Australian PGA Championship Winners and History
First played in 1897, the Australian PGA Championship is one of the oldest in golf.
Beginning with the 2016 season (which actually starts in the fall of 2015), the Australian PGA Championship is part of The European Tour international schedule.
Sixty European Tour players receive spots in the tournaments, including thirty from the Sunshine Tour. The PGA Tour of Australasia will receive 72 spots the tournament. In addition, there will be eight tournament invitations, six qualifying positions and three positions for PGA Vocational Members.
The winner of Australian PGA Championship will be granted exemption into the European Tour’s flagship event, the 2016 BMW PGA Championship, at Wentworth Club.
The Australian PGA champion has been awarded at least 20 Official World Golf Ranking points since 2009. The presence of top-ranked players in the field, however, increased the points to 34 in 2011, 32 in 2007 and 26 in 2008 and 2009.
The Australian PGA Championship is the 28th European Tour sanctioned event to be held on Australian soil. The others have been the the ANZ Championship (2002-2004), the Australian Masters (2007-2009 – played twice in the 2009 season), the Heineken Classic (1996-2005), the Greg Norman Holden International (2000-2001), the Johnnie Walker Classic (1997, 2002-2003, 2006, 2009) and the Perth International (2012-2014).
The tournament’s trophy is named for Australian professional golfer Joe Kirkwood, Sr. (1897 – 1970). Kirkwood’s victories in the Australian Open and New Zealand Open in 1920 propelled him to a professional career. Kirkwood began playing on the professional tour in the United States in 1923. He won the Houston Open that year. In 1924, he had five Tour victories. In all, Kirkwood logged 17 professional wins. His best finish in a major was third in the 1930 PGA Championship (the event was a match play in those days). Kirkwood also finished fourth in the British Open three times. When his playing career ened, Kirkwood moved to Vermont to become the teaching pro at the Stowe Country Club.
A complete list of Australian PGA Championship Winners follows:
| Year | Champion | Country | Score | Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Min Woo Lee | Australia | 264 (-20) | Royal Queensland |
| 2022 (Nov) | Cameron Smith | Australia | 270 (-14) | Royal Queensland |
| 2022 (Jan) | Jediah Morgan | Australia | 262 (-22) | Royal Queensland |
| 2021 | COVID | |||
| 2020 | COVID | |||
| 2019 | Adam Scott | Australia | 275 (-13) | Royal Pines |
| 2018 | Cameron Smith (2) | Australia | 272 (16) | Royal Pines |
| 2017 | Cameron Smith | Australia | 270 | Royal Pines |
| 2016 | Harold Varner III | United States | 269 | Royal Pines |
| 2015 | Nathan Holman | Australia | 288 | RACV Royal Pines Resort |
| 2014 | Greg Chalmers (2) | Australia | 270 | RACV Royal Pines Resort |
| 2013 | Adam Scott | Australia | 270 | RACV Royal Pines Resort |
| 2012 | Daniel Popovic | Australia | 272 | Palmer Coolum |
| 2011 | Greg Chalmers | Australia | 272 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2010 | Peter Senior (3) | Australia | 276 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2009 | Robert Allenby (4) | Australia | 270 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2008 | Geoff Ogilvy | Australia | 274 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2007 | Peter Lonard (2) | Australia | 268 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2006 | Nick O’Hern | Australia | 266 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2005 | Robert Allenby (3) | Australia | 270 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2004 | Peter Lonard (2) | Australia | 270 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2003 | Peter Senior (2) | Australia | 271 | Hyatt Coolum |
| 2002 | Jarrod Moseley | Australia | 271 | Hyatt Coolum |
| Peter Lonard (tied) | Australia | |||
| 2001 | Robert Allenby (2) | Australia | 273 | Royal Queensland |
| 2000 | Robert Allenby | Australia | 275 | Royal Queensland |
| 1999 | Greg Turner | New Zealand | 278 | Victoria GC |
| 1998 | David Howell | England | 275 | New South Wales GC |
| 1997 | Andrew Coltart (2) | Scotland | 285 | New South Wales GC |
| 1996 | Phil Tataurangi | New Zealand | 279 | New South Wales GC |
| 1995 | No tournament | |||
| 1994 | Andrew Coltart | Scotland | 281 | New South Wales GC |
| 1993 | Ian Baker-Finch | Australia | 274 | Concord GC |
| 1992 | Craig Parry | Australia | 269 | Concord GC |
| 1991 | Wayne Grady (2) | Australia | 271 | Concord GC |
| 1990 | Brett Ogle | Australia | 273 | Riverside Oaks GC |
| 1989 | Peter Senior | Australia | 274 | Riverside Oaks GC |
| 1988 | Wayne Grady | Australia | 275 | Riverside Oaks GC |
| 1987 | Roger Mackay | Australia | 284 | The Lakes |
| 1986 | Mike Harwood | Australia | 275 | Castle Hill CC |
