And for those that thought the PGA Tour of Australasia might look to Norman and his expansive Saudi funded chequebook to further golf's cause in this country, the local Tour has reaffirmed its commitment to the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour that was expanded earlier this year.

“The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia is focused on its strategic alliance with the DP World Tour which is providing unprecedented pathways for our players to progress on that Tour, along with the Korn Ferry Tour via the PGA Tour,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said. “We want to provide the best possible opportunities for all Australian touring professionals, and we’re confident that working closely with the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour will help us achieve that.”

Given its identity as a standalone circuit with ties to the Asian Tour, LIV Golf was unlikely to get into bed with a circuit such as the PGA Tour of Australasia, but rumours are swirling of the Norman led group bringing, or at least attempting to bring, a tournament to Australia.

Gavin Kirkman has reinforced the local Tour's support of the DP World and PGA Tours. PHOTO: PGA of Australia.

Clearly though given Kirkman’s statement above, and his organisation’s support of the recently announced deepening ties of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, the ‘Great White Shark’ won’t be getting any help from the local bodies that run the game.

“The PGA of Australia is fully supportive of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour as they continue to bring the global golf ecosystem together. We are in regular contact with both of the Tours and following conversations as recent as overnight, we are excited about the future. Our working relationship with both Tours is stronger than ever as we continue to seek the best outcomes for our players, fans and the sport in our region,” Kirkman said.

Part of the news this week in the wake of the former European Tour finally making public its position after plenty of rumours made their way around the world was the American circuit returning to a calendar year schedule. Something Kirkman, and indeed many in Australian golf believe will be a positive for our tournaments and the fields that play them.

“We want to provide the best possible opportunities for all Australian touring professionals, and we’re confident that working closely with the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour will help us achieve that.” - Gavin Kirkman.

“The opportunities presented by the move to a calendar year schedule for the PGA Tour should pave the way for our Australian stars to return home for our major events, and importantly, we have been actively talking to the Tours about bringing events to Australia,” he said.

Bringing events to Australia has been another talking point of late, with the PGA Tour’s proposed new schedule including some big money events to be played outside North America, many believing Australia and our world renowned courses make a perfect fit.

But for Kirkman, and his counterpart at Golf Australia James Sutherland who will oversee his first Australian Open and Women’s Australian Open since taking the top job of the body in charge of amateur golf, the primary focus is the summer ahead which kicks off in the final week of November at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.

“It is fantastic for our summer of golf that our two Aussie major tournaments, the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open, are both co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and will kick off their 2022/23 season,” Kirkman said.

“Our season is still some months away from starting, but we can’t wait to welcome back our Australian stars to feature in our two marquee events in November and December.”

Those two marquee events will both have defending champions who are currently playing the LIV Golf Series, Jed Morgan and Matt Jones, so with the confirmation that the DP World Tour and by extension PGA Tour remain close partners, who have installed bans on players to varied degrees, there is sure to be more news to come on the professional golf landscape in Australia.