Double your money: That's what LET

backing will do to NZ Women's Open

Prizemoney in the second New Zealand Women's Open golf tournament will more than double with the announcement that it will be co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour.
The inaugural NZ Open this year had prizemoney of $160,000, but next year's tournament, from February 25 to 28, will be at a new venue, the Pegasus Golf Club, and worth more than $400,000.
Pegasus will be the naming-rights sponsor for the tournament with an initial one-year contract, but managing director of Pegasus Town, Bob Robertson, said it is likely the contract will be extended to three years.
This year's tournament was on the Australian Ladies PGA tournament schedule, but co-sanctioning with the European Tour means prizemoney must be a minimum of 200,000 (NZ$410,000).
Robertson said the organisers will also have a fund to help attract highly ranked players to the tournament and they would not necessarily be from the European Tour.
Dean Murphy, the acting chief executive of New Zealand Golf, said the tournament field will be about 140.
"We could go to 156 players because we will have the daylight, but 140 seems to be about the right number."
The field will comprise 50 members of the European Tour, 50 from the Australian Tour, with 20 places for New Zealand professionals and amateurs and 20 places for other players which would include eight to 10 sponsor invites.
The Pegasus course will not be opened until December 5 and the clubhouse and other facilities are still under construction, but will be ready for the opening.
Kiwi-born Liz McKinnon, pictured above, who was based near Inverness when she played on the Ladies European Tour, attended the Press Conference at which the announcement of LET involvement was made. She said the tournament should attract a number of leading European players.
The tournament will follow two co-sanctioned tournaments in Australia.
"Having the extra tournament on the European schedule will make it worthwhile for players to come down here."
Former world No1 Laura Davies played in this year's NZ Women's Open, and it was won by a fellow European Tour member, Gwladys Nocera from France.
The par-72 course of 6300 metres will not be played until December, Robertson said.
"At the moment it is consolidating after winter and we have been lucky with early spring growth."
Robertson said he is confident the course will be ready for the the NZ Women's Open.
"New Zealand Golf have said for a new course, this is one of the most advanced they have seen.
"Normally you could spend up to $500,000 to get the course playable and we haven't had to spend anything."
Robertson said he had the choice to hold the New Zealand PGA tournament, which lost its major sponsor and US PGA Nationwide Tour status this year, or the NZ Women's Open.
"We chose the NZ Women's Open because we wanted to champion the tournament and the city council has come in as co-sponsor."
He is expecting the tournament to attract 20,000 spectators over the week.