NSW Senior Open 2026 at Thurgoona: Free Entry With a Free Ticket, Free Parking, 7am to 4pm Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, Final Round on Kayo (Albury, NSW)

You can watch the 2026 NSW Senior Open at Thurgoona for free from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, but you have to register for a free ticket before you arrive, and parking at the resort is free. The tournament’s own spectator guide says admission is “completely free” and that all spectators must register for a ticket before attending.

This guide is based on the tournament’s official website, Golf NSW’s Eventbrite listing, a Golf Australia preview and Visit Albury Wodonga, checked on 27 October 2026. Albury is on daylight saving time (AEDT, UTC+11).

How do I get a ticket?

Entry is free, and the ticket is a registration. The tournament’s Spectator Guide and its tickets page both send you to the same Eventbrite listing, headed “2026 NSW Senior Open Championship” and organised by Golf NSW. The listing gives the time as 7am to 4pm from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, and says tickets are required for entry.

The pages we read do not give a ticket limit or say whether tickets run out, so register before the day rather than at the gate. If you have a question about tickets, the tournament website has an enquiry form with a “Tickets and entry” option, and the Golf NSW tournament office is on (02) 9505 9105.

Where is it and how do I get there?

The tournament is at Thurgoona Country Club Resort, 1 Evesham Place, Thurgoona, NSW 2640. The tournament website describes the course as about 15 minutes’ drive north of Albury, on the NSW-Victorian border. The pages we read do not give a bus route, a shuttle or a drop-off point, so plan to drive, and use the resort’s own contact on (02) 6043 1411 if you need directions.

Where do I park, and what does it cost?

Parking is free. The tournament’s spectator guide lists “Free on-site parking” and Visit Albury Wodonga’s listing also says free parking. Golf NSW’s event information separately says participating players park in the club car park using their PGA Tour accreditation, so spectator and player parking are described separately.

What time do the gates open, and when is each round?

The listings give daily hours of 7am to 4pm. They do not publish tee times. Per the tournament format, 120 players play one round on each of the first two days, then the leading 50 professionals plus ties for 50th place, including any amateurs on the same score or better after the second round, play the final round on Sunday. That means fewer players are on the course on Sunday.

Day	What happens	Listed hours
Friday 30 October	Round 1, 120 players	7am to 4pm
Saturday 31 October	Round 2, 120 players; cut to the leading 50 and ties	7am to 4pm
Sunday 1 November	Final round; the champion is crowned; live on Kayo Sports 11am to 4pm AEDT	7am to 4pm

The tournament is decided over three rounds, 54 holes, of stroke play. A tie for first is settled by a hole-by-hole sudden-death play-off over holes chosen by the Tournament Committee.

Who is playing?

The field is a mix of former tour winners, senior professionals and amateurs, with a total prize fund of at least $150,000. Different official pages name different players, so check the entry list on the tournament website if one name matters to you. Golf NSW’s tournament news of 23 October names defending champion Mat Goggin of Tasmania, who won in 2025 at 13 under par by one shot over Peter Lonard and Leon Trenerry, along with Peter O’Malley, Nathan Green, Brendan Jones and Peter Fowler. It adds 2024 champion David McKenzie, 2023 champion Adam Henwood and 2019 winner Brad Burns, as well as Andre Stolz, Terry Pilkadaris, Jason Norris, Scott Laycock, Michael Harwood and David Bransdon. A group of senior amateurs is also in the field, and entrants come from the United States, New Zealand, England, Canada and Chile.

The tournament’s May spectator guide named Peter Senior OAM, Goggin, Stolz, Matt Millar and Jason Norris as stars set to compete, but Peter Senior and Matt Millar are not in the 23 October list of headline names, so confirm on the day rather than counting on a particular player. Golf Australia describes the tournament as a cornerstone of the Australian PGA Legends Tour, in its eighth staging at Thurgoona.

Who has won it before?

Golf Australia lists these past champions at Thurgoona: 2025 Mat Goggin, 2024 David McKenzie, 2023 Adam Henwood, 2022 Richard Green, 2020 Brad Burns, 2019 Michael Long and 2018 Grant Kenny. Golf NSW’s 23 October news calls Brad Burns the 2019 winner, while Golf Australia’s list puts Burns at 2020 and Michael Long at 2019, so the two official sources differ on the year. The same article says the event is supported by the NSW Government through Destination NSW, and that the partnership between Golf NSW, the resort and the PGA Legends Tour stretches back eight years.

What is the course like?

Thurgoona Country Club Resort is a par 72, 18-hole championship course of 6372 metres designed by Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge, with couch fairways and large bent grass greens, per Golf Australia and the tournament website. Hole 1 is a 345 metre par 4 with an uphill tee shot, and hole 4 is a 497 metre par 5, according to the tournament’s course page.

What are the rules for watching?

You can walk the fairways alongside the players. The spectator guide asks you to:

• Follow the directions of tournament officials and marshals.
• Remain quiet and still while players prepare for and play their shots.
• Stay outside designated roped-off areas.
• Cross fairways only at marked crossing points.

Mobile phones are welcome on course but must be on silent, and the guide asks you to be considerate when taking photos or videos, particularly during play. For first aid, contact Tournament Administration or speak to a tournament official.

What if it rains?

The guide says golf can continue in wet weather, so check the forecast and dress for it. If conditions become dangerous, a siren sounds to suspend play: leave the course immediately, seek safe shelter and follow officials’ directions. In thunderstorms the guide says to avoid open areas, hilltops, isolated trees, golf carts, grandstands, metal fences, poles and other exposed structures.

Where can I eat?

At the course, the guide lists the resort’s clubhouse, with coffee, a bistro and a bar. In Albury, the tournament’s visitor page suggests coffee at The Proprietor or Mr. Benedict, riverside dining at The River Deck Café and pub fare at The Bended Elbow. It also lists the resort’s own accommodation among places to stay.

What should I take?

• Your free ticket from Eventbrite.
• Weather-ready clothes, since play continues in wet weather.
• Your phone on silent.

Sources

• NSW Senior Open: Spectator Guide (Golf NSW; tickets, parking, rules, weather)
• NSW Senior Open: Event Info (format, cut, play-off, field size)
• NSW Senior Open: Star-Studded Field Set (23 October 2026; field, Kayo broadcast)
• NSW Senior Open: The Course
• NSW Senior Open: Visit Thurgoona and Albury
• Eventbrite: 2026 NSW Senior Open Championship (Golf NSW)
• Golf Australia: NSW Senior Open returns to Thurgoona for landmark eighth staging
• Visit Albury Wodonga: NSW Senior Open Championship

Featured image: Thurgoona entry sign beside Table Top Road, NSW (photo: Aaron Dominguez / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Golf NSW, the PGA of Australia or Thurgoona Country Club Resort. Event details can change; check the tournament website before you go.