European tour season begins in Australia two weeks after the previous season ends

BMW Australian PGA Championship

Site: Brisbane, Australia.

Course: Royal Queensland GC. Yardage: 7085. Par: 71.

Prize money: AD 2 million ($1.29 million). Winner’s share: AD333,333 ($215,600).

Television: Wednesday-Saturday, 8-9:30 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Elvis Smylie.

Race to Dubai champion: Rory McIlroy.

Last tournament: Matt Fitzpatrick won the DP World Tour Championship.

Notes: This is the first tournament of the 2025-26 season on the European tour, coming two weeks after Rory McIlroy was crowned Race to Dubai champion. … The field features three of Australia’s major champions in Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott and Cam Smith. Ogilvy is the International captain for next year’s Presidents Cup. … Smith is down to No. 345 in the world ranking. He did not finish better than a tie for fifth last year on LIV Golf. … Nine players from LIV Golf are in the field, which includes Abraham Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Josele Ballester, who won the Saudi International last week. … Marco Penge, who is joining the PGA Tour next year from his second-place finish in the Race to Dubai, is playing the European tour opener. … Former NCAA champion Fred Biondi is in the field after the Brazilian made it through European tour Q-school to get his card. … The tournament is co-sanctioned by the European tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Next week: ISPA Handa Australian Open.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/ and https://golf.com.au/

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Last week: Sami Valimaki won the RSM Classic.

Next tournament: Sony Open on Jan. 15-18.

FedEx Cup champion: Tommy Fleetwood.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

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Last week: Jeeno Thitikul won the CME Group Tour Championship.

Next tournament: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 29-Feb. 1.

Race to CME Globe champion: Jeeno Thitikul.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

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Ladies European Tour: Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de Espana, Real Guadalhorce GC, Malaga, Spain. Television: Thursday-Saturday, 8-11 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 7:30-10:30 a.m. (Golf Channel). Defending champion: Carlota Ciganda. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

Japan Golf Tour: Casio World Open, Kochi Kuroshio CC, Kochi, Japan. Defending champion: Hiroshi Iwata. Online: https://www.jgto.org/en/

Asian Tour: Bharath Classic 2025 Gujrat, Kensville Golf Resort, Ahmedabad, India. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://asiantour.com/

Sunshine Tour: Fitch and Leedes PGA Championship, St. Francis Links, St. Francis Bay, South Africa. Defending champion: Peter Moolman. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Japan LPGA: JLPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup, Miyazaki CC, Miyazaki, Japan. Defending champion: Shiho Kuwaki. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf