The Athena confirmed for three more years - Golf Australia Magazine - The Women's Game

The Athena, which debuted in 2021 and saw outstanding growth in 2022, will return to screens and the Sandy Golf Links greens in 2023.

The tournament is now a joint venture between the WPGA Tour of Australasia, the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and Evolve Sports Group who developed and delivered the first two years of the concept, which continues the collaboration between the top bodies of golf emphasized.

The priority of the concept is to engage the youth through entertainment. The 12-player format highlights the incredible skill and personalities of young talent coming through in the next generation of golf, giving them a platform, media training and experience unlike anywhere in world golf.

The Athena is a compact two-day event which will be played on 4-5 March 2023 at Sandy Golf Links in Cheltenham, Victoria. Both days of The Athena will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.

Karen Lunn, CEO of the WPGA Tour of Australasia, said: “The Athena is a standout tournament on the WPGA Tour schedule, showcasing golf from a whole new perspective. The format of The Athena with a field of 12 and the mix of challenge and match play means we can showcase the skill and talent of our up and coming young stars while also offering our TV and in-person audiences a new, exciting and quick product to engage with.

“These athletes are not only fantastic golfers, they are also incredible young women, and the Athena provides the platform for Australian fans to gain an insight into their personalities and see that there is much more to them than the player they look up to.” are used to watching in the more traditional broadcasts where they only see the face behind the cap and the sunglasses.

“Every year we see new faces at The Athena and the best part is that we get to see their careers unfold, such as our 2022 champion Kirsten Rudgeley who has just secured her Ladies European Tour card and runner-up Grace Kim who will play on . the LPGA Tour in 2023. The women competing at The Athena are truly the next generation of Australia’s best golfers.”

Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA Tour of Australasia, said: “The Athena has gone from strength to strength and we are excited to be even more involved in 2023 through our deepening partnership with the WPGA Tour of Australasia. Australia produces some of the world’s best golfers and to be able to provide the next generation of talent with a platform like The Athena provides these players with invaluable experience that will help them progress in their careers.”

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said: “The Athena’s success so far proves that there is an appetite for golf in all its forms. As one of the largest participation sports in the country, the women who take part in The Athena are incredible role models for the next generation of golfers and we see it as integral that the national body should be part of celebrating and promoting a tournament that is impactful like the Athena.”

Matt Burgess, founder of Evolve Sports and Athena, said: “This investment securing The Athena by Australia’s top bodies of golf for at least 3 years illustrates their intention to act and not just talk to promote golf’s future generations involve and implement the national golf strategy.

“The women competing at The Athena are truly the next generation of Australia’s best golfers.” – Karen Lunn.

“Following significant investment from founding partners WPGA Tour of Australasia and Fox Sports, The Athena has achieved youth engagement in golf through athlete-first, storytelling content and is a platform for the next generation of stars to shine brightly in their pro. careers. We have only begun to scratch the surface of Golf’s potential. We are very excited to continue to promote this sport with the progression of The Athena and other concepts both in Australia and around the world.

Foxtel Group Commercial Director of Sport, Rebecca McCloy, said: “We are always on the lookout for innovative formats and The Athena certainly ticks that box. The next generation of Australian golf is in great hands with these young women and we are excited to be in be able to showcase it to over 2.8 million sports subscribers across Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

“We have recently expanded our partnership with the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour to showcase the best of local golf and this compliments our coverage of the PGA Tour, PGA Championship, the Masters, US Open, The Open Championship, Presidents Cup, LPGA and the Ryder Cup. Fox Sports truly is the home of golf in Australia. We’ve been on board with The Athena since day one and we couldn’t be more excited to continue to support these incredibly talented female Australian golfers.”