December 16, 2025 • 7 mins
Three big golfing events are coming to New Zealand in consecutive weeks in 2026.
The NZ PGA championship in Paraparaumu will happen between the 19 and 22nd of February, followed by the NZ Open in Queenstown between the 26th of February and March 1st.
It was announced today that the ISPS Handa Japan-Australasia championship will be getting played in Auckland the following week between the 5th and 8th of March.
Jeff Latch, CEO of Golf NZ, joined D'Arcy to discuss what this will mean for golf in New Zealand.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildegrave
from News Talk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Golf Now CEO of Golf in edit Jeff Latch to
join us. Big golfing events to the power of three
coming to New Zealand consecutive weeks, back and back on
back ENZPGA Championship, the New Zealand Open, and today the
ISPs Honda Japan Australasia Championship is getting a ride in
Auckland and Jeff is with us now to Discusskida. Jeff,
(00:36):
oh good, what a great three week swing. Terrible pun.
I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. Maybe at these events,
new ones being announced all the time. Three huges in
a row. How significant is this for the New Zealand golf.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Jeff Darcy, This is a fantastic development for golf in
New Zealand's with the announcement today that the ICEPS handed
Japan Australasia Championship is going to be held at the
Magnificent Royal Auckland and the Grange Golf Club, this is
icy the cake. We now have the New Zealand PGA
(01:09):
Championship which is going to be played at Patapara Umu
February nineteen to twenty two, followed by the New Zealand
Open at Millbrook, our premieer mean's professional tournament from February
twenty six to March one, and then we've got the
ISPs Henda Japan Australasia Championship March five to eight here
in Auckland. It's fantastic for golf.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
How many players do you expect to come over and
check in for the hall? A whole lot. You're going
to attract a lot more players now there's just these
money and titles all back to back to back.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Well, absolutely and clearly we're going to get a good
influx of Japanese golfers playing in the high SPS handed
Japan Championship, that's clear, and we're also going to have
Japanese golfers playing in the New Zealand Open. I would
imagine we'll also have some decide to come a bit
earlier and play in the PGA Championship as well. But
(02:04):
we'll also get the best from the challenge of PGA
two of Australasia or playing in those three events, and
so we should have strong fields. And remembering that the
New Zealand Open with British Open qualifier status automatically now
draws a terrific field because everyone wants to play in
(02:24):
the majors. So those three events all back to back
is fantastic news for golf.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
What kind of bait did you throw at them? How
did you lure these guys in?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I think a lot of the credit for this actually
goes to the PGA Tour of Australia and the.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Japan Golf Tour.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
They've been in conversations for the best part of fifteen
months about seeing if they could actually host an event
somewhere in Australasia. What's been fantastic in this is kind
of the joint decision that it would actually make sense
to actually have this in New Zealand. So that's been
an awesome development. Wouldn't have been possible, of course without
(03:04):
the support of iceps Hander, so we owe them a
debt of gratitude that they came on board, but also
Royal Auckland and the Grange Golf Club. It is without
doubt one of the best golf courses in the Southern Hemisphere,
and so I think the fact that we actually had
that terrific golf course available and it's in Auckland. That
(03:25):
led to the decision to actually have the event held
in New Zealand in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
The timing was it always going to be there or
did you just kind of choehorn it in so it
could appear back to back to back.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Well, it needs to fit into the PGA Tour of
Australasia and so this was a natural fit. And once
again credit to the organizers of the tour that they
knew it would make sense if golfers were coming to
New Zealand to actually play multiple events in a row.
