Well, the most contentious aspect of the mixed Australian Opens is likely to be changed but the concurrent format will remain for the foreseeable future.

That was the message from Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland this week when he appeared on the Good Good Golf Podcast (co-hosted by this writer, apologies for the self-promotion but listen HERE).

Responding in part to a column penned by this magazine’s editor Brendan James after the final round concluded at Victoria two weeks ago, Sutherland was adamant that joint Opens are the way of the future.

However, he said the controversial second cut to 30 players and ties (on the men’s side of the draw) would be looked at ahead of the 2023 event with a view to extending beyond that number.

The small Sunday field has been a significant sticking point with players and there have been concerns some of our highest profile golfers may opt out of playing in future if it remains.

“It’s an on-balance decision we have to make, and I’m pretty determined to work through an outcome that sees more than 30 men playing on the last day next year,” he said.

Sutherland is a firm believer in the concept of the mixed Open and what it can do for Australian golf. PHOTO: WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images.

While admitting the 2022 event had some challenges, Sutherland declared the overall response to the tournament – particularly among sponsors and commercial partners – as positive and confirmed the organisation’s belief it is the way of the future.

“Commercial partners, Government partners, they absolutely love this concept,” he said. “That’s where they want to spend their money, and there are not a lot of sports that offer this.”

First launched at the Vic Open a decade ago (shoutout to GA staffer David Greenhill who came up with the idea), concurrent and mixed men’s and women’s events have since become more prevalent on the world stage.

However, GA is the first governing body to attempt it at the national championship level while also adding a third title in the All Abilities Championship.

In a game where allowing players to wear shorts and play 54 holes is seen by some as ‘innovation’, that counts as genuinely bold thinking and Golf Australia is to be applauded on that basis alone.

Ultimately, though, the concept has to be workable and while Sutherland is bullish on the tournament’s prospects that doesn’t mean it will be easy.

Leaving aside Issues around the second cut, there are also scheduling conflicts which mean no matter when the Open is played one or other of the fields will suffer.

Late in the year means there is no prospect of LPGA sanctioning as their season has finished while early in the year means many of Australia’s best men would be unavailable due to overseas commitments.

“Commercial partners, Government partners, they absolutely love this concept. That’s where they want to spend their money, and there are not a lot of sports that offer this.” - James Sutherland.

The barriers – and critics – are multiple and while I don’t agree with everything Sutherland said on the podcast it is difficult to argue with his observation that 'golf will not succeed doing the same thing it's done for the last 20 years’.

Unpleasant and unwelcome as it may be, commercial realities are driving much of the decision making regarding the national championships.

The truth is Australia cannot compete on the global golf stage where PGA Tour purses average more than US$6 million with the biggest events now at US$20 million.

On the LPGA the figure is closer to US$1.5 million with the biggest non major events offering up to US$3 million.

That sort of money is simply not available here and never will be which means those in charge need to embrace whatever product local sponsors are willing to buy.

As pointed out by Brendan James in the article which sparked much of this particular discussion: “Golf tournaments of any significance are extraordinarily tough to manage. Ensuring the players are happy, sponsors get value for their investment and the fans have a great experience and want to return is a tough assignment, even with a singular focus.”

With limited dollars, ticking all those boxes while simultaneously finding the incentives to attract fields (of both genders) that Australian fans will find acceptable is no easy task.

And that is true whether the tournaments are staged separately or concurrently.

For all the criticism that will be levelled at Golf Australia for the decision to pursue this model (some of it legitimate, much of it simply malicious) I don’t envy them the assignment.

Because the truth is it’s hard and only going to get harder, no matter which path they choose.