The Presidents Cup is set to say G’day to a new Sandbelt venue.
The PGA Tour and the Presidents Cup on Monday announced that the 2028 Presidents Cup will be contested at Kingston Heath Golf Club, one of the most iconic venues on the famed Melbourne Sandbelt. The 2028 Presidents Cup will mark the event’s fourth visit to Melbourne, with the Tour having previously announced a long-term commitment with Visit Victoria to staging the Presidents Cup in Melbourne in 2028 and 2040.
Ranked 13th in Golfweek’s Best International Classic Courses list, Kingston Heath was designed by Australia’s Dan Soutar and features a natural bunkering layout spearheaded by legendary architect Alister Mackenzie in 1926. He famously recommended converting the short par-4 15th into a splendid uphill par 3, part of one of the best collection of three-shotters anywhere, and built what might be the best set of bunkers on any course in the world. As former British Open champion and CBS commentator Ian Baker-Finch put it, a championship could be staged at Kingston Heath any day of the year.
Amazing Australia: Melbourne and Victoria tick all the boxes for the perfect golf trip
Among the noteworthy championships held at Kingston Heath include the Australian Open, which has been hosted seven times and most recently in 2022 when it shared duties with Victoria Golf Club. It has also hosted the 2009 and 2012 Australian Masters, the 2008 Women’s Australian Open, and the 2016 World Cup of Golf. Notable champions at Kingston Heath include South Africa’s Gary Player (1970 Australian Open) and Australians Aaron Baddeley (2000 Australian Open) Adam Scott (2012 Australian Masters), Karrie Webb (2008 Women’s Australian Open), and American Tiger Woods (2009 Australian Masters), who won on his sixth continent with the victory in Australia.
“It tests every club in the bag,” said Baddeley. “That’s what makes Kingston Heath so great.”
Kingston Heath will represent the fifth international venue to host the Presidents Cup, joining The Royal Melbourne Golf Club (1998, 2011, 2019); The Links at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate (2003); The Royal Montreal Golf Club (2007, 2024); and Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea (2015).
“Kingston Heath is subtle, but demanding, and the format of the Presidents Cup promises to deliver many memorable moments,” said Kingston Heath Captain Stephen Montfort. “We look forward to welcoming golf fans from all around the world to The Heath.”
The Presidents Cup’s fourth visit to Melbourne will match Gainesville (Virginia, USA) for most Cups contested in one city. Its most recent trip to Melbourne was in 2019, when World Golf Hall of Fame captains Ernie Els and Tiger Woods squared off at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in one of the most dramatic Presidents Cups in history, with Woods’ United States Team mounting a final-day comeback to win the Cup.
The Presidents Cup is a biennial global team competition between the United States and an International team that represents the rest of the world excluding Europe. The competition, which debuted in 1994 and is contested by the PGA Tour, alternates between venues in the U.S. and overseas.
With this announcement, the Presidents Cup has its venues secured through 2030:
Year |
Venue |
Location |
2024 |
The Royal Montreal Golf Club | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
2026 |
Medinah Country Club (Course #3) | Medinah, Illinois |
2028 |
Kingston Heath Golf Club | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
2030 |
Bellerive Country Club | St. Louis, Missouri |