Getty
Silhouetted golfer on the tee during the 127th British Open Golf at Royal Birkdale GC in Southport 16th-19th July 1998. (Photo by David Ashdown/Getty Images)
Getty
Silhouetted golfer on the tee during the 127th British Open Golf at Royal Birkdale GC in Southport 16th-19th July 1998. (Photo by David Ashdown/Getty Images)
For a 19-year-old Australian pro grinding through domestic events, the dream of playing in Europe has always felt distant. That distance is about to shrink dramatically as PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman dropped a significant revelation on the Talk Birdie To Me podcast this week.
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“We’re in discussion at the moment. It’s something we haven’t looked at before. There are a lot of HotelPlanner events in South Africa. We want to see some of ours co-sanctioned down here as well,” he said, sharing that active discussions are underway with the DP World Tour to co-sanction smaller Australian events with the HotelPlanner Tour.
The HotelPlanner Tour, formerly the Challenge Tour, rebranded in January 2025. It marked the first title sponsorship in the tour’s 36-year history. The feeder circuit now spans 29 tournaments across 18 countries. Total season prize money exceeds €9 million. For Australian pros, gaining access to this schedule would represent a quantum leap in competitive opportunity.
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South Africa already runs four co-sanctioned events on this model. The SDC Open, CIRCA Cape Town Open, NTT DATA Pro-Am, and Jonsson Workwear Open all carry dual status. Players earn ranking points on both the HotelPlanner Tour and Sunshine Tour. Kirkman wants the same arrangement for Australia. This move could reshape how young Aussie golfers climb the professional ladder. And the timing couldn’t be better.
“When you get the CEO taking time out of their schedule at the end of their season to come down and see what we’re doing here in Australia, that’s a real positive,” he mentioned. Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour, arrives in Brisbane on Friday night. He will attend the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club. Then he heads to Melbourne for further talks with Kirkman, his team, and PGA of Australia Chairman Ian Baker-Finch.
This visit signals serious intent from the European circuit. Twenty years ago, Australian officials asked for similar support. The answer was no. Now the DP World Tour CEO is flying in personally.
PGA of Australia pathway expansion opens doors for young pros
The pathway expansion already underway makes co-sanctioning even more valuable. Previously, only the Order of Merit winner earned a DP World Tour card. That changed recently. Now the top player qualifies for the DP World Tour. Second and third place finishers earn full exemptions on the HotelPlanner Tour.
Those exemptions unlock access to 20-plus events across three continents. The minimum prize money sits at £500,000 per event, according to Kirkman. That represents a massive upgrade for Australian pros stuck in the domestic grind.
“It’s a different ball game and a better playing opportunity.”
The proof already exists. Daniel Gale and Brett Coletta earned their DP World Tour cards through the Australasian Order of Merit pathway last season. They now compete against the best in Europe. More Aussies could follow if co-sanctioning brings international ranking points to home soil.
The 2025 BMW Australian PGA Championship is officially underway at RQ! 🥳@bmwau | #AusPGA pic.twitter.com/NW1Jbo5zZI
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) November 26, 2025
The BMW Australian PGA Championship carries $2.5 million this week. It marks the richest purse in the tournament’s 121-year history. The event also marks the start of the 2026 DP World Tour season. Australian golf has never held more relevance on the global stage.
Kirkman and Kinnings will meet one-on-one before the week ends. Those conversations could determine whether Australian events join the HotelPlanner Tour schedule for 2026.
“That’s the dream,” Kirkman admitted when asked about co-sanctioning.
For young Australian pros chasing Europe, the dream just got closer to reality.
Written by
Edited by
Riya Singhal