European tour season begins in Australia two weeks after the previous season ends

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BMW Australian PGA Championship

Site: Brisbane, Australia.

Course: Royal Queensland GC. Yardage: 7085. Par: 71.

Prize money: AD 2 million ($1.29 million). Winner's share: AD333,333 ($215,600).

Television: Wednesday-Saturday, 8-9:30 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Elvis Smylie.

Race to Dubai champion: Rory McIlroy.

Last tournament: Matt Fitzpatrick won the DP World Tour Championship.

Notes: This is the first tournament of the 2025-26 season on the European tour, coming two weeks after Rory McIlroy was crowned Race to Dubai champion. ... The field features three of Australia's major champions in Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott and Cam Smith. Ogilvy is the International captain for next year's Presidents Cup. ... Smith is down to No. 345 in the world ranking. He did not finish better than a tie for fifth last year on LIV Golf. ... Nine players from LIV Golf are in the field, which includes Abraham Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Josele Ballester, who won the Saudi International last week. ... Marco Penge, who is joining the PGA Tour next year from his second-place finish in the Race to Dubai, is playing the European tour opener. ... Former NCAA champion Fred Biondi is in the field after the Brazilian made it through European tour Q-school to get his card. ... The tournament is co-sanctioned by the European tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Next week: ISPA Handa Australian Open.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/ and https://golf.com.au/

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Last week: Sami Valimaki won the RSM Classic.

Next tournament: Sony Open on Jan. 15-18.

FedEx Cup champion: Tommy Fleetwood.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

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Last week: Jeeno Thitikul won the CME Group Tour Championship.

Next tournament: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 29-Feb. 1.

Race to CME Globe champion: Jeeno Thitikul.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

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Ladies European Tour: Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de Espana, Real Guadalhorce GC, Malaga, Spain. Television: Thursday-Saturday, 8-11 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 7:30-10:30 a.m. (Golf Channel). Defending champion: Carlota Ciganda. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/

Japan Golf Tour: Casio World Open, Kochi Kuroshio CC, Kochi, Japan. Defending champion: Hiroshi Iwata. Online: https://www.jgto.org/en/

Asian Tour: Bharath Classic 2025 Gujrat, Kensville Golf Resort, Ahmedabad, India. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://asiantour.com/

Sunshine Tour: Fitch and Leedes PGA Championship, St. Francis Links, St. Francis Bay, South Africa. Defending champion: Peter Moolman. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Japan LPGA: JLPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup, Miyazaki CC, Miyazaki, Japan. Defending champion: Shiho Kuwaki. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf