IT'S one of the biggest women's tournaments to ever grace the greens of the Bathurst Golf Club.
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That's how the club committee views this week's 2024 NSW Women's Open Qualifier, which is set to bring more than 50 professional players to the city
It's the first tournament as part of a three-year deal established between Golf NSW and the Bathurst club to host a qualifying event for the state's premier women's competition.
The top two players from the Bathurst event will go on to take part in the NSW Women's Open at the Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club on the Central Coast from March 29 to 31.
The qualifiers have drawn a number of top class WPGA talents to the region, including Kristalle Blum, Momoka Kobori, Jeongmin Cho, Claire Shin and Jordan O'Brien.
Bathurst Golf Club general manager Brad Constable is excited by to see such players on the city's course.
"Our local member Paul Toole was instrumental in getting Golf NSW together with the government of the time to make this happen. It's part of a $15 million package to further golf in regional NSW," he said.
"We've got the Pro-Am component of it on Wednesday, and we've got 63 professionals and a handful of elite amateurs, so it's something that's really resonated with the players."
The Wednesday Pro-Am will be followed up by a 36-hole event for the professional players over Thursday and Friday.
Constable said it's a historical moment for the club and its members.
"I don't think we've ever had a professional women's event here - at least in my time with the club," he said.
"When you get a major tournament of any shape or form it's not only great exposure for the golf club but for the town and region.
"It's great bringing such high quality athletes to Bathurst who have never seen this golf course, or even a country course before, and there's a number of overseas players as well."
This year's Bathurst qualifier coincides with International Women's Day on Friday.
Orange's Duntryleague club hosted their qualifier over March 3 to 5, Bathurst will follow, then Dubbo (March 10 to 12) and Narrabri (March 14 to 16).
Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
