Fortinet Australian PGA Championship 2022: Course and current form stats

• The 15-y-o venue designed by ex-Tour pro Mike Clayton

• Herbert back in Oz after solid year on PGA Tour

• Rasmus one of the main overseas challengers this week

After a gap of three years, the Australian PGA Championship re-appears on the DP World Tour schedule, taking place this week in Queensland.

Because of Covid, the tournament was removed from the Tour's itinerary in both 2020 and 2021, although it was played as part of the Australasian Tour in January of this year.

And just over 10 months later, it returns as a co-sanctioned event at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane.

When the Australian PGA Championship first appeared on the European Tour calendar, in December 2015, it was staged at Royal Pines Golf Club on the Gold Coast.

It remained at this venue until 2019, before Royal Queensland took over (post-Covid) as host course earlier this year.

Course Information

Royal Queensland Golf Club was opened in 1921, although the course staging this week's tournament is only 15 years old.

This more modern layout was completed in December 2007, having been designed by former Tour pro Mike Clayton.

Clayton created a flat course where the fairways are wide and there is very little rough.

However, there is an abundance of strategically-positioned bunkers which have been described as being 'a significant part of its defence'.

Although this parkland course has plenty of sand, there is limited water to trouble this week's competitors.

The course is located on the north bank of the Brisbane River, and the Royal Queensland club can boast to having former Masters' champion Adam Scott as a member.

Five To Watch

Ryan Fox: The New Zealander has enjoyed a career-changing year on the DP World Tour finishing second to Rory McIlroy in the 2022 Race to Dubai standings. In addition to a brace of victories, Fox added five podium finishes.

Lucas Herbert: The world No 55 has settled into life on the PGA Tour, and ended last season 44th in the FedEx Cup standings, thanks to a victory in Bermuda.

Rasmus Hojgaard: One of the leading non-ANZAC pros teeing-up this week. The young Dane ended the DP World Tour season 16th in the Race to Dubai standings, following a run of four top-eight finishes from his last six starts.

Min Woo Lee: Arrives in Brisbane on the back of four straight top-12 finishes on the DP World Tour. He tied-fourth in the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in January of this year.

Cameron Smith: The reigning Open Champion, who is a member of the new Saudi-backed Tour, returns to Australia to play in the country's PGA Championship. He'll probably be the main focus of the golfing media this week, and is likely to be well-received by his fellow countrymen.

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Note: List Contains Leading Reserves