This Weekend: Million-Dollar Hole-In-One in Mount Isa

Australia’s most remote and richest golfing event series will cumulate six weekends of back-to-back competition in Mount Isa with a Million-Dollar Hole-In-One Challenge this weekend.

Stretching over 2,800kms, more than twice the size of the United Kingdom, the adventurous golf journey has attracted players and spectators from across Australia, some travelling from as far as Tasmania and Western Australia.

The one-of-a-kind event began in St George in Queensland’s southern outback on 17 June before travelling to the towns of Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Richmond and Karumba in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Mount Isa Mayor Danielle Slade said it is fantastic to have the city host the Outback Queensland Masters famous Million-Dollar Hole-In-One Challenge, which is the finale of this popular event.

“Mount Isa is pulling out all the stops in 2023 to celebrate its 100 years milestone and the Outback Queensland Masters will complement these celebrations perfectly.  Since its inception in 2019, the event has grown significantly and now attracts thousands of competitors, juniors and spectators, and Mount Isa can’t wait to welcome them all to enjoy what our city has to offer during their stay this weekend.

“It would be amazing to see a Mount Isa person win the million dollars.

“I sincerely thank Outback Queensland Masters for choosing Mount Isa to host the million-dollar hole-in-one challenge to coincide with our centennial year.”

Golf Australia, Event Manager, Chris Evans added on Sunday we’ll be staging the Million-Dollar Hole-In-One Challenge and announcing the locations for the 2024 Outback Queensland Masters.

“Last year, the 2022 Million-Dollar Hole-One-One finale held in Birdsville came to a nail-biting finish.

“Our hearts skipped a beat when Gary Strange of Woodenbong Golf Club’s ball bounced just centimetres from the hole, before Robin McConchie of Brisbane came overall closest to the pin on the sand green, landing her shot just a metre away from the prized hole.

“This event is for all amateur golfers, it doesn’t matter how good you are or how long you have been playing. This competition isn’t all about winning, it’s about having fun, meeting new people and enjoying the unique experiences the event provides in Outback Queensland!

“The Outback Queensland Masters really exemplifies that golf can be played by anyone and anywhere, even in some of the most remote golf courses in Australia from greens to sand greens. I think this has been the secret to the Outback Queensland Masters’ success, and why for the first time we’ve had golfers join us from every state of Australia.

“We have some amazing stories from this year’s Outback Queensland Masters, from a female solo golfer from Mildura in Victoria who has participated in the event, to a couple who have traversed over 25,000km from Western Australia to join us this year.”

As a community give-back and to provide opportunities for young people in Mount Isa and Outback Queensland, free Junior Golf Clinics for five to fourteen years are being staged by PGA Pro, Darren Weatherall.

“Golf is a sport for life and fun for all, no matter how old you are. The Outback Queensland Masters legacy is to give kids in Outback Queensland an opportunity to either try golf for the first time or fine-tune their skills,” explained Darren Weatherall, PGA Pro on tour.

“In addition, Golf Australia will be holding a Get into Golf Clinic for local Mount Isa women.

“We’ll be bringing the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship Trophy, the Kirkwood Cup, to Mount Isa to help inspire local future champions. The trophy has travelled through Outback Queensland with us on the 2023 tour.

“The Cup is named after Joe Kirkwood who really put Australian golf on the map, credited with scoring twenty-nine hole-in-ones and numerous national and international tournaments across the United States of America, Canada, and the Australian and New Zealand Opens.

Weatherall further explains, “What’s fascinating, as the story goes, when Joe Kirkwood was a youngster he worked on an outback station where his boss introduced him to the game of golf. From these humble beginnings, he turned professional in 1920.

“What makes it even more special coming into this finale weekend is that Mount Isa is the birthplace of Australian golfing legend Greg Norman, whose name sits on that trophy, having won the Australian PGA Champion in 1984 and 1985.”

The Outback Queensland Masters was recently recognised nationally taking out gold at the 2022 Australian Tourism Awards and gold for the Best Grey Nomad Event 2022.

The 2023 Outback Queensland Masters is presented by Golf Australia, with strategic partner Tourism and Events Queensland and Birdie Spirit Partners, the PGA of Australia, Rex Airlines, BCL Production Services including the final weekend supported by the Mount Isa City Council.

The 2023 Outback Queensland Masters will take place in Mount Isa 21 – 23 July 2023, including the Million-Dollar Hole-In-One Challenge on Sunday 23 July 2023.

The hotly contested tickets for the 2024 Outback Queensland Masters are on sale from Monday 24 July 2023 at www.outbackqldmasters.com.

Outback Queensland Masters is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland.

SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD

Click here for full results.

2023 IMAGE HIGHLIGHTS

High res images.

INTERVIEWS

Chris Evans
Events Manager, QLD
M 0439 730 357
E Chris.Evans@golf.org.au

Lyndsay Jameson
Media Officer, Mount Isa City Council
P 07 4747 3232
E lyndsayj@mountisa.qld.gov.au

Darren Weatherall
PGA Pro on tour and Junior Clinics
M 0418 746 173
E darren@weatherallgolf.com.au