Elvis Smylie kickstarted his international career with his victory at the 2024 Australian PGA Championship.
Aussie big guns locked in for The Lakes
THE BMW Australian PGA Championship, an event which returns to Sydney for the first time in 28 years, will feature a field headlined by Australia’s leading professionals.
Led by Lucas Herbert, on the back of a year which included two wins on the LIV Tour and a top10 at the Open Championship, the ageless Adam Scott who continues to be a major force on the international scene, Min Woo Lee, Australia’s highest ranked player, along with 2022 Open champ Cam Smith and the 2024 BMW Australian PGA winner Elvis Smylie and it’s an impressive list of big-name Aussies already confirmed.
Former Australian Open champion Cam Davis, Canadian Corey Conners, Spain’s Josele Ballester and Presidents Cup International Team captain Geoff Ogilvy add even more depth to the tournament which is joint-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.
Then throw in a crop of hungry European’s looking to kickstart their 2027 seasons and the BMW Australian PGA Championship, teeing off from November 26-29, promises to deliver a memorable week of golf at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney.
However, while all the high profile competitors will be keen to add to another significant title to their resumes, the win by Smylie, who captured the biggest victory of his professional career at the 2024 championship, shows just what is possible for the local line up of young guns if they can step up and have their names engraved on the Joe Kirkwood Cup at the end of the week.
Smylie, who since his win at Royal Queensland two years ago has enjoyed a rapid rise, winning both individual and team titles with Ripper GC on LIV Golf in 2026, returns to the championship where he first made his name.
“I’ve got some incredible memories from winning the BMW Australian PGA Championship. It’s a tournament that will always mean a lot to me,” said Smylie. “Winning in 2024 was a huge moment in my career. It gave me real belief that I could compete against some of the best players in the world and opened the door to the DP World Tour plus some major championships.
“To come back and play in front of Australian fans is going to be a great way to end the year.”
Sidelined with a rib injury throughout much of 2026, Smylie was set to make his comeback to tournament golf in another BMW-sponsored event, at the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship, played at the Wentworth Golf Club in England in mid-September.
Elvis, Lucas, Cam and Cam, Min Woo and Scotty, along with a strong supporting cast, and Sydney golf fans, who have waited a long time for the PGA Championship to return, are in for a special golfing treat.
It was ‘party time’ for Spain’s David Puig, winner of the BMW Australian PGA Championship in 2025.
BMW PGA to get the party started!
THE signature Party Hole has found an exciting new location for the 2026 BMW Australian PGA Championship, bringing Dabble’s on-app community experience to life once again.
A feature of the tournament when held at Royal Queensland the past two years, this year’s Dabble Party Hole will be the 176m, par-3 15th at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney, a hole – ‘Where Parties Are Made’ – with the BMW Australian PGA aiming to creating more unforgettable highlights and experiences, in front of sellout crowds.
Bringing music, entertainment and world-class golf together, the Dabble Party Hole will be a focal point of the championship’s renowned vibrant, family friendly atmosphere.
Tickets are on sale to the Dabble Party Hole’s hospitality experiences which will provide the best vantage points to get close to the action.
“Our Dabble Party Hole has quickly become one of the most exciting, and fun, experiences in Australian golf and the move to the 15th hole at The Lakes will give us a fantastic new setting,” said Antonia Beggs, PGA of Australia General Manager, Major Events and Operations.
“A Party Hole like this one isn’t something Sydney has seen before and we can’t wait to pack it out with fans enjoying the atmosphere and being almost in the middle of the action.”
The Dabble Party Hole offers two hospitality experiences, the premium Champions Lounge and the Champions Deck, with both boasting great views, a buzzing atmosphere, live DJ entertainment, and the excitement of players taking on one of the most talked-about holes on the course.
The post BMW Australian PGA Championship | The Lakes Golf Club | November 26-29 first appeared on Inside Golf. Australia's Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers - FREE.
Article Link: https://www.insidegolf.com.au/news/pga-of-australia/bmw-australian-pga-championship-the-lakes-golf-club-november-26-29/