The Dunedin course is one of four hosting a pre-qualifying tournament for the $900,000 New Zealand Open, to be held at The Hills and Millbrook at the end of February.
Previous opens have held a one-day, one-course qualifier but the path to the tournament is a bit tougher this time.
Chisholm Park, Royal Auckland, Paraparaumu Beach and Shirley each host pre-qualifiers, with about 25 golfers in total moving on to the next stage.
Omaha (Auckland) and Cromwell host the final qualifying tournaments on February 24 and February 25 respectively, from which 10 players will earn spots at the open.
Today's tournaments will operate on a pro rata basis.
With a relatively small field, Chisholm Park will probably supply just the top two performers today to the final qualifying tournament.
A hot favourite for one of those spots will be Otago No 1 Brent McEwan, fresh from winning the Otago strokeplay for a fifth time.
Two of his interprovincial team-mates, Nick Borren and Jamie Anstiss, are also in the field, along with 2012 representative Brandon Hodgson. Anstiss finished second in the Otago strokeplay and Hodgson was third.
Relative veterans Michael Smith and Michael Minty, rising Cromwell star Inia Logan and three players with their PGA cards - Ricky Barbara, Ben Matheson and Michael Weastell - are also in the field.
The first group tees off at Chisholm Park at 1pm.
