Asia-Pacific Amateur returning to Australia in 2023

It may be too late for last Sunday’s champion, Harrison Crowe, but the R&A has announced the next edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be making a welcome return to Victoria’s Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 2023.

The tournament’s return Down Under will mark almost a decade since Adelaide’s Anthony Murdaca won at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 2014.

Anthony Murdaca won the Asia-Pacific Amateur when it was last played at Royal Melbourne in 2014 (Credit: Anthony Powter)

“We are proud to announce the return of the AAC to Royal Melbourne in 2023,” said R&A chief Martin Slumbers. “We are committed to elevating amateur golf across the Asia-Pacific and taking this championship back to one of the world’s best courses.”

“We are looking forward to the top talent from across the region competing at our world-class venue for the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship,” said Royal Melbourne’s Captain Tony Rule.

“Royal Melbourne has a long history of providing a true test of golf to the top players in the world and we look forward to continuing that tradition with the return of the AAC.”

First played in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur has produced its fair share of champions including three Australians (Harrison Crowe, Curtis Luck and Antonio Murdaca) and Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, who won the title back-to-back in 2010 and 2011.