New Zealand Open
| Location | Arrowtown, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Established | 1907 |
| Course(s) |
Millbrook Resort and The Hills Golf Club |
| Par | 71 and 72 |
| Length | 6560m (Millbrook) 6596m (The Hills) |
| Tour(s) |
PGA Tour of Australasia Nationwide Tour (2009–10) European Tour (2005–07) |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | NZ$1,000,000 |
| Aggregate | 262 Rodger Davis (1986) |
 Michael Hendry
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The ISPS Handa New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. Since 2014 it has been held as a pro-am in February or March. The 2017 champion was Michael Hendry who beat Ben Campbell and Brad Kennedy at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff after both Campbell and Kennedy put their tee-shots into the water at the par-3 hole. The 2017 tournament was the 98th edition of the event.
The New Zealand Amateur Championship had been played since 1893 and at the 1906 championship meeting in Christchurch it was decided to hold a 36-hole Open Championship at the championship meeting in 1907, "open to any professional or amateur in any part of the world" with prizes of £25 and £10 for the leading professionals. The 1907 championship meeting was held at Napier Golf Club. The first round of the Open was played on the morning of 10 September, the amateurs also competing in a club team event. The professional David Hood and amateur J. Carne Bidwell led with rounds of 80. A handicap event was held on the following day and the second round of the Open was played on the morning of 12 September. The amateur Arthur Duncan had a second round of 76 to win with a score of 159, seven ahead of J. Carne Bidwell. The Scottish professional, Jack McLaren, finished third on 167 with David Hood fourth on 168. McLaren and Hood took the cash prizes of £25 and £10.
In 1908 the tournament was extended to 72 holes, and was won by Joe Clements, the first notable New Zealand-born professional golfer. There were no Opens from 1915 to 1918 due to World War I and the championship was again cancelled from 1940 to 1945 due to World War II. The Jellicoe Cup was presented by Viscount Jellicoe, the second Governor-General of New Zealand, in 1924 and is awarded for the lowest round in the championship. The Bledisloe Cup was presented by Lord Bledisloe, the fourth Governor-General, in 1934 and is awarded to the leading amateur.
In 1954 Bob Charles, who was later to become the only New Zealander to win a major championship in the 20th century, won as an 18-year-old amateur. He won again in 1966, 1971 and 1973, as a professional, and he and the two Australian major champions Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle dominated the event from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s. Other well known winners have included the American Corey Pavin in 1984 and 1985, and Michael Campbell in 2000. Campbell joined Charles as a major champion when he won the 2005 U.S. Open.
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