Australian Tournament Players Championship

The Australian Tournament Players Championship was a golf tournament held in Australia between 1988 and 1999.[1]

Australian Tournament Players Championship

Tournament information
Location	Australia
Established	1988
Tour(s)	PGA Tour of Australasia
Format	Stroke play
Final year	1999
Tournament record score
Aggregate	270 Greg Norman (1988) 270 Bradley Hughes (1996)
To par	−18 Greg Norman (1988)
Final champion
Brett Rumford

The events was held in 1988 and 1989 at Riverside Oaks Golf Club, Sydney with both events being won by Greg Norman. Total prize money was A$300,000 in 1988 and A$500,000 in 1989.

After a three-year gap the tournament was revived in 1993 as the Optus Players Championship. Prize money was A$300,000 in 1993, A$285,000 in 1994 and A$350,000 in 1995.

Tournament highlights

During the 1989 tournament, Robert Emond scored 19 on the 573-yard par five 1st hole during his second round, while Adam Nance scored 11 on the 152-yard par three 14th hole during his first round.[2]

Winners

Year	Winner	Country	Venue	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share (A$)	Ref
ANZ Players Championship
1999	Brett Rumford (a)	Australia	Royal Queensland	280	−12	Playoff	Craig Spence		[3]
1998	Stephen Leaney	Australia	Royal Queensland	275	−17	Playoff	Corey Pavin		[4]
Australasian Players Championship
1997	Greg Chalmers	Australia	Royal Queensland	276	−12	1 stroke	Peter Lonard
Australian Players Championship
1996	Bradley Hughes	Australia	Robina Woods	270	−14	12 strokes	Peter Lonard Robert Stephens
Optus Players Championship
1995	Tim Elliott	Australia	Kingston Heath	283	−5	1 stroke	Peter Fowler	63,000	[5]
1994	Patrick Burke	United States	Kingston Heath	280	−8	1 stroke	Bradley Hughes	54,000	[6]
1993	Robert Allenby	Australia	Royal Melbourne	274	−14	Playoff	Wayne Grady	54,000	[7]
Australian Tournament Players Championship
1990–1992: No tournament
1989	Greg Norman (2)	Australia	Riverside Oaks	276	−12	2 strokes	Roger Mackay	90,000	[8]
1988	Greg Norman	Australia	Riverside Oaks	270	−18	8 strokes	David Graham Peter Senior	54,000	[9]

In 1993, Allenby won at the first extra hole of the playoff. In 1998, Leaney won at the first extra hole. In 1999, Rumford won at the fourth extra hole.

References

1. 2016 Media Guide. PGA Tour of Australasia. p. 170.
2. Ward, Andrew (1999). Golf's Strangest Rounds. London: Robson Books. pp. 259–260. ISBN 1861051840.
3. "Amateur Rumford wins after playoff". Golf Today. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
4. "ANZ Players Championship: Pavin Is Defeated On First Extra Hole". The New York Times. Associated Press. 30 November 1998.
5. "First Tour win for Elliott in a decade". The Canberra Times. 70 (21, 830). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 23 January 1995. p. 20. Retrieved 25 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Burke scrapes home after final-hole horrors". The Canberra Times. 68 (21, 467). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 24 January 1994. p. 24. Retrieved 26 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Allenby keeps his cool in play-off". The Canberra Times. 67 (21, 104). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 January 1993. p. 26. Retrieved 26 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "Norman drives a big one". The Canberra Times. 63 (19, 501). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 27 February 1989. p. 24. Retrieved 25 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Norman slates pros for not trying". The Canberra Times. 62 (19, 146). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 7 March 1988. p. 23. Retrieved 25 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.