Golf: Kennedy to return to NZ Open

Australian golfer Brad Kennedy will contest the New Zealand Open in Queenstown. Photo / Getty

Australian golfer Brad Kennedy hasn't been sighted at the New Zealand Open since he won the tournament in 2011.

But that will change this year as he leads a 21-strong group of Japan Golf Tour regulars who will contest the event in Queenstown in March, including seven of the top 30 from the Japan Tour's 2014 money list.

Aside from Kennedy, leading the Japan challenge is Yusaku Miyazato, who finished 11th on the money list last year. Miyazato was the model of consistency in 2014, picking up seven top 10 finishes including victory at the Token Homemate Cup in April.

Another player to keep an eye on is Yoshitaka Takeya. The 34-year-old proved to be a star turn in his rookie season on tour last year, winning the Japan Tour Championship in June and going on to finish 10th on the money list.

There will also be Toshinori Muto, who is back for his third visit to Queenstown in as many years, and Toru Taniguchi, a legend of the Japan circuit having won 19 times throughout his career.

Kennedy won the Open in 2011 when it was played at Clearwater in Christchurch but didn't return to defend his title as the quality of the fields dwindled. The fields have improved in recent times though given the boost in prizemoney, while the tournament also has a pro-am format.

Outside of Kennedy, another Australian, Brendan Jones, who is the highest earning non-Japanese player on that tour with career earnings of just on $10m, will also play in Queenstown.

They are backed up by leading Kiwis Michael Hendry and David Smail, both of whom have full status on the Japan Tour.

New Zealand Open tournament director Michael Glading was excited about the group of players set to challenge for this year's title.

"There are many world-class players coming from the Japan Tour, and we're expecting many of them to be 'in the hunt' when the tournament heads into the final day on Sunday," he said.

" The relationship with the Japan Tour is a huge boost to our tournament both competitively and commercially, and we're thrilled that such a high quality group has taken up the opportunity to play this year."

The New Zealand Open will be played at The Hills and Millbrook Resort from March 12-15 and will be broadcast on Sky TV.