The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia has announced its schedule for the first half of a bumper 2025-2026 season that will offer a record total of around $7 million in prizemoney across 10 events.

The two Australian majors, the BMW Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open, will both offer substantially increased prize purses this season, reflecting the growth and increased interest in both tournaments, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour. 

The BMW Australian PGA Championship, to be held at Royal Queensland Golf Club from November 27-30 will offer $2.5 million, the most in the event’s 121-year history, an increase of $500,000 on 2024. Meanwhile, the Australian Open at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club (pictured right) on December 4-7, where Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy will be the headline act, will offer a minimum of $2 million in prize money. 

“The Chase is On” from the PNG Open in August, with 10 tournaments locked in through to the end of the year, including the return of the Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship at Palmerston Golf Course on August 28-31.

There’s a return to the Mt Lawley Golf Club for the Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open for the first time since 2018 on October 16-19, the Perth club to showcase its acclaimed redesigned layout which opened for play in late 2023.

The Ford NSW Open is back at the Greg Norman-designed The Vintage Golf Club on November 14-17. Set in the vineyards of the Hunter Valley, The Vintage hosted the Open for four consecutive years from 2007 to 2010.

The ground-breaking Webex Players Series, featuring its format of men and women on the same course, vying for the same title, will have one event prior to the New Year with Willunga GC in the McLaren Vale region once again the venue for Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett.

Another four Webex events will come in early 2026, including the second year of Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee at Royal Fremantle Golf Club in January. Owned and operated by the PGA of Australia, the Tour will continue through to March when the Order of Merit champion will be crowned.

PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said the first half of the 2025/26 would be crucial for the professionals looking to follow the pathway available from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia to the DP World Tour and eventually the PGA TOUR.

“The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season is all about ‘the chase’ and we’re delighted our professionals will be chasing record prizemoney across the first half of the season,” he said. “They’ll also be chasing titles, exemptions and opportunities to compete internationally. There is so much on the line for our players as they try to follow the pathway that has been created all the way to the PGA TOUR."

The post-Christmas/New Year schedule of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events will be announced in coming weeks.

2025 schedule 
August 14-17: PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club, $225,000
August 28-31: Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship at Palmerston Golf Course, $200,000
September 27-28: World Sand Greens Championship at Binalong Community Club $140,000 (Non-OOM)
October 9-12: CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics at Kalgoorlie Golf Course, $250,000
October 16-19: Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open at Mt Lawley Golf Club, $200,000
October 23-26: Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett at Willunga Golf Course, $200,000
November 13-16: Ford NSW Open at The Vintage Golf Club, $800,000 min
November 20-23: Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club, $250,000
November 27-30: BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club, $2,500,000
December 4-7: Australian Open at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, $2,000,000 min
December 11-14: Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links Resort, $250,000

Pictures supplied and Golf Australia Media