They got there in wildly fluctuating fashion, yet Aussie pair Matthew Griffin and Scott Hend will start the final round tied for the lead at the 103rd New Zealand Open.
One was close to quitting while the other never stops playing and now Matthew Griffin and Scott Hend are co-leaders after day one of the 103rd New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sports.
The New Zealand Open is also ensuring that every professional that competes in the tournament and doesn’t make the cut will take away at least $NZ1,000 to help support their travel and other related costs.
Three of New Zealand’s leading players have confirmed they will return to play the 103rd edition of the New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown.
He also becomes the first player to win the New Zealand Open twice since Greg Turner in 1997, and the first Australian to win twice since Bob Shearer in 1981.
Kiwi hopes rest on the shoulders of Michael Hendry and Harry Bateman, who both sit four shots off the lead, and Kieran Muir, who is a further shot adrift.
Golf Digest’s inaugural ranking of the best courses across the ditch shines the spotlight on New Zealand’s international classics as well as its time-honoured gems.
When it opened in 1993, Millbrook Resort was a bit of a novelty. A deer farm had been transformed into a thoroughly modern golf course. The farm’s homestead was converted into a restaurant complemented by luxurious lodgings, all in a spectacular alpine location just outside Queenstown. The resort golf phenomenon had finally come to New Zealand.
You wouldn’t ever want to compare a US Open winner with a Saturday hacker, but it will be a nervous Michael Campbell who lines up in his first competitive round in six years on the opening day of the 100th New Zealand Open in Queenstown on Thursday.