Champions back for NZ Open
A total of eight former champions have confirmed to play in next week’s New Zealand Open in Queenstown.
Four Australian winners Jake Higginbottom, Craig Parry, Peter O’Malley and Peter Fowler will be in the field alongside four former Kiwi champions in David Smail, Mahal Pearce, Michael Long and Greg Turner for the event from February 27 to March 2.
The National Open holds a purse of NZ$900,000, will be co-hosted by The Hills and Millbrook, and is expected to be the biggest golf tournament staged in New Zealand for many years.
Parry won the 2002 New Zealand Open staged at the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club which was famous for being the NZ Open that World No.1 Tiger Woods played in.
“Winning the New Zealand Open changed my life,” said Parry.
“With Tiger playing in the field whoever won that event got an invite to the World Golf Championship event.
"Then I happened to win that World Championship event and that put me on the Tour for another few years and it followed up with another win at Doral.
“So I am forever in debt to the New Zealand Open to have another few years on the PGA Tour. If you are talking about money, those two wins earned me probably $3 million."
For more information, visit: www.nzopen.co.nz
Ian Jarrett
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