Golf: The Hills a stepping stone to the big show

[1]

Alex Prugh, of the United States, holds the trophy he received after winning the 2009 New Zealand Open. Photo by Matthew Haggart.

There might be a distinct absence of star players from the New Zealand Open next month but that does not mean the tournament's importance should be understated. Sports editor Hayden Meikle explains how those who tread the tussocks of The Hills have their eyes on a bigger prize.

The Hills in January, the PGA Tour 12 months later.

That will be the dream for the vast majority of the 156 golfers playing in the New Zealand Open in Arrowtown next month.

Some great golfers - Peter Thomson, Sir Bob Charles, Kel Nagle, Corey Pavin, Greg Turner and Michael Campbell among them - have won the Open, but the tournament now serves as more of a pathway event.

It seems likely there will be no real marquee player at the 2010 Open.

It is unrealistic to think Phil Mickelson or Steve Stricker or Vijay Singh or Geoff Ogilvy or that American bloke who has been in the news a lot recently will suddenly decide to add Arrowtown to their itinerary.

It is too far to come for too little money for a tournament that means nothing to the world's elite players.

It would take massive private investment, or even more generosity from Open host and bankroller Michael Hill, to attract a star name.

New Zealand Golf went down that road when it splashed $4 million on Tiger Woods in 2002, and it nearly killed the organisation.

Neither of the New Zealand golf poster boys will be there, either.

Michael Campbell and Danny Lee will be playing in Asia.

And the great Sir Bob, the man who electrified the first Open at The Hills in 2007, has indicated he will not play again.

But New Zealand golf fans and Otago people keen for a pleasant walk in the sun late next month might just have to go through a process of acceptance.

Accept you will not know many of these golfers by name, but accept that some of them are going to become stars.

The key thing about the Open is that it is now co-sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour, the PGA Tour's little brother.

Just like the big show, the Nationwide runs weekly tournaments throughout the year - with purses ranging from $US445,000 ($NZ614,000) to $US775,000 ($NZ1.07 million) - and keeps a money list.

The top 25 golfers on the Nationwide Tour money list at the end of the year get full playing rights on the PGA Tour the next year.

Take this year's New Zealand Open winner, Alex Prugh, the 25-year-old product of Spokane, Washington.

Prugh earned $US113,684 ($NZ157,000) when he shot 19-under-par to finish three shots clear at The Hills in March.

By the end of the year, he'd added nine other top-25 finishes on tour and had $US233,325 ($NZ321,954) in the bank, good enough for 16th on the money list.

So it is goodbye New Zealand, hello Phil and Vijay and maybe, when the storm dies down, Tiger.

The best player on the Nationwide Tour was Michael Sim, the baby-faced Australian who went to the New Zealand Open rated one of the favourites but left after two rounds, having shot 74-77 to miss the cut.

Sim topped the money list with $US644,142 ($NZ888,859) but gained immediate promotion to the PGA Tour when he won his third Nationwide tournament of the year in August.

To put Sim's efforts in perspective, consider the names of three other men who have previously topped the Nationwide Tour money list: Zach Johnson (2003), who won the Masters in 2007; Chad Campbell (2001), a two-time runner-up in the majors; and Stewart Cink (1996), who won the British Open this year.

Other high-rankers on the Nationwide money list who played at the New Zealand Open include Chad Collins (No 2 on money list, tied for 13th at the Open), Josh Teater (No 7, tied for 39th), Cameron Percy (No 8, missed cut), Roger Tambellini (No 9, tied for 22nd), Matt Every (No 10, tied for 13th), Justin Bolli (No 11, tied for 48th) and Kevin Johnson (No 13, tied for 25th).

The highest New Zealander on the money list was Bradley Iles (Papamoa), who was 45th with $US141,931 ($NZ195, 853) in a year highlighted by a tie for second at the Knoxville Open and three other top-10 finishes.

Steve Alker (48th) was the only other New Zealander in the top 100.

He started the year superbly, winning the New Zealand PGA at Clearwater, but missed the cut in 13 of the 16 Nationwide events he played after the Open.

Obviously, playing for tour cards is only part of the appeal for the locals who tee off in the New Zealand Open.

Just ask Dunedin professional Mahal Pearce, the last home-grown winner (2003) of the tournament, how special it was to win his own Open.

2010 NZ Open

The Hills, January 28-31 Entries close on January 7.
• Final qualifier is at Russley on Monday, January 25.
• Final field will not be confirmed until after the New Zealand PGA the previous week.
• Neither Michael Campbell nor Danny Lee playing.
• Purse $US600,000 ($NZ830,000).

The Graduates
Those who qualified
Sixteen golfers played in the New Zealand Open in Arrowtown earlier this year and later qualified for the PGA Tour:
Michael Sim, Cameron Percy (both Australia), Chad Collins, Josh Teater, Roger Tambellini, Matt Every, Justin Bolli, Kevin Johnson, Alex Prugh, Jeff Gove, Steve Wheatcroft, Rich Barcelo, Craig Bowden, Vance Veazey, Fran Quinn (all United States) and Henrik Bjornstad (Norway).