Record prize pool for Down Under

Golf officials hope a bumper 17-tournament summer schedule boasting a record A$8 million (NZ$8.8m) prize pool will prove a game changer for Australia’s battling touring professionals and aspiring major champions.

Two years after many players were forced to queue up for JobKeeper to make ends meet during the height of Covid-19, the Australasian tour’s three biggest events will return offering $5.1 million in total prize money.

‘‘Making cuts at the three big ones sets players up for the year,’’ said PGA of Australia chairman Gavin Kirkman.

But as well as the $1.7 million Australian Open, which is being staged simultaneously with the Women’s Australian Open for the first time in December, the $2 million Australian PGA Championship and $1.4 million New Zealand Open, another 14 events — at least — are on the calendar.

Australasian PGA Tour tournament director Nick Dastey said the jam-packed program had been more than five years in the making.

‘‘We weren’t happy with where our schedule was at the end of 2019, just pre-pandemic,’’ Dastey said on Thursday.

‘‘And certainly the amount of events we had on our tour wasn’t where it needed to be and the amount of prize money the players had to play for wasn’t where it needed to be.’’

In addition to the prize money increase, the Order of Merit will be overhauled to a points system to reward players for consistency.

‘‘We want to grow the event but we want to grow the prize money so that it does make it easier for players who only have status here in Australia to hopefully make a living and put some money away so that they can get to those overseas qualifying schools or play their way on to these overseas tours,’’ Dastey said.

‘‘We know that’s where they’re going to make their real money and real living.’’

Instead of the tour’s bonus special exemptions being awarded on the basis of end-of-season earnings, the change will ensure tournaments are weighted more evenly.

Those benefits include:

❚ The top three Order of Merit finishers receiving a DP World Tour playing card for the following season, with the next three receiving an exemption to Final Stage of Q-School and the next seven receiving an exemption to second stage of Q-School.

❚ The Order of Merit winner receiving starts in various major tournaments in world golf including the 2023 British Open at Muirfield.

❚ The top five Order of Merit finishers receiving an exemption to the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School, with the sixth to 15thplaced finishers earning an exemption to the second stage.