Golf: Top Kiwi golfers skip PGA Championship

SYDNEY - New Zealand's four highest-ranked golfers are unavailable for the Australian PGA Championship starting in Brisbane tomorrow, leaving an unusually small contingent to contest the $A1 million ($1.31 million) prizemoney.

Michael Long and Grant Waite were to play but withdrew, while Michael Campbell and Greg Turner have opted to compete at high-profile events elsewhere.

That leaves New Zealand's best hope as Steve Alker, who topped the Canadian Tour's money-list this year after winning two tournaments, and was 31st at last week's Australian Open in Melbourne.

The other New Zealanders are Paul Devenport, who also did well in Canada, Marcus Wheelhouse, Matthew Lane, Elliot Boult, Carl Brooking and Richard Lee.

Eight are on the reserve list - Mark Brown, Saali Herewini, Grant Moorhead, Mahal Pearce, Martin Pettigrew, Stephen Scahill, Stephen Gordon and Stuart Thompson.

Long will this week begin his quest for a United States PGA Tour card at qualifying school after placing 99th on the second-level tour.

Organisers could not confirm why Waite, who had an excellent year in the United States, withdrew, but said he had done so some time ago.

Campbell, the defending Australasian Tour Order of Merit winner, has decided not to play in Australia until after Christmas.

He is in Sun City, South Africa, where his world ranking of 16 has earned him an invitation to the world's richest tournament, the $US4 million ($9.96 million) Nedbank Challenge.

Turner has opted to contest the World Cup in Argentina next week.

- NZPA