Golf: Circuit ready to tee off

By BOB PEARCE

Taupo in April may be the launching pad for a new professional circuit being promoted by former New Zealand Open champion Greg Turner.

The recently-retired professional is trying to establish a series of tournaments, each with a $40,000 prize pool, to bring together the best of the country's amateurs and professionals.

It would help to fill the gap for young professionals aspiring to the big golf tours, and also enhance competition for top amateurs, who might later join the paid ranks.

There would also be the chance to bring top-quality tournaments to the regions, which once played host to Bob Charles, Kel Nagle and Peter Thomson.

New Zealand Golf has agreed that its three flagship tournaments, the New Zealand amateur and the North and South Island strokeplay, should be included in the hybrid events.

Turner said yesterday that the national strokeplay at Taupo could be the first of a potential 10 tournaments, running in the autumn and again in the spring.

At the national amateur championships, the professionals and amateurs would contest the strokeplay with four days of 18 holes. Only the amateurs would proceed to the matchplay.

Defending Open champion Mahal Pearce, who has struggled for competition since his win at Middlemore last January, welcomed the concept.