The inaugural NZ PGA Pro-Am Championship will be held at Arrowtown’s The Hills golf course next year.
Prime Minister John Key is launching the championship at Rugby World Cup fanzone The Cloud in Auckland’s Viaduct today (Tuesday).
The tournament is being played between Thursday March 29 and Sunday April 1.
It’s a joint venture between the New Zealand Professional Golf Association and The Hills, owned by jewellery mogul Sir Michael Hill.
The event – first announced by Mountain Scene five months ago – revives the long-established NZPGA Championship, which was first held in 1920.
The last NZPGA championship was held at Christchurch’s Clearwater course early last year.
Ironically, Clearwater last weekend hosted the NZ Open, after The Hills staged the previous three events.
The new-format NZPGA championship will be held at The Hills for a minimum five-year term.
Initially it will be part of the Australasian PGA Tour with a total prize-money of $500,000.
Professionals will play over four rounds, but 64 invited amateurs and celebrities will each be paired over the final two rounds with one of the 64 professionals who make the cut.
Organising committee chairman, former All Blacks coach John Hart, says he and his team were inspired by the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, Scotland, which he played several years ago.
“The combination of getting to play alongside some of the world’s best golfers and well-known celebrities in the heat of a professional tournament was an amazing opportunity.
“The NZPGA and The Hills believe that this format will be very attractive in NZ, promoting the game of golf and providing excellent leverage opportunities for both business and tourism at home and abroad.”
Sir Michael Hill adds: “We’ve been delighted with the support we’ve recejved from both the private and the public sector and look forward to working with our partners to develop an iconic event that New Zealanders can be proud of in one of the world’s finest tourist destinations, Queenstown.”
The event’s major sponsors are Air NZ, Hilton Hotel Queenstown, Michael Hill Watches, NZ Major Events, Sky City Entertainment and Ultimate Hikes NZ.
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