Golf Australia Appoints New CEO

Golf Australia took a key step on restoring stability with the appointment of a new chief executive. Stephen Pitt, the current chief of Golf Queensland, has taken up the job following an agreement, which saw controversial predecessor Tony Hallam quit.

The move is an important one for the peak amateur golf body as it seeks to return to a position of harmony with the state bodies and other stakeholders. It follows a new lucrative deal made with the New South Wales Government, which will see the country's most prestigious tournament, the Australian Open, remain in Sydney until 2015.

The Women's Australian Open is expected to go ahead at Melbourne's Metropolitan Golf Club next February.

Golf Australia Chairperson Anne Lenagan said Pitt would bring to GA a great deal of experience in sports administration, having worked in various bodies at state and national level. His appointment follows a wide-ranging search for a replacement for Hallam, an accountant who was appointed two years ago by an interim board. That board was an amalgam of representatives of Women's Golf Australia and GA when it was known as the Australian Golf Union.

The two bodies were forced to merge after the Federal Government's Australian Sports Commission threatened to cut off grants to golf. However, the union was shaky from the start and lacked the support of a number of key personnel involved in the game.

Under Hallam's reign the Women's Australian Open was revived, the Australian Open was moved to Sydney and former tennis promoter Paul McNamee was hired to inject some pizzazz into the sport. Nevertheless, there was hostility towards the Hallam-led regime, which took golf into radical new directions, not always with success.

Lenagan was confident GA would have a stable future with Pitt now installed in the top job. "We are delighted that Stephen has agreed to join us," Lenagan said. "After an extensive search, we believe his experience in sports administration and marketing makes him the ideal person to lead us into the future."

Adam Scott confirmed for 2008 Australian Open

The number three ranked golfer in the world, Australia's Adam Scott, has confirmed he will be at the Australian Open in 2008, being played at The Royal Sydney Golf Club, 11-14 December.

This news comes after last years, 93rd Australian Open winner Craig Parry confirmed he will be back, as well as world number four Geoff Ogilvy also confirming his participation.

CEO of Golf Australia, Tony Hallam said, "We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Adam has committed to playing the 2008 Australian Open at The Royal Sydney Golf Club. He is undoubtedly one of the finest players in the world and we look forward to seeing him in action, up close and personal later this year."

Organizers said this year's Australian Golf Open will have a minimum $1.65 million prize money.

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Tony Hallam: Golf Australia

Tony Hallam is the first CEO of the newly formed governing golfing body Golf Australia. Tony is married with two children. He has worked with a number of not for profit organizations including White lion, a community organization assisting youths coming out of the juvenile justice system with mentoring and getting them back into mainstream society, and World Vision, for whom he worked with in his PWC role.

Since joining Golf Australia, Mr. Hallam had many successes, including joining forces with Golf Australia magazine, Australia's best selling golfing publication. Hallam was also a key factor in the Women's Open returning as well as many amateur initiatives.

Hallam also found himself in the middle of golf controversy during the 2007 women's open when Golf Australia shelled out about 130 grand to have US bombshell Natalie Gulbis appear, but then banning the sale of her calender at the event, claiming it too 'raunchy', after using it the previous November to promote the event. This sparked a war of words between Tony Hallam and golfing legend Jack Newton, when his daughter, Kristie Newton was the cover model of the 2007 Women of Professional Golf calender which was to raise money for breast cancer, which was also blackballed from the event.

Tony Hallam resigned from Golf Australia in June of this year, apparently with 18 months still on his contract. Hallam was recruited from outside the industry and has somewhat been under the radar since his departure.

Tony says: "I'm the classic golfer, started as a teenager and hacked around, trying to get a free game back then when I could. I then left it for a while. When I was 30 in the States that was the time I learned to play and got a handicap. I am classic 20 handicapper with a slice and with more practice hope I could get down to 16! I have been a club member for six years now and try and get out as much as possible."