Wollongong and Shell Cove will host the prestigious NSW Amateur tournament, a major event for future Australian and international tour stars.
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The Amateur features five days of stroke and match play competition, with the 36-hole finals to be held on January 28 at Shell Cove.
It's the biggest tournament to be held in the region since Matt Guyatt won the 2011 NSW Open on the final hole at Wollongong. The announcement comes as the Illawarra begins to reopen its sporting fields and facilities after the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Golf NSW events manager Olivia Wilson said about 270 players, with an expectation emerging international talent will travel to Wollongong.
"With the trans-Tasman bubble open, there will be several Kiwi players in the field, and with no more quarantine for those fully vaxxed, we're receiving interest from a few other international golfing bodies about sending players as well," Wilson said.
Among the previous champions of the tournament, which started in 1898, include Newcastle star Jake Higginbottom, Victoria's Ben Eccles and Western Australia's Jarryd Felton, who have also tasted success on the Australian PGA Tour.
New Zealander Michael Campbell, who won the 2005 US Open major, took out the 1992 NSW Amateur, while Jim Ferrier emerged from multiple successes in the 1930s to claim the 1947 US PGA title. Karrie Webb is a previous women's winner.
Manager of the Links Shell Cove, Robby Stephenson, said he was thrilled Golf NSW had selected the course to play host.
"Being selected to host a championship of this stature is quite an honour for the course, the dedicated staff, and the entire city of Shellharbour," he said.
"Both the Links Shell Cove and Wollongong are links-style courses in every sense, the recent routing changes to the Links Shell Cove setting up many risk versus reward scenarios make it the ideal course for match play, this along with the ever-present wind will ensure the best players rise to the top."
The winner of the men's and women's tournaments will gain exemption into the NSW Open championship.
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