Golf-Sydney to host Australian Open for next three years

SYDNEY, Feb 10 (Reuters) The Australian Open golf championship will be held in Sydney for the next three years, Golf Australia announced today.

The 2007 championship will be held at The Australian golf course in November or December, while the 2008 and 2009 tournaments will be rotated among other courses in the city.

''It's a great moment for golf in Australia,'' Golf Australia chairman Paul McNamee said in a statement.

''It's important to be able to lock into a marketplace. It gives us an opportunity to grow the event with a sustainable economic model and build on the record breaking success of the 2006 Australian Open at Royal Sydney.'' The Australian Open was first held in 1904 and is the world's third oldest championship behind the British and U.S.

Opens, dating back to the days of hickory shafts and gutty balls.

The tournament boasts an honour roll of golfing greats with the names of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Peter Thomson, Greg Norman and Gene Sarazen inscribed on the Stonehaven Cup.

Nicklaus once described the championship as the game's fifth major but the tournament has struggled to attract the top overseas players in recent years because it cannot match the prize money on offer in the US.

REUTERS MS KP0859