Asia-Pacific Amateurs to return to Australia
Shanghai: The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships (AAC) will return to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia after a gap of six years.
The championships are scheduled to be held from October 29 to November 1, 2020.
The announcement was made as the current edition got underway on Thursday with 120 players from 39 countries teeing off at the Sheshan International Golf Club.
An Indian contingent of six players is also featuring in the competition in which Rayhan Thomas was runner-up in 2018.
Founded in 2009 by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A, the AAC champion receives an invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and The Open, while the runner-up gains a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
"One of the goals of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was to show the world how golf is growing in our region," said Kei Muratsu, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation.
"The success of this championship and the quality of the competitors in this field are shining examples of those goals coming to life. We are confident that next year's return to Australia will mark another wonderful chapter in the legacy of the AAC."
"We are thrilled to host the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship once again and bring this exceptional event back to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club," said Andrew Kirby, Captain of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
Australian players have won twice in the past - Curtis Luck in 2016 and before him it was Antonio Murdaca at the Royal Melbourne in 2014.
The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, established in 1891, will be hosting the 2019 President's Cup and it hosted the AAC in 2014.
The club has a strong history of hosting top-tier Australian events as well as international competitions, including the Presidents Cup (1998, 2011, 2019), World Cup (1959, 1972, 1988, 2013) and the Eisenhower Trophy (1968).
