In a press conference at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the founding partners of the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) announced that Taiheiyo Golf Club’s Gotemba Course in Japan will play host to the event in 2024.
Martin Slumbers (Chief Executive of The R&A,) Fred Ridley (Chairman of The Masters Tournament) and Taimur Hassan Amin (Chairman of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation) made the announcement on the first day of the 14th AAC which is being contested at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.
The AAC will return to Japan for the first time since 2010 – an event which was held at Kasumigaseki Golf Club near Tokyo and won by 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.
“Returning to Japan for the 15th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship brings the Championship full circle,” said Taimur Hassan Amin. “The Asia-Pacific Amateur has an extensive history in Japan, starting with Hideki Matsuyama’s victory more than a decade ago, and we are committed to building on that legacy in 2024 at a world-class venue in Taiheiyo Club’s Gotemba Course.”
Designed in 1977 by Shunsuke Kato, Taiheiyo Club’s Gotemba Course underwent a renovation in 2018 overseen by Rees Jones with consultation from Matsuyama. Gotemba is a hillside course offering views of Mount Fuji. It is situated some 100 km southwest of Tokyo. The Gotemba Course is the flagship layout of Taiheiyo Club’s 18 courses. It has played host the Taiheiyo Masters and the 2001 World Cup of Golf won by South Africa’s Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
“We are excited to welcome the best players from across the Asia-Pacific region to Taiheiyo Club’s Gotemba Course in 2024,” said Shun Han, President of Taiheiyo Club.
The winner of the AAC earns a place in both The Open Championship and The Masters Tournament plus an exemption for The Amateur Championship, the runner up or runners up gain a place in The Open Qualifying Series.
The AAC was founded in 2009, a joint venture between The R&A, The Masters Tournament and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation. The event has played a significant role in growing the game in the region and around the world. 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is a two-time former champion and 2022 Open champion Cam Smith is an alumni of the event. Following the success of the early instalments of the AAC, further elite international amateur tournaments have been founded, including the Latin America Amateur Championship and the Women’s Asia Pacific Championship. The R&A announced earlier this year that the inaugural Africa Amateur Championship will take place in South Africa next February.
The 14th Asia Pacific Amateur Championship is currently being contested over 72 holes at Royal Melbourne. The event culminates on Sunday.
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