Obviously far easier for them in terms of travel, particularly
(03:59):
for those that are traveling internationally. So I think really
good planning, common sense from Neck Darsty and the team
at the PGA.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
So they offered this to you, did you go and
chase them put a proposition and how did it come about?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
It came about. We didn't chase this. This was actually
it came about because of the desire I think for
the Japan Golf Tour ANDPGA two of Australasia and iceps
hand to actually have an event in New Zealand. So
that's what really drove it to be here. And the
fact that we had a world class course available that
(04:35):
could host it. That it was Yeah, I think it
was really important that Royal Auckland and the Grange Golf
Club actually said that they would be able to make
their course available.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
So how quicks in math's one point three seven million
bucks on the line. Then what about the other two
How much is being played for over those three weeks?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Oh? Well, the New Zealand Open has got a price
fairs of two million dollars and the PGA Championships around
that three hundred, three hundred and fifty thousand marks. So yeah,
you put the three together, it's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And when it comes to people who are going to play,
how long does it take before you know what the
fields are going to look like? Because plainly you need
to get that out there to attract as many punters
to all three courses.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
That's true. I think the order of merit which has
run obviously across the PGA Tour of Australasia will impact
in terms of the players that actually play automatically from
that tour, and the same will probably apply to the
Japan Golf Tour. But I think the terrific thing is
we'll also have the opportunity for some of New Zealand's
(05:44):
other PGA professionals and elite amateurs to participate in all
three of these events. And that's fantastic because we're really
wanting to create pathways for our leading amateurs, opportunities for
our New Zealand professionals to actually earn more money, and
above all, we really want to build the profile of
golf in New Zealand and internationally. I think the other
(06:07):
really fantastic thing is that as well as these three events,
we've got the two leading regional amateur events for Asia
Pacific taking place in New Zealand next year as well.
So we've got the Women's Asia Pacific Amateur which is
going to be hosted at Royal Wellington and that's immediately
prior to the PGA Championship. So we've actually got four
(06:31):
events in a row in New Zealand globally significant that
are going to be broadcast to the world. We recently
announced that we're going to be also having the Men's
Asia Pacific Amateur at Tiarii in October, and that's the
biggest amateur men's tournament in Asia Pacific, ten million dollar
operating budget. The Masters send down their broadcast crew that
(06:56):
actually do the Masters at Augusta to actually cover it.
Will play live on ESBN two in America and across
the world, So five major events in New Zealand next
year rather than the normal one, all being broadcast globally.
It's fantastic for golf.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Jeff Latt, CEO of n Z Golf. Merry Christmas, mate,
you guys have sorted yourself out of fantastic present. Well done,
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
I think it's taken a lot of work from lots
of people, but next year is going to be a
big year for golf.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildegrave
from News Talk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Golf Now CEO of Golf in edit Jeff Latch to
join us. Big golfing events to the power of three
coming to New Zealand consecutive weeks, back and back on
back ENZPGA Championship, the New Zealand Open, and today the
ISPs Honda Japan Australasia Championship is getting a ride in
Auckland and Jeff is with us now to Discusskida. Jeff,
(00:36):
oh good, what a great three week swing. Terrible pun.
I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. Maybe at these events,
new ones being announced all the time. Three huges in
a row. How significant is this for the New Zealand golf.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Jeff Darcy, This is a fantastic development for golf in
New Zealand's with the announcement today that the ICEPS handed
Japan Australasia Championship is going to be held at the
Magnificent Royal Auckland and the Grange Golf Club, this is
icy the cake. We now have the New Zealand PGA
(01:09):
Championship which is going to be played at Patapara Umu
February nineteen to twenty two, followed by the New Zealand
Open at Millbrook, our premieer mean's professional tournament from February
twenty six to March one, and then we've got the
ISPs Henda Japan Australasia Championship March five to eight here
in Auckland. It's fantastic for golf.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
How many players do you expect to come over and
check in for the hall? A whole lot. You're going
to attract a lot more players now there's just these
money and titles all back to back to back.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Well, absolutely and clearly we're going to get a good
influx of Japanese golfers playing in the high SPS handed
Japan Championship, that's clear, and we're also going to have
Japanese golfers playing in the New Zealand Open. I would
imagine we'll also have some decide to come a bit
earlier and play in the PGA Championship as well. But
(02:04):
we'll also get the best from the challenge of PGA