| 1985 | Greg Norman (2) | Australia | 273 | Castle Hill CC |
| 1984 | Greg Norman | Australia | 277 | Monash CC |
| 1983 | Bob Shearer | Australia | 288 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1982 | Graham Marsh | Australia | 282 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1981 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | 282 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1980 | Sam Torrance | Scotland | 282 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1979 | Stewart Ginn | Australia | 284 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1978 | Hale Irwin | United States | 278 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1977 | Mike Cahill | Australia | 278 | Yarra Yarra |
| 1976 | Bill Dunk (5) | Australia | 281 | Rosebud GC |
| 1975 | Vic Bennetts | Australia | 287 | Burleigh Heads GC |
| 1974 | Bill Dunk (4) | Australia | 279 | Liverpool GC |
| 1973 | Randall Vines (2) | Australia | 2 & 1 | Bonnie Doon GC |
| 1972 | Randall Vines | Australia | 290 | The Lakes |
| 1971 | Bill Dunk (3) | Australia | 273 | Surfers Paradise GC |
| 1970 | Bruce Devlin (2) | Australia | 275 | Surfers Paradise GC |
| 1969 | Bruce Devlin | Australia | 277 | Royal Canberra |
| 1968 | Kel Nagle (6) | Australia | 276 | Metropolitan GC |
| 1967 | Peter Thomson | Australia | 282 | Metropolitan GC |
| 1966 | Bill Dunk (2) | Australia | 279 | Royal Sydney |
| 1965 | Kel Nagle (5) | Australia | 276 | Riversdale GC |
| 1964 | Colin Johnston (2) | Australia | 275 | Monash CC |
| 1963 | Colin Johnston | Australia | 3 & 2 | Oatlands GC |
| 1962 | Bill Dunk | Australia | 8 & 7 | Rossdale GC |
| 1961 | Alan Murray | Australia | 2 & 1 | Rossdale GC |
| 1960 | John Sullivan | Australia | 2 & 1 | Royal Fremantle |
| 1959 | Kel Nagle (4) | Australia | 5 & 3 | New South Wales GC |
| 1958 | Kel Nagle (3) | Australia | 6 & 5 | Kooyonga GC |
| 1957 | Gary Player | South Africa | 2 up | Huntingdale GC |
| 1956 | Les Wilson | Australia | 4 & 2 | St Michael’s GC |
| 1955 | Ossie Pickworth (3) | Australia | 8 & 7 | Indooroopilly GC |
| 1954 | Kel Nagle (2) | Australia | 1 up | Royal Sydney |
| 1953 | Ossie Pickworth (2) | Australia | 1 up | Royal Melbourne |
| 1952 | William C Holder | Australia | 2 & 1 | Rosville GC |
| 1951 | Norman Von Nida (4) | Australia | 6 & 5 | Metropolitan GC |
| 1950 | Norman Von Nida (3) | Australia | 6 & 5 | The Lakes |
| 1949 | Kel Nagle | Australia | 7 & 5 | Royal Perth |
| 1948 | Norman Von Nida (2) | Australia | 2 & 1 | Royal Hobart |
| 1947 | Ossie Pickworth | Australia | 2 & 1 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1946 | Norman Von Nida | Australia | 1 up | Manly GC |
| 194045 | No tournament due to World War II | |||
| 1939 | Ted Naismith | Australia | 7 & 5 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1938 | Eric Cremin (2) | Australia | 2 & 1 | Royal Adelaide |
| 1937 | Eric Cremin | Australia | 4 & 2 | The Australian GC |
| 1936 | William Clifford | Australia | 4 & 2 | Oakleigh GC |
| 1935 | Sam Richardson (2) | Australia | 2 & 1 | Royal Adelaide |
| 1934 | Lou Kelly | Australia | 2 & 1 | Royal Sydney |
| 1933 | Sam Richardson | Australia | 9 & 7 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1932 | Fergus McMahon | Scotland | 7 & 6 | Royal Adelaide |
| 1931 | John Donald Spence | Australia | 2 & 1 | The Australian GC |
| 1930 | Jock Robertson | Australia | 2 & 1 | Metropolitan GC |
| 1929 | Rufus Stewart | Scotland | 8 & 7 | Royal Adelaide |
| 1928 | Harry Sinclair | Australia | 1 up | Royal Sidney |
| 1927 | Harry Sinclair | Australia | 4&3 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1926 | Frank Eyre | Australia | 6 & 5 | Royal Adelade |
| 1925 | Tom Howard (2) | Australia | 3 & 1 | The Australian GC |
| 1924 | Tom Howard | Australia | 3 & 2 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1923 | Fred Popplewell | Australia | 2 & 1 | Royal Adelaide |
| 1922 | Charlie Campbell (2) | Australia | 1 up | Royal Sydney |
| 1921 | Billy Iles | Australia | 2 up | Royal Melbourne |
| 1920 | Walter Clark | Australia | 2 and 1 | The Australian |
| 1914-1919 | No tournament due to World War I | |||
| 1913 | Carnegie Clark (3) | Australia | Oakleigh GC | |
| 1912 | Dan Soutar | Australia | 145 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1911 | Charlie Campbell | Australia | 154 | Royal Sydney |
| 1910 | Dan Soutar (4) | Scotland | 153 | Glenelg GC |
| 1909 | Fred Popplewell, Willie Thompson | Scotland | 163 | Oakleigh GC |
| 1908 | Carnegie Clark | Scotland | 4 & 3 | The Australian GC |
| 1907 | Dan Soutar (3) | Scotland | 4 & 3 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1906 | Dan Soutar (2) | Scotland | 5 & 3 | Royal Sydney |
| 1905 | Dan Soutar | Scotland | 4 & 3 | Royal Melbourne |
| 1904 | Carnegie Clark | Australia | 5&4 |
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