[PHOTO: Gary Lisbon]
The Athena is returning for its fourth iteration in 2024 and will have a spectacular new host venue, with Peninsula Kingwood Country Golf Club on Melbourne’s famed Sandbelt hosting the unique two-day event on February 24-25.
Going from strength to strength as a way to showcase the country’s best young women golfers, while bringing young fans closer to the game, The Athena is golf done differently.
Across the weekend, 12 golfers will face a series of challenges which sit outside the traditional strokeplay format of a golf tournament.
On the first day, the field will contest nine skills-based challenges, accruing points along the way, with the top eight qualifiers making their way through to the matchplay playoffs on the Sunday.
The format of The Athena provides a unique opportunity to showcase the skill and talent of the young players who are role models for golf’s future stars.
Each year we see new faces at The Athena and the exciting part is we get to see how their careers unfold. Two of the standout performers in The Athena this year will be Cassie Porter and Kelsey Bennett.
Porter’s 2023, when she recorded six top-25 finishes on the Epson Tour, was highlighted by a T-11 finish at the ISPS handa Australian Open and T-4 at the Vic Open. Meanwhile, Bennett had nine top-25s on the LET Access Series, the New South Wales golfer finishing T-21 at the Australian Open and T-11 at the Australian Women’s Classic.
Other Athena alumni include LPGA players Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou, Karis Davidson and Robyn Choi.
The women competing in The Athena truly are the next generation of Australia’s best golfers. These athletes are not only fantastic golfers they are also amazing young women, and the Athena provides the platform for Australian fans to get an insight into their personalities and character.
WPGA Tour of Australasia chief executive Karen Lunn said: “You can’t be what you can’t see and The Athena is much more than a golf tournament, it’s a great way to shine the spotlight on competitors and show the fun side of the game to the next generation of players.
“The Athena’s priority is to engage young golfers in an innovative way that shows a different side of golf. Not only does the ground-breaking format showcase the skills of the golfers, but it also provides an opportunity for their personalities to shine through.
“We are thrilled this year to bring The Athena to Peninsula Kingswood, which is highly regarded as one of the premier golf courses and facilities in the country. Peninsula Kingswood has a strong focus on both community and women and girls in golf, which fits beautifully with the storytelling behind The Athena.
“This year, the Athena will have the perfect backdrop to give our TV and in-person audiences an exciting and fast-paced product to engage with.”
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said: “Peninsula Kingswood will undoubtedly provide a wonderful test for The Athena field.
“Our next generation of golfers are lucky to have some incredible role models to look up to, with The Athena we are providing a platform for the country’s best young talent to shine brightly and build on their careers.”
Peninsula Kingswood president Jennifer Picking said: “Peninsula Kingswood is delighted to be working with the WPGA to host the Athena event for 2024. As a club that believes in equality and equal opportunity, we see the development and promotion of young women golfers as vital to the future of golf.
“We look forward to hosting the event and showcasing the incredible talent of these girls at PK.”
The Athena will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
