Camille Lopez hit a final round 76 to win the Australian Open
This year’s Australian Open will not include unvaccinated players or coaches, says the state’s premier.
The Gold Coast Open, which begins on 14 February, will instead be a “dead rubber”, according to Victoria’s Daniel Andrews.
Nineteen men and 14 women missed the cut in the Australian Open, which saw veteran Camille Lopez become the first player ever to win the event without playing a round.
“The world should know it will no longer be healthy and safe to under-vaccinate your children,” Andrews said.
“We are determined that people who are unvaccinated, or whose doctors are not prescribing vaccines, will not have a place at the Australian Open,” he added.
The Australian Open, which has previously been held in Melbourne and Sydney, returns to Queensland in January next year.
Major championship organisers have warned that if unvaccinated children cannot play, other participants should not attend, unless their children have been fully vaccinated.
An Australian government survey showed that nearly one in four children had not received the recommended measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Myrtle Beach International is also refusing to accept unvaccinated players and coaches, stating that health risks are “considerable”.
A leaked letter from organisers read: “If our guests are unable to make the trip and will not be vaccinated, we would ask that they not attend the tournament.”
