This is great news for Australian golf. It's popularity has been waning over the last decade or so; but the tickets to view the event live at the course were sold out. The premier event of the golfing calendar, the Australian Open, has languished from world grand-slam status in the 1980's to a little backwater tournament that can hardly attract any prominent players - and in recent years has come close to being canceled due to a lack of a major sponsor. It's organisers have really dropped the ball, entering into a deal that sees it played exclusively in Sydney for almost a decade (even though the country's best courses - including a venue that was purpose-built specifically to host the Australian Open on a semi-permanent basis - are all located in Melbourne).