2005 US Open winner Michael Campbell says the power game has taken the creativity out of golf.
By Matt Brown in Queenstown
Tournament chairman John Hart believes the New Zealand Open could add a third course to the Pro-Am format as early as 2022.
The NZ Open is held at The Hills and Millbrook and has been in Queenstown for the past nine years. The existing dealexpires in 2021 but Hart is confident they will reach agreement with New Zealand Golf to extend it for another five years.
But it's the possibility of turning the tournament into something akin to the Alfred Dunhill Links tournament in Scotland and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California that has Hart excited.
"Our dream is to have three courses, but we want to get it to three courses when three courses are totally sustainable forever too," Hart said. "So ultimately that's our dream and that would fit into the concept of the AT&T (Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and Alfred Dunhill."
The Dunhill Links is played at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews with the final round at St Andrews. It's one of the most popular tournaments on the European Tour calendar.
Hart says something similar in New Zealand could be achievable sooner rather than later. Milbrook already has 27 holes and another nine are being built.
"Time frame [is the key], because Millbrook are investing in a fantastic another nine," Hart said. "2022 is a possible date you could consider if everything else fell in. Jack's Point is another possibility, but they are going through a lot of change in their development. But they have indicated an interest.
"Logistically it's not quite as easy, but it's not impossible and people say weather's different but Carnoustie is different to Kingsbarns and Kingsbarns is different to St Andrews, so it's a possibility and pros love it."
John Hart. Photo / Photosport
In that scenario, players would play one round each at Millbrook, The Hills and the third course, with the final round at Millbrook.
Next year's date has already been confirmed, February 25th to 28th, which now shapes as possibly the final year under the two-course format.
Hart is thrilled with the continued growth of the tournament which started as a $450,000 event and has grown to have prize money of $1,400,000.
"We have grown it and we have been fortunate in growing a great bank of sponsorship to make the tournament sustainable. Our field is as strong as it ever has been in terms of depth with 23 players ranked in the top 300 in the world, 20 countries represented in terms of the pro field and 156 amateurs including 85 international.
"Looking at sustainability you have to internationalise and that's the way we will continue to do it. We want to build the heritage and history and are putting a lot of blocks in place."
The tournament doesn't pay appearance fees to players so will never attract the likes of Australian Jason Day or other top US PGA Tour players.
"The dream is to create the best professional golfing experience in the Asia Pacific. It's never to be the biggest. We can never afford the prize money that some of those other tournaments can provide and we will never try to. We will continue to move the prize money up to make sure we are competitive with the Asian and Australasian Tours."
