Just hours after Australian star Minjee Lee took out her third major championship, and collected $2.8m for winning the Women’s PGA, Australian golf officials confirmed the record amount on offer for the home season, which will begin in August. The Australian PGA, won last year by Elvis Smylie and in 2023 by Lee’s younger brother Min Woo, has been given the biggest prizemoney bump, up $500,000 to surpass the national Open for total prizemoney. The PGA prize pool is the biggest in the tournament’s 121-year history. McIlroy, the world No.2, is set to earn more in appearance money after signing a two-year deal to play in the Australian Open, beginning with this year’s event at Royal Melbourne, than should he win the Stonehaven Cup for a second time. With more than $160m in career earnings on the PGA Tour, however, money is not driving McIlroy, who spoke about his desire to explore new golfing horizons after his Masters triumph, and that includes returning to Australia for the first time since 2014. “I’ve always loved the Australian Open,” he said last week. “I’ve won there before. I played there as an amateur in the Australian Open, qualified for it, went through a qualifier in 2005, got through like a nine-man playoff to get in, so I’ve always had a huge affinity for that part of the world. The opening 10 events of the PGA Tour of Australasia were confirmed on Monday, beginning with the PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club. The Australian PGA at Royal Queensland Golf Club, in the last week of November, and then the Australian Open at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in the first week of December remain the flagship events. Both will be co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour and offer exemptions on top of prizemoney. “The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season is all about ‘the chase’ and we’re delighted our professionals will be chasing record prizemoney across the first half of the season,” PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said. “They’ll also be chasing titles, exemptions and opportunities to compete internationally. “There is so much on the line for our players as they try to follow the pathway that has been created all the way to the PGA Tour “We saw what was possible with Elvis Smylie winning twice on our Tour last year and going on to win the Order of Merit, earn his DP World Tour card and starts in two majors. “Careers can be changed in just a few months.” The post-Christmas schedule of events will be announced in coming weeks.