Kiwi No 1 Fox confirmed for New Zealand Open
NEW Zealand’s top player has been confirmed for next year’s New Zealand Open.
Ryan Fox, who is ranked 89 in the world, will start in the tournament which runs from February 28 to March 3 at Millbrook and The Hills in Arrowtown.
Fox, who missed the cut at the event last year, will be one of many New Zealanders lining up in he 100th year of the tourna ment. Organisers started a 100day countdown to the event yesterday.
Fox will be joined by 2017 champion Michael Hendry and other New Zealand Open champions in David Smail and Michael Long.
Steve Alker, Tim Wilkinson, Ben Campbell and Mark Brown are other top Kiwis lining up.
Tournament director Michael Glading is pleased to have Fox in the tournament.
‘‘Ryan is now a top100 player in the world, and can pick and choose which events he will play. For him, the New Zealand Open has as high a priority as any of golf’s majors and we couldn’t be more grateful for his support,’’ Glading said.
There are also a raft of past champions competing, includ ing last year’s winner, Daniel Nisbet.
Other past champions lining up are Matt Griffin (2016), Jordan Zunic (2015), Dimi Papadatos (2014), Jake Higginbottom (2012), Brad Kennedy (2011), Peter O’Malley (1995) and Peter Fowler (1993).
At least 20 professionals from the Japan Tour and 30 from the Asian Tour will be competing, guaranteeing plenty of worldclass competition to entertain crowds.
While only seven professionals teed off in 1907 at the Waiohiki Napier Golf Club in the first Open, 152 professional golfers will compete for the 2019 New Zealand Open Title and $1.3 million prize pool.
Simultaneously, a pairing of one professional and one amateur will play a bestball format for the New Zealand ProAm Championship.
A tier one event cosanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour, and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour, the New Zealand Open’s ProAm format makes the New Zealand Open unique in the AsiaPacific region.
The first two rounds for the Open will be played alternatively between the Hills and Millbrook and the concluding two rounds for the professionals will be played at The Hills.
Millbrook has played host to the final two rounds in the past two years.