A couple of busy months for NZ's leading players

OPINION: January and February are very busy for New Zealand's best golfers as they vie for the New Zealand men's and women's opens, as well as the NZPGA Championship, writes Anthony Barkley in this week's Golf Pro.

It's the third, and possibly the last New Zealand Open to be played at The Hills but, because it's been such a huge success, hopefully we can hold on to it for another couple of years.

First we have the NZPGA Championship at Clearwater from January 21 to 24. This year it's an Australasian Tour event and will feature top New Zealand players, plus some of the Nationwide Tour players on the way to the NZ Open. Notable players attending are Tim Wilkinson, Steven Alker (defending champion) and Peter O'Malley.

The NZ Open is played at the end of the month from January 28 to 31, and should draw some of Australasia's top players. It's co-sanctioned with the Australasian Tour and Nationwide Tour this year and has a purse of US$600,000 (NZ$1,000,000).

The Nationwide Tour is the breeding ground for the PGA Tour so usually some of the up-and-comers in the world of golf will attend.

The second women's NZ Open is then played at the new Pegasus course on the outskirts of Christchurch from February 25 to 28. This event is co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour as well as the Australian Ladies Professional Golf, so the quality of field will be high once again.

So for golf fans, you can watch three great tournaments almost in a row. I know several of the juniors are working once again at the NZ Open, as are some members. I myself will try to get to the Open this year because it's a great chance to see what these guys are working on, and also catch up with some of the players I used to play with as an amateur.

I really do hope we can have a New Zealand champion this year and we have a couple of candidates, including Tim Wilkinson who is back from an injury. I don't know if he is 100 per cent playing yet but if he is he is worth watching. Josh Geary has had some good form late 2009 and was up there last year, and Steven Alker was in great form last year and will be looking to kick start his 2010 campaign.

Several of our senior players will be trying to qualify, so best of luck to them.

» Anthony Barkley is a New Zealand PGA qualified golf coach based at the Invercargill Golf Club at Otatara.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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