Jan 12 (Reuters) - The DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, and the PGA Tour of Australasia said on Wednesday that they had extended their strategic partnership until 2026. The two bodies added the Australian PGA Championship would return to Brisbane"s Royal Queensland Golf Club as part of the DP World Tour in late 2022. "Our Tour has a strong historical association with Australasia and I"m delighted this extension... will build upon that heritage," European Tour group chief executive Keith Pelley said in a statement. "Alongside our partnerships with the PGA TOUR and Sunshine Tour, this new agreement will continue to strengthen the... PGA Tour of Australasia and the region"s place in global golf"s ecosystem, providing clearly defined routes for players from Australasia to compete on the biggest stage as well as playing opportunities for DP World Tour members." The move to extend the partnership which was first announced in 2017 follows the Asian Tour pairing with the newly-formed LIV Golf Investments -- a company backed by Saudi Arabia"s Public Investment Fund -- as part of a major overhaul. As part of the partnership with the DP World Tour, new PGATA members will get two additional tour cards and increased prize money for events. The DP World Tour will begin its new season later this month with back-to-back Rolex Series events.