The annual Hills Invitational 36 hole Pro-Am at the Arrowtown course will be played this weekend, with the first round tomorrow.
The event promises to be a close battle with many of the players having recent winning form. The final NZPGA event for 2020 is a great opportunity for a high quality field to take confidence into next year. It will be the first time the event falls under the NZPGA umbrella.
The 20 man field includes defending champion Mark Brown, along with other professionals such as Luke Toomey, Kieran Muir, Daniel Hillier, Josh Geary, Harry Bateman, Ryan Chisnall, Michael Hendry, Jordan Loof and Gareth Paddison.
Former winners Queenstown’s James Anstiss and Ashburton’s Daniel Pearce will play, along with Queenstown golfers Fraser MacLachlan, Ben Campbell and Craig Palmer.
The field is full of many former winners and Charles Tour winners, so the battle for the winner’s purse of $10,000 is sure to be intense. With a total purse of $50,000 it sits alongside the Charles Tour purses.
With the forced cancellation of next year’s New Zealand Open, which the The Hills co-hosted , events like this take on more importance.
There is plenty of quality on display and it is the cream of the New Zealand golfing scene.
Brown has a good record at The Hills, while recent Charles Tour winners Anstiss, Hillier, Toomey and Muir will be hoping to make an impact.
Hendry has been solid rather than spectacular but has two wins on this course to recommend him.
Anstiss will be trying to repeat his win at the Mount Open last weekend and has some events in Australia coming up.
‘‘I hope to head to Australia for the Pro Tour from January to March. They are trying to get a nine event season with some good prizemoney events plus some $50,000 events to play in,’’ he said.
There will also be much interest in the comeback appearance of Campbell after a long recovery from corrective surgery on his hip and lower back.
Palmer, who is also the tournament director, feels he can compete with the field.
McLachlan has not played a lot but had four solid rounds at the Mount Open to finish 13th and is hoping to build on that.
There will be 60 Hills club members joining the professionals to make 20 four man teams in the Pro-Am format that sits alongside the Pro event.
