Major Winner Calls For Mixed Golf Format In Commonwealth Games

Golf will be played in the Commonwealth Games for the first time when it takes place in Australia in 2026, and 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner Hannah Green thinks it could be the perfect chance to try a mixed team format in the competition.

The Australian made the suggestion in response to a Golf Australia tweet on the announcement. The account also asked “What would you like to see?” to which Green replied: “Mixed team event.”

Green has had success in a mixed team event before. In February, she became the first woman to win a professional mixed gender event in the TPS Murray River, and clearly, the experience left a positive impression on her.

Green’s suggestion comes at a time when the women’s game is making positive strides as it seeks to grow in popularity and achieve a similar financial status to the men’s game. The most recent women’s Major, August’s AIG Women Open, had a record purse of $7.3m, while other initiatives, including the Aramco Series, have also helped raise its profile.  Meanwhile, as LIV Golf continues to create waves in the men’s game, Greg Norman has stated that a women’s LIV Golf League is in the forefront of his mind as the Saudi-funded organisation looks for new ways to grow.

Given that upward trajectory, Green’s call for a mixed team event in the Commonwealth Games could be viewed as a good opportunity to attract more women and girls to golf given the competition's high profile. As yet, the format for the golf event has not been confirmed. If Green’s suggestion is taken on board, the Games, which will take place in Victoria between 17 and 29 March 2026, will be groundbreaking, and not just because golf will be a feature of them for the first time.