two of Australasia or playing in those three events, and
so we should have strong fields. And remembering that the
New Zealand Open with British Open qualifier status automatically now
draws a terrific field because everyone wants to play in
(02:24):
the majors. So those three events all back to back
is fantastic news for golf.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
What kind of bait did you throw at them? How
did you lure these guys in?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I think a lot of the credit for this actually
goes to the PGA Tour of Australia and the.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Japan Golf Tour.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
They've been in conversations for the best part of fifteen
months about seeing if they could actually host an event
somewhere in Australasia. What's been fantastic in this is kind
of the joint decision that it would actually make sense
to actually have this in New Zealand. So that's been
an awesome development. Wouldn't have been possible, of course without
(03:04):
the support of iceps Hander, so we owe them a
debt of gratitude that they came on board, but also
Royal Auckland and the Grange Golf Club. It is without
doubt one of the best golf courses in the Southern Hemisphere,
and so I think the fact that we actually had
that terrific golf course available and it's in Auckland. That
(03:25):
led to the decision to actually have the event held
in New Zealand in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
The timing was it always going to be there or
did you just kind of choehorn it in so it
could appear back to back to back.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Well, it needs to fit into the PGA Tour of
Australasia and so this was a natural fit. And once
again credit to the organizers of the tour that they
knew it would make sense if golfers were coming to
New Zealand to actually play multiple events in a row.
Obviously far easier for them in terms of travel, particularly
(03:59):
for those that are traveling internationally. So I think really
good planning, common sense from Neck Darsty and the team
at the PGA.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
So they offered this to you, did you go and
chase them put a proposition and how did it come about?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
It came about. We didn't chase this. This was actually
it came about because of the desire I think for
the Japan Golf Tour ANDPGA two of Australasia and iceps
hand to actually have an event in New Zealand. So
that's what really drove it to be here. And the
fact that we had a world class course available that
(04:35):
could host it. That it was Yeah, I think it
was really important that Royal Auckland and the Grange Golf
Club actually said that they would be able to make
their course available.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
So how quicks in math's one point three seven million
bucks on the line. Then what about the other two
How much is being played for over those three weeks?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Oh? Well, the New Zealand Open has got a price
fairs of two million dollars and the PGA Championships around
that three hundred, three hundred and fifty thousand marks. So yeah,
you put the three together, it's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And when it comes to people who are going to play,
how long does it take before you know what the
fields are going to look like? Because plainly you need
to get that out there to attract as many punters
to all three courses.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
That's true. I think the order of merit which has
run obviously across the PGA Tour of Australasia will impact
in terms of the players that actually play automatically from
that tour, and the same will probably apply to the
Japan Golf Tour. But I think the terrific thing is
we'll also have the opportunity for some of New Zealand's
(05:44):
other PGA professionals and elite amateurs to participate in all
three of these events. And that's fantastic because we're really
wanting to create pathways for our leading amateurs, opportunities for
our New Zealand professionals to actually earn more money, and
above all, we really want to build the profile of
golf in New Zealand and internationally. I think the other
(06:07):
really fantastic thing is that as well as these three events,
we've got the two leading regional amateur events for Asia
Pacific taking place in New Zealand next year as well.
So we've got the Women's Asia Pacific Amateur which is
going to be hosted at Royal Wellington and that's immediately
prior to the PGA Championship. So we've actually got four
(06:31):
events in a row in New Zealand globally significant that
are going to be broadcast to the world. We recently
announced that we're going to be also having the Men's
Asia Pacific Amateur at Tiarii in October, and that's the
biggest amateur men's tournament in Asia Pacific, ten million dollar
operating budget. The Masters send down their broadcast crew that
(06:56):
actually do the Masters at Augusta to actually cover it.
Will play live on ESBN two in America and across
the world, So five major events in New Zealand next
year rather than the normal one, all being broadcast globally.
It's fantastic for golf.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Jeff Latt, CEO of n Z Golf. Merry Christmas, mate,
you guys have sorted yourself out of fantastic present. Well done,
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
I think it's taken a lot of work from lots
of people, but next year is going to be a
big year for golf.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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