New pathways to the major tours in women's golf and increased prize money are the highlights of WPGA Tour of Australasia's schedule for the first half of 2024.
The 15 events will offer a total of $2.9 million and include two $500,000 tournaments co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET) - the Women's NSW Open at Magenta Shores and the Australian Women's Classic at the Bonville Golf Resort in Coffs Harbour.
WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said having the two co-sanctioned events, where the winners gain automatic LET membership if not already a member, would open up major career possibilities for the WPGA players.
"It's huge for our players to have two Australian events back on the Ladies European Tour, particularly at a time when the LET is growing massively from year to year and the direct pathways the LET now has to the LPGA Tour," Lunn said.
"A victory in one of the two Australian events can set up your career.
"The opportunity will be there for our members to do what someone like Steph Kyriacou has done in recent years.
"She won the Australian Women's Classic as an amateur, turned pro and played and then won on LET Tour and went on to qualify for the LPGA Tour."
The WPGA Tour schedule also includes four innovative and exciting tournaments on Webex Players Series calendar in conjunction with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
The ground-breaking, mixed-gendered tournaments feature some of the country's best women and men golfers competing against each other in the same field, on the same course, for the same purse.
Appearing on the schedule for the first time is the $140,000 World Sand Greens Championship that will complete the first half of the season.
FIRST HALF OF THE WPGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA SCHEDULE:
January 8-9: WPGA Qualifying Tournament, Coolangatta and Tweed Heads Golf Club
January 13-14: Melbourne International ($50,000), Latrobe Golf Club, Melbourne
January 18-21: Webex Players Series Murray River ($250,000), Cobram Barooga Golf Club
January 25-28: Webex Players Series Victoria ($250,000), Rosebud Country Club
January 31-February 4: Vic Open ($420,000), 13th Beach Golf Links
February 8-11: Webex Players Series Sydney ($250,000), Castle Hill Country Club, Sydney
February 15-18: Webex Players Series Hunter Valley ($250,000) Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club
February 24-25: The Athena, TBC
February 29-March 1: The Navigate Advisors Wagga Wagga Women's Pro-am ($50,000), Wagga Wagga Country Club
March 3-5: Women's NSW Open Regional Qualifier ($50,000), Duntryleague Golf Club, Orange
March 6-8: Women's NSW Open Regional Qualifier ($50,000), Bathurst Golf Club
March 10-12: Women's NSW Open Regional Qualifier ($50,000), Dubbo Golf Club
March 14-16: Women's NSW Open Regional Qualifier ($50,000), Narrabri Golf Club
March 29-31: Women's NSW Open ($500,000), Magenta Shores Golf Club
April 5-7: Australian Women's Classic ($500,000), Bonville Golf Resort, Coffs Harbour
April 10-11: World Sand Greens Championship ($140,000), Walcha Golf Club
