Off the tee: Hefty prize hikes for US Opens

The purse for this year's US Open will be US$6 million ($10.5 million), a US$500,000 increase.

The winner will get US$1.08 million ($1.8 million). That's US$80,000 more than Tiger Woods got for winning last year's US Open at Bethpage Black in New York.

This year's US Open will be played from June 12-15 at Olympia Fields Country Club.

The USGA also announced US$100,000 increases for both the US Women's Open and US Senior Open purses. The US Women's Open will have $3.1 million in prize money this year, with the winner earning US$560,000.

The US Women's Open will be from July 3-6 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon.

The US Senior Open will have US$2.6 million in prize money, with the winner getting US$470,000. The Senior Open is from June 26-29 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

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Aorangi representative Peter Hayes added another string to his bow this week when he was elected to the New Zealand Golf Association council.

Hayes replaced the former Aorangi representative Lindsay Buckley, who has left the district.

The only representative golfer on the council, Hayes has taken the unusual step of merging the playing side of the game with the board room.

"They said it was good to see some new blood and someone still playing representative golf," he said.

"It could give me the opportunity to go further in administration if that is where I want to go."

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Tiger Woods remains a comfortable leader in the world rankings, with 17.03 points average.

The top five remain unchanged from a week ago: South African Ernie Els (8.94), Americans Davis Love (7.95) and Phil Mickelson (7.05) and Canadian Masters champion Mike Weir (6.83).

American David Toms' win in the Wachovia Championship moved him from eighth to sixth on 6.56.

The only newcomer to the top 20 from a week ago is young American Charles Howell, up from 21st to 18th with 3.43 points.

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Els leads the European PGA Tour after this week's Benson and Hedges International, with €969,510 ($1.9 million).

Briton Paul Casey is second on €596,226, Ireland's Padraig Harrington lies third on €529,754, with Australians Peter Lonard and Adam Scott fourth and fifth with €508,051 and €498,757.

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Another budding champion has fallen into Wellington's lap as the province eyes the long haul back to the summit of the amateur men's game.

Junior international Riki Kauika has shifted to the capital with his parents and looks a certainty to be part of Wellington's bid for an unprecedented 13th Tower interprovincial title in Christchurch in November.

The arrival of Kauika, 18, from Wanganui comes a season after New Zealand No 1 Bradley Iles was lured to Wellington from Rotorua.

Kauika has strung together a series of fine results this year, including victory at the North Island under-19 championship, third place at the North Island senior amateur and 10th in the New Zealand amateur strokeplay.

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The Grange square off against Auckland in the final of the Bissett Shield senior pennant at Middlemore on Sunday.

The Grange, who won the round robin, were 8-7 winners over Titirangi in their semifinal, while defending champions Auckland beat Manukau 11-4. Howick play Pukekohe in the President's Shield final.