Mollymook Golf Club's Hilltop part of regional qualifying series

The Mollymook Golf Club's Hilltop course is one of six regional qualifying events for next year's Australian Women's Classic in Bonville and the Women's NSW Open.

The Hilltop course's event will tee off from Saturday, November 18 to Monday, November 20 this year.

The Women's NSW Open will take place at the Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club on the NSW Central Coast from March 29 to 31, 2024, while the Australian Women's Classic returns to Bonville on the Coffs Coast beginning on April 5 and running until April 7.

The back-to-back tournaments will see a sizeable jump in prizemoney, with the purses for each now set at $500,000 [AUD ].

The two championships - already key events on the Women's Australian PGA Tour Schedule (WPGA Tour) will also return to the Ladies European Tour (LET) calendar in 2024.

In a first for women's golf in NSW, an additional six 36-hole Regional Open Qualifying Tournaments, each carrying a purse of $50,000, will be part of the 2023- 2024 schedule prior to the back-to-back championships in late March.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said the NSW Government was pleased to be supporting these major women's sporting events which will increase tourism in our regions.

"These tournaments will feature some of Australia's top female golfers and also showcase some of the nation's best golf courses, putting these areas on the 'must visit' list for golfers who attend the tournaments and the fans who follow them," he said.

"Sport brings communities together, and having some of the nation's leading female golfers play at courses across regional NSW will bring social and economic benefit to these areas.

General Manager - Golf at Golf NSW, Olivia Wilson, said the increased number of tournaments and jump in prizemoney was a welcome reflection of the growing interest in elite female sport and participation in the pastime post-COVID-19.

"Golf will always be a game for all and a sport that anyone can embrace regardless of age or ability," Ms Wilson said

"It's a thrill to see how the sporting public embrace our finest female athletes in whatever discipline they excel.

"With many of the Ladies European Tour's best on show, it will be a fantastic few weeks of golf. With luck, we'll see a hometown star or two shine and get their career off to a fabulous start.

CEO of the WPGA Tour of Australasia, Karen Lunn, was delighted with the news.

"The WPGA is thrilled to partner with Golf NSW to deliver world-class golf this summer. To compete for over $1 million on some great courses in regional NSW is a first for our organisation and a fantastic opportunity to showcase our game's best players and women's sports in general," she said.

Chief Operating Officer at Golf NSW, Graeme Phillipson, said the tournaments would be a welcome economic injection into the communities surrounding the host clubs and showcase both courses to a global audience.

"The Womens NSW Open and The Australian Women's Classic have always been well supported by the LET, and with the host tournaments sites already renowned for the test they will offer to the players, I'd expect both fields to have a very strong international flavour," Mr Phillipson said.

Mr Phillipson also confirmed that the Australian Women's Classic and the Women's NSW Open TV will be broadcast through Foxtel and Kayo via SEN, with the final rounds of all Regional Qualifying Series events to be live-streamed on the SEN network and Golf NSW social and digital channels.

"Digital technology is always evolving, and in the last few years, this evolution has allowed us to broadcast from several great courses we could never have hoped to do so from before," he said

"It will be fantastic to broadcast some of our best regional courses to the world and showcase our best golfing talent."