Australian PGA Championship plans shake-up for 'party hole' after Cameron Smith request

Fans can expect to see a couple of aces at Royal Queensland this week after a request from Aussie fan favourite Cameron Smith.

Smith - the 2022 British Open champion turned LIV superstar - won last year's Australian PGA Championship in what was a glorious homecoming for the international athlete.

He returns to Brisbane to defend his crown this week, and has asked tournament officials to be kinder with the pin placements on the 17th.

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The 125-metre par three is billed as the event's "party hole", likened to that of the famous 16th in Phoenix and the 17th island hole at TPC Sawgrass.

Royal Queensland has increased the stadium atmosphere around the hole this year, with the grandstand now capable of seating 638 as well as a further 1328 fans able to get in the general admission area.

To ramp up the excitement, Smith wants officials to make it easier for players to hit a hole-in-one.

"I love the idea of a party hole," Smith said ahead of the Australian PGA Championship.

"(It would) be nice to see them put them (pins) down in a bowl where people can have a really good chance at a hole-in-one."

Watch the 2023 Australian PGA Championship, live and free on Nine and 9Now.

Smith seems to speak for the majority of players in requesting easier pins on the 17th.

Min Woo Lee - who last week officially earned a PGA Tour card for the first time - is keen to have a crack at an ace to send the crowd wild.

"I remember I nearly had a hole-in-one there, I put it to within a foot last year," Lee told media on Tuesday.

"When the pin positions are on that right side or on that back edge it's so tough to keep it there.

"Everyone wants to see birdies, not bogeys. And with those right pins it does cause a bit of drama.

"But who doesn't like birdies, and snipping it close with a wedge when everyone is probably half drunk by the time we get there.

"I'm that type of player that I love crowds, I don't shy away from them. I enjoy if there's any partying or any good time happening, so I love it."

Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 Australian PGA Championship.

WHEN AND WHERE IS THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP?

The Australian PGA Championship will be played at Royal Queensland in Brisbane.

The tournament begins on Thursday, November 23 morning, and runs for four days.

The last groups will finish on Sunday afternoon and the winner crowned.

HOW TO WATCH THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

The Australian PGA Championship will be broadcast live and free on Nine's channels and 9Now over the four days.

Wednesday's pro-am will also be broadcast on Gem and 9Now.

Watch the 2023 Australian PGA Championship, live and free on Nine and 9Now.

PRIZE MONEY FOR THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

The overall purse for the Australian PGA Championship is about $2 million.

The winner will get $340,000, second $220,000, third $126,000, fourth $100,000, and gradually decreasing to 70th place which collects $3800.

KEY PLAYERS AT THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Australia's highest ranked men's golfer Cameron Smith is once again the major drawcard for the tournament this year.

He returned home to Queensland and won last year's PGA Championship, weeks after confirming his defection from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf for a $140 million sign-on fee.

Smith was coming off his first major win at the British Open and was ranked No.2 in the world.

While he's since slipped to No.18 - due to the inability to accrue rankings points in LIV events - Smith remains one of the world's top players and is the $5 favourite to win this week's event.

Watch the 2023 Australian PGA Championship, live and free on Nine and 9Now.

Close on his tail, however, is fellow Aussie star Min Woo Lee, who won the Macau Open last month and has top-six finishes at the US Open and The Players Championship this year in America.

Other homegrown talent hoping to snatch the trophy include Aussie golfing royalty Adam Scott, veteran Marc Leishman, and rising stars Cam Davis and Lucas Herbert.

From the international brigade, last year's Australian Open winner Adrian Meronk poses a serious threat, as does Chilean superstar Joaquín Niemann and Scottish champ Robert MacIntyre.

ODDS FOR THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Courtesy of Sportsbet as of Wednesday afternoon.

