With over 30 years as a PGA member, Teed Up Golf Tours’ Director of Golf, Michael (Mike) Mosher, sits down to share his thoughts on the 2019 Emirates Australian Open.
Mike has extensive golfing experience and has been rated a AAA golf professional for the last 15 years. Mike is also a multi-awarded PGA Golf Professional, playing not only throughout Australasia, but also in Canada and Japan.
The Australian Open is the longest-running and most prestigious golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. First held in 1904, it’s also recognised as the fifth oldest continually run professional golf tournament in the world. It wasn’t until 1930 that its trophy, the Stonehaven Cup, made its first appearance and presented to Sydney golfer Frank Eyre.
Others who have claimed Australian Golf’s most prized silverware are Robert Allenby (2005), John Senden (2006), Craig Parry (2007), Tim Clark (2008), Adam Scott (2009), Geoff Ogilvy (2010), Greg Chalmers (2011), Peter Senior (2012), Rory McIlroy (2013), Jordan Spieth (2014 and 2016), Matt Jones (2015), Cameron Davis (2017), and most recently, Abraham Ancer (2018). Their names have been etched on the original Stonehaven Cup, together with Sarazen, Thomson, Nicklaus, Norman, Locke, Palmer, Ferrier, and record-holding seven-time champion Gary Player.
Aside from the Stonehaven Cup trophy, the tournament’s players compete for their share of the prize money at $1.5 Million and at least 32 official world golf ranking points. From 5-8 December this year, The Australian Golf Club will host the Australian Open for the 21st time. This golf course also hosted the Open’s first tournament back in 1904.
We asked resident Michael ‘Mike’ Mosher about his Australian Open thoughts.
What are your expectations for this year’s Australian Open?
My expectations are high! The Australian Golf Club is a great tournament course and in a great location.
What do you think will be different in this year’s tournament compared to the last one?
The quality of the field this year is much better, so the crowds will be huge and the atmosphere fantastic.
The Australian Golf Club is hosting the tournament for the 21st time. What’s special about its course?
The layout and the course conditions are always impeccable.
Who do you think among the Aussie favourites, Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith, has the best chance of winning the Stonehaven Cup?
Hard to go past Marc Leishman, he has had a great year.
Spanish superstar Sergio Garcia will be making his Australian Open debut. What are your thoughts on him?
He is a great ball striker, and that will keep him up the leader board, which I expect him to be right up there.
C.T. Pan of Taiwan is back this year. Do you think he has a good chance of replicating his 2019 RBC Heritage success in the Australian Open?
No.
Other players to watch?
Louis Oosthuizen and Paul Casey are tremendous players. I’d be watching them!
What are the great things that the tournament players can expect from Aussie golf fans?
A great atmosphere and a level of respect.
Have you ever played in an Australian Open?
Yes, I have played in three and had my best finish at The Australian in 1996, making the cut and having the lowest back nine for the tournament! It’s a great event to play in.
Care to share any TeedUp tour packages that closely resemble the Australian Open Golf Tournament experience?
The closet tournament is the US Open, and we will be taking a group to Torrey Pines in 2021. So look out for that trip!
Teed Up has taken hundreds of Australian golf lovers to the US Masters, British Open and over 40 other golf destinations. We offer the highest level of service and use our local knowledge to create the perfect golfing experience.
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