A major mystery announcement in Auckland today involving Queenstown is being billed as a landmark moment for golf in this country.
Those behind the announcement have flown up Queenstown media for it - and Mountain Scene and the Otago Daily Times understand it could involve the relocation of the New Zealand Open back to the Wakatipu.
Local sources are also speculating it could involve the open being played at the same time as Queenstown's third annual NZ PGA Championship pro-am tournament early next year - or even somehow merging with it.
The Open event was held at jeweller Sir Michael Hill's private course The Hills near Arrowtown in 2007, 2009 and 2010 before it was moved to Christchurch's Clearwater Resort.
To fill the void, Hill backed a new pro-am tournament held in conjunction with the annual NZ PGA Championship. It is widely known that tournament, at The Hills for the past two years, will be across at least two courses next year at The Hills and nearby Millbrook Resort.
The invitation to today's announcement calls it the ''official launch'' of New Zealand's premier golfing event and adds it promises to be a ''landmark moment for championship golf in New Zealand''.
- Ryan Keen