$5 Cameron Smith

$7.50 Min Woo Lee

$11 Cameron Davis

$13 Adam Scott

$15 Adrian Meronk, Joaquin Niemann

$21 Marc Leishman

$23 Lucas Herbert, Ryo Hisatsune

$26 David Micheluzzi, Robert MacIntyre

TEE TIMES FOR ROUND ONE

(All times in AEST, times will be one hour later for AEDT states)

First tee

6am - Jack Thompson, Sam Jones, Elvis Smylie

6.10am - Adam Bland, Denzel Ieremia, Richard McEvoy

6.20am - Gunner Wiebe, Nick Flanagan, Daniel Gale

6.30am - Soren Kjeldsen, Brett Coletta, Nathan Barbieri

6.40am - Simon Hawkes, Kyle Michel, Mark Power

6.50am - Jordan Zunic, David Howell, Pietro Bovari

7am - Zach Murray, Frank Kennedy, Rhein Gibson

7.10am - Haraldur Magnus, Christopher Wood, Shae Wools-Cobb

7.20am - Lincoln Tighe, Lars van Meijel, Josh Geary

Watch the 2023 Australian PGA Championship, live and free on Nine and 9Now.

7.30am - Brett Rankin, Douglas Klein, John Catlin

7.40am - Joel Moscatel Nachshon, Ben Ferguson, Chang Gi Lee

7.50am - Brady Watt, Ben Wharton, Jack Murdoch

8am - Sung Jin Yeo, Anthony Choat, James Conran

11am - Lucas Herbert, Daniel Hillier, David Micheluzzi

11.10am - Marc Leishman, Jhonattan Vegas, Ryo Hisatsune

11.20am - Geoff Ogilvy, Tom Mckibbin, Nicolas Colsaerts

11.30am - Anthony Quayle, Haydn Barron, Rafa Cabrera Bello

11.40am - Eddie Pepperell, Jason Scrivener, Calum Hill

11.50am - Sean Crocker, Kazuki Higa, Curtis Luck

12pm - Lukas Nemecz, Wade Ormsby, Andrew Martin

12.10pm - Peter Lonard, Brett Rumford, Scott Hend

12.20pm - Philipp Katich, Lachlan Barker, Braden Becker

12.30pm - James Marchesani, Connor McKinney, Lawry Flynn

12.40pm - Andre Lautee, Jeffrey Guan, Kerry Mountcastle

12.50pm - Andrew Campbell, Levi Sclater, Kit Bittle

1pm - James Mee, Matthew Docking, Rhys Thomas

10th tee

6am - Adrian Meronk, Cameron Davis, Adam Scott

6.10am - Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee

6.20am - Alex Fitzpatrick, Harrison Crowe, Grant Forrest

6.30am - Connor Syme, Joaquin Niemann, Jake McLeod

6.40am - Rikuya Hoshino, Dimitrios Papadatos, Jarryd Felton

6.50am - Richard Mansell, Jediah Morgan, Tom Power Horan

7am - Michael Sim, John Lyras, Michael Hendry

7.10am - Maverick Antcliff, David Horsey, Blake Windred

7.20am - Marc Hammer, Kazuma Kobori, Hayden Hopewell

7.30am - Kade McBride, Jordan Gumberg, Jack Munro

7.40am - Matthew Stieger, Peter Wilson, Terry Pilkadaris

7.50am - James Gibellini, Jak Carter, Joshua Greer

Watch the 2023 Australian PGA Championship, live and free on Nine and 9Now.

8am - TJ King, Zinyo Garcia, Tim Hart

11am - Deyen Lawson, Aaron Wilkin, Steven Brown

11.10am - Aaron Pike, Josh Younger, Rod Pampling

11.20am - Alexander Levy, Marcus Fraser, John Senden

11.30am - Louis Dobbelaar, Oliver Farr, Ben Eccles

11.40am - Matthew Griffin, Nick Voke, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia

11.50am - Justin Warren, Todd Sinnott, John Axelsen

12pm - Andrew Dodt, Laurie Canter, Austin Bautista

12.10pm - Julian Suri, Dillon Hart, Scott Strange

12.20pm - Conor Purcell, Jay Mackenzie, Derek Ackerman

12.30pm - Matthew Millar, Pierre Pineau, Sam Brazel

12.40pm - Cameron John, Darcy Brereton, Josh Armstrong

12.50pm - Chris Crabtree, Samuel Eaves, Peter Cooke

1pm - Matt McLean, Andrew Kelly, Toby Walker