NZ Open organisers pushing on, hopeful for international field

Uncertainty continues to hang over the New Zealand Golf Open in the wake of last week’s announcement of planned changes to border rules.

Josh Geary
Photo: Photosport

Organisers remained determined next year’s event will go ahead.

Whether international players would be there was another matter.

The tournament is scheduled to be played in Queenstown less than a month before the country will finally welcome fully vaccinated foreign visitors on April 30.

But while the Open WAS on a government “Approved Events” list, giving it the ability to bring in players from overseas before that date – there was one major issue.

As Economic Development and Tourism Minister Stuart Nash explained.

“There will be a self-isolation requirement in place before the 30th of April, we’ve made that quite clear.

“I don’t think we’re going to exempt golfers from that.”

For an event which normally had a heavily international field, it was a big blow.

Tournament chairman John Hart highly doubted many would agree if there was no change.

“If they have to self-isolate for seven days, then a week at the tournament, then a week to and from, you’re effectively taking three weeks out of their calendar.

“It won’t appeal to everyone.”

A sentiment echoed by veteran New Zealand professional and 2017 NZ Open champion Michael Hendry.

“I’m not going to say we’re highly-tuned athletes, but we’re tuned into our games.

“We’re always trying to be at the very peak of our performance all the time and its very difficult to do that if you haven’t practiced for a week leading up to an event.

“It basically comes down to luck, and I don’t think guys will be prepared to take that chance.”

Hart, though, hadn’t quite given up hope.

The key question was what the terms might be of any potential government allowances.

NZ Open tournament chairman John Hart.
Photo: Photosport

Hart was hopeful a sportwide approach – alongside the also affected Super Rugby, Warriors, Breakers and Phoenix – may provide some leeway.

“I know that’s happening, they’re talking to government about how we can run these competitions with the current regulations in place, so that needs to be addressed.

“Hopefully, as a result of that, we might see some movement or some opportunity to make some variations which help us in March.”

Hart’s suggestion when it came to the NZ Open was a players bubble.

An idea backed up by New Zealand’s top ranked men’s player Ryan Fox, who said the same system had operated very effectively on the European Tour for the past two years.

“Supposedly Covid-ravaged Europe, we had very few cases, and no transmission during events.

“It would be nice if they could do something like that. Test before you fly, test at the event, stay at a tournament hotel and you’re not allowed anywhere else and there is no other public allowed in.

“Something like that would be very safe.”

Whatever played out, Fox, Hendry and several other top New Zealand professionals had committed to playing the event.

Fox was optimistic the Open would come through largely unscathed, even if next year’s tournament ended up as a largely New Zealand players-only event.

“From a Kiwi player’s point of view, it’s a pretty good chance to win, it’s going to be a much smaller event.

“But it’s our flagship event and it was getting a really good reputation world-wide.

“A lot of people wanted to go down to Queenstown and play that event. Even some of my mates on the European Tour were very keen to play.

“Hopefully having a couple of years off having international players doesn’t dent that reputation.”

What it would do though, was heavily impact the economic impact for Queenstown and the wider Otago region.

Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult hoped that wasn’t the case.

“[It’s a] very important event and I will be delighted if it comes off.

“There’s some work to do to give it the surety it needs to carry on but it’s not only this year, which will be some sort of restricted version, it’s where we go to in future years and the need to keep this on the calendar.”

And Hart said the event wasn’t just about Queenstown.

“The return, in terms of economic factors, to government with tourism and the ability to showcase New Zealand through international television.

“This tournament brings significant benefits to the country and to the region.”

New Zealand Open organisers hope to have the final details of the 2022 event nailed down in the next two to three weeks.