The Women's Australian Open, bankrolled primarily by sport-loving Japanese philanthropist Haruhisa Handa, today struck a decisive blow in giving us an annual platform from which to view the world's best players.
In a year of golfing coups around Australia, perhaps the most enduring could be today's announcement that the LPGA will co-sanction our national championship at Royal Melbourne in February next year.
It will be the LPGA season opener and first of a three-tournament swing through the Asia-Pacific - taking in Thailand and Singapore - that exemplifies just how global the women's game has become.
And for all the obvious benefits of increased prize money, better fields and increased exposure for our world-famous Sandbelt courses, those at the coalface of Australian golf know the benefits run even deeper.Australian Ladies Professional Golf president Sandra McKenzie, for example, beamed as Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher and Golf Australia boss Stephen Pitt broke the news.
"This is so exciting, it's unbelievable,'' McKenzie said. "This has put the Australian Open where it should be on the world stage - the LPGA Tour is so global, it makes our Open a major international event.
"We need to lift golf in this country. Now we're gonna get the best of the players and the Tour is such a great product - it changes things dramatically. "The whole golf world will have Australia as its focus. We're trying to get young girls into golf and to have such wonderful role models out here in front of their eyes, it can only benefit and inspire them.''
Golf Australia championships director Trevor Herden put in countless hours towards the goal, including several personal appeals to international powerbrokers at far-flung corners of the globe.
He said confirmation of the deal was a tremendous result for all who had worked so hard to put an Australian event on the highest stage possible. "It's a great result for women's golf, for Melbourne, for the Sandbelt and Australian golf in general,'' Herden enthused. "If you can stand on the global platform with the world's best players coming to play your golf tournament, it's hard to beat that.
"We've had a bit of vision, we nearly got there last year, but this year we pushed a little harder and congrats to the GA board for supporting the vision.
"It's the best marketing opportunity for women's golf in Australia, if not around the world. "They are so good these players and for Australia to be a part of it, it's an amazing achievement.''Herden said the Sandbelt's imposing worldwide reputation had helped the cause.
"It's not only for the courses being a test for the game, but the Sandbelt clubs have always had administrators and managers that are so supportive to golf - unlike other commercial venues - and they always pride themselves on getting the best, and presenting themselves as world's best.
"A good connection with the (Victorian) government was a big factor, but all the players coming down over past 3-5 years, leading players from around the world talking about the Sandbelt when they go home has been huge.
"They can't believe the facilities we're blessed with ... so to put the world's greatest female golfers on these facilities, we can't have a better match.''Chief among the cheerleaders has been four-time Australian Open champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb.
"Golf Australia has been very committed to the Women's Australian Open by showcasing the tournament on some of the greatest of Melbourne's Sandbelt courses,'' the Queenslander said. "As an Australian, I'm very happy to see the LPGA playing back in my home country and I know Melbourne sport fans will support the event in the fanatical way they always do.''
Dr Handa was also rapt that his ISPS organisation had a global platform from which to highlight his push for blind and disabled golf to be included in the 2016 Paralympics. And Pitt was clearly delighted with the coup, the stature of which was evident, even in a red-letter year domestically.
"This is a landmark day for Australian golf, particularly women's golf in Australia,'' he said. The LPGA projection that the Open will be telecast into more than 240 million households in 171 countries makes that a tough point to argue.