With the Australian PGA Championship less than a month away, Palmer Coolum Resort owner, Professor Clive Palmer, says the tournament leads the way when it comes to putting the sunshine state in the tourism shop window of the world.
The championship has been held in Coolum since 2002 and last year’s event saw over 36,000 spectators through the door at Palmer Coolum Resort with at least a similar number expected this time around.
In 2011 over 100 accredited media took residence on-site with local Australian journalists joined by colleagues from New Zealand, China and Europe to report on the prestigious event that was watched by an Australian television audience of over three million people who consume 20 hours of live coverage.
The PGA Championship’s global reach is even more impressive; over 415 million homes in 40 countries from Asia, America and Europe receive the broadcast, giving Queensland, and the Sunshine Coast in particular, a chance to showcase its beauty to all corners of the planet.
“The PGA Championship is an event that brings the whole world to Queensland to watch the tournament live or on television,” Professor Palmer said.
“The massive global television audience makes it a very important driver for Queensland tourism and Queensland businesses should support it. It is a marquee event that makes a highly significant contribution to the region’s economy.
“At Palmer Coolum Resort we have the premier golf course in Queensland and we are delighted to show the rest of the world what a fantastic tourism location we have.
“Of course we now have ‘Jeff’, our huge T-Rex, as an added attraction and I’m sure he will enjoy the attention from both golfers and spectators.”
First played in 1905, the Australian PGA Championship is Australia’s oldest professional tournament and one of the oldest in the world.
Already confirmed for the 2012 championship are the likes of defending champion Greg Chalmers, 2011 British Open winner Darren Clarke, 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, six-time US PGA Tour winner Rory Sabbatini and Marc Leishman, who is the only Australian to win on the PGA Tour this year.
The 156-man field will include around 30 of Australia’s top 50 professional players who will all be vying for a share of the $AUD1.25 million in prize money. The tournament runs from 13-16 December and tickets can be purchased from Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au