Organisers of next year’s 102nd NZ Open, being played at Arrowtown’s Millbrook Resort, are looking to increase the purse to at least $1.6 million.
Being played from March 2 to 5, it’ll be the first Open since 2020.
Golf tournament director Michael Glading says after two years of ‘‘peaks and troughs’’ it’s exciting to plan the tournament, which will include a host of international pros, with certainty.
Prizemoney at the last tournament was $1.4m — Glading says if they can go higher than $1.6m next year they will, ‘‘but that will depend on gaining more sponsorship’’.
Glading says he’s now focusing on player recruitment, spending time in Japan, Australia and Indonesia looking for up-and-coming talent to entice to Queenstown.
He cites Tom Kim, now a PGA star, Sun Jae Im, Cameron Davis and Cameron Smith as examples of players who’ve played in the NZ Open before going on to make their names.
‘‘For example, there is a young Japanese amateur who has recently won the Japan Open after winning another tournament on the Japan tour.
‘‘I don’t know if he would want to come over as an amateur,’’ Glading says.
A number of the top Aussie players on the LIV Tour and able to play on the Asian Tour would, theoretically, be welcome at the NZ Open, but
Glading says if players aren’t part of the Australasian or Asian Tours he’d say ‘no’.
‘‘We’re not looking to create controversy.
‘‘But players who have a world standing, for example Cameron Smith, would be welcome … we are taking a very neutral stance and do not want to upset the applecart.
‘‘We are trying to be the Switzerland of golf.’’
