Sir Michael Hill gets NZ Open back
Golf tournament to return to Queenstown after three years in Christchurch.
NBR Rich Listed jeweller Sir Michael Hill is back hosting the New Zealand Open golf tournament after falling out with organisers three years ago.
The open was moved from Sir Michael's Queenstown golf course The Hills, to Clearwater in Christchurch after the 2010 event.
However, it was announced today that next year's tournament, starting on February 27, will be returning to Queenstown.
The tournament, a tier one event on the PGA Tour of Australasia, will be co-hosted by The Hills and the Millbrook Resort.
It will be run in a pro-am format and the purse will be a minimum of $850,000.
Taxpayers will support the event via the Major Events Development Fund, which has indicated it will increase its commitment to $900,000 for next year's tournament.
New Zealand Golf, the PGA of New Zealand and Michael Hill Tournaments Ltd have agreed to pool resources with the aim of creating "one truly iconic golf tournament".
Under the agreement, NZ Golf has licenced MHTL to organise and take full responsibility for the New Zealand Open for an initial period of three years.
The parties have agreed to continue to stage an annual NZPGA Championship, initially on a smaller scale.
The scheduling change to February next year means that no New Zealand Open will be held in the 2013 calendar year.
There have been three occasions of this in the history of the open (1990, 1999 and 2008) and all were due to the rescheduling of the tournament dates.
NBR staff
Tue, 09 Jul 2013
Tue, 09 Jul 2013
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Sir Michael Hill gets NZ Open back
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