the States, so my form won’t be too far away. Melbourne golf courses are a challenge at the best of times, so we’ll see how it goes.”

The men’s