Sir Michael helped revive the Open when he initially hosted it in 2007 at his brand-new Arrowtown course, The Hills.
After three tournaments he lost the hosting rights, but then hosted the NZ PGA champs incorporating a pro-am element in 2012 and ’13.
Sir Michael was then awarded NZ Open hosting rights again — with that pro-am format — for several years from 2014.
Initially he also underwrote the tournament.
He provided colourful touches at the closing ceremonies including dressing up as a greenkeeper one year.
Fast-forward to about a year ago, Sir Michael scored his first hole-in-one, in 72 years of playing golf, at Millbrook’s 18th — just about the last time he ever wielded a club.
Appropriately, therefore, a flag’s flying at the 18th hole during this NZ Open.
And, given cartooning was another string to his bow — he provided weekly cartoons for
Mountain Scene for almost six years— the flag’s also illustrated with one of his doodles. The flag was installed on Tuesday in a moving ceremony during the Open’s welcome function. Meanwhile, also in recognition of Sir Michael’s ace last year, Michael Hill Jeweller is putting up a cash prize of $20,000 for the first player during the Open to score a hole-in-one.
