Australian WPGA Championship on Gold Coast cancelled due to Cyclone Alfred

Hurricane "Alfred" has already impacted sporting events, with the most significant impact being the cancellation of the Australian Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) Championship, originally scheduled for 2025, due to the hurricane's effects. This decision underscores the severity of the anticipated weather conditions.

The Category 2 hurricane is predicted to make landfall later this week, with the expected time of arrival being late Thursday or early Friday. Due to the anticipated strong winds and rainfall across a large area of Southeast Queensland, Golf Australia decided on Tuesday to cancel the event, which was co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, along with the associated Gold Coast Golf Festival. The safety concerns outweighed the desire to proceed with the scheduled competition.

In a statement, Golf Australia said: "Following extensive consultation with all stakeholders, the 2025 Australian WPGA Championship and Gold Coast Golf Festival have been cancelled in light of the impending impact of Cyclone Alfred. This unprecedented decision to cancel the event ahead of the scheduled first day of play on Thursday was made after monitoring weather forecasts and in dialogue with the Queensland Government, City of Gold Coast, Mulpha Group, Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, and the Ladies European Tour." The collaborative decision-making process highlights the seriousness of the situation.

The statement further noted: "Considering the anticipated heavy rainfall, extreme high winds, and potential flooding, this decision has been made to ensure the safety of players, staff, fans, and all stakeholders, with safety always the priority. While extremely disappointing, all stakeholders are now looking forward to 2026, with the blueprint for the Championship already in place to ensure we deliver an exciting Australian WPGA Championship and Gold Coast Golf Festival." This forward-looking approach aims to mitigate the disappointment and ensure a successful event in the future.

Beyond golf, other sporting events have also been affected. Surf Life Saving Queensland also decided on Monday evening to cancel its 2025 Championships, which were originally scheduled to be held at North Kirra on the Gold Coast's southern end from March 7-9. Surfing Australia has also cancelled the Boardriders Battle grand final on the Gold Coast, citing advice from authorities. Touch Football Australia has also cancelled its National Championships scheduled to begin on Thursday in Coffs Harbour on the north coast of New South Wales, with the event to be rescheduled. These cancellations demonstrate the widespread impact of the hurricane on various sporting activities.