John Catlin, the 2024 Asian Tour order of merit winner, rising stars Dominic Foos and Taichi Kho, LIV debutant Miguel Tabuena and leading Australian players Wade Ormsby and Travis Smyth will head up the 33-strong Asian Tour group chasing the Brodie Breeze Trophy.
Wooyoung Cho, winner of the Philippine Golf Championship at the weekend, has also entered.
Tournament director Michael Glading said the depth of quality coming from the Asian Tour continued to elevate the New Zealand Open’s international reputation.
"Dominic Foos had an outstanding 2025 season, finishing top 20 on the Asian Tour order of merit and having his first win on tour, so he is clearly a player to watch out for," Glading said.
"He’s someone who has proven he can win and is one the crowds will really enjoy watching.
"John Catlin’s return is equally exciting. He’s a past order of merit winner, knows how to win, and is always likely to be in contention come Sunday.’’
For Foos, his win at the 2025 SJM Macao Open opened the way to his qualification to play in the New Zealand Open for the first time.
"I’m really pleased to be coming to Queenstown,’’ said Foos, who became the first German to win on the Asian Tour since Bernhard Langer in 1996.
‘‘It’s going to be my first time in New Zealand and it’s one of the events I have really been looking forward to playing. I’m pumped.
"I’ve heard from a bunch of guys on tour that the course is amazing and the area is beautiful. I’m told it’s also a really well-run tournament, so yeah, I can’t wait to experience it myself."
Catlin, meanwhile, will be making his fourth appearance at the tournament.
"I absolutely love coming back to the New Zealand Open," Catlin said.
"Queenstown is my favourite place in the world. The people, the scenery, the course — everything about it is special.’’
Other Asian Tour players to look out for include Pavit Tangkamolprasert, who finished runner-up in the Philippines, Malaysian rising star Ervin Chang and South African Ian Snyman.
Snyman is another of the Asian Tour members who considers the New Zealand event to be one of his favourite stops. He tied for second last year and was equal sixth the year before. — Allied Media
