February 21, 2025 • 9 mins
There will be plenty of Kiwi talent on show next weekend as the iconic NZ Golf Open gets underway at both the Millbrook and Hills courses in the Queenstown Lakes region.
Up for grabs is a prize pool of $2 million dollars.
Glading spoke with Lesley Murdoch ahead of what is becoming a bucket list event here in NZ with thanks to the support of the Elmwood Trading Company.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yes, what we're talking about in association with the O
we're trading company. We are very lucky to have with us.
The person who is going to have well, I guess
the buck stops with him. He is the tournament director
of New Zealand's greatest golf treasure. I'm talking about the
New Zealand Golf Open, and Michael Cleaning joins us.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning, Hey, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
How are you We have very good thanks. Well, this
is such a massive event and the amount of money
that's involved, two million dollars, and how did this happen?
How did you get this?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, you know, it's like there's no such thing as
an overnight success story, is there. It takes a long time.
I think our first year that we ran the Torna
was one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, so we've sort
of quadrupled it in eleven years. But yeah, looks through
hard work with lots of contact, through spreading our portfolio,
if you like, rather than having all eggs in one basket,
(00:52):
we managed to attract quite a wide variety of commercial
sponsors from quite a wide part of the world. You know,
we have sponsors from home Hong Kong, from Korea, from Indonesia,
and at a small level, from the US, from even Europe.
So we've really become a very international event, and we've
(01:14):
been able to attract funds from in many cases people
who have been here and just absolutely love it. I
think that's the first pre record. Obviously, this is a
commercial equation in there somewhere, and that's not to be underestimated.
But you know, people are coming because they love the event,
They love Queenstown, they love the camaraderi that a pro
(01:35):
am brings alongside a very competitive golf tournament. So it's
kind of we've managed to match those two things up.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Oh fantastic. Look, just before we get into the nuts
and bolts of what starts next Thursday, just on the
back of Craig's Sports News net Folk, is he going
to be at the New Zealand Golf Open?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Do you know he? Sure is? He? Sure is?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
No.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I don't think an answer to the comment that will
he be seventy in under up two days because I
don't think anybody well, that's a phenomenal score when you
think about it, that's a verdy every second hole. But yeah,
Neck is playing and he's in very good format. Didn't
need me to tell you that. And yeah, he's certainly
one of those kiwis who's who he's you know, he's proven,
(02:17):
he's a proven winner. He's one in China, he's played
in the US mostly in recent years. He's now playing
in Asia and doing very well there again. So yeah,
he's a form kiwi, which is pretty one of many.
But he's very exciting.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Exactly, Well, let's talk about how you actually put this
event together, the size of the Volunteer Army, how do
you do this?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, hey, look, I hate anyone to think this is
a personalized conversation. It's certainly not me. There's a phenomenal
we have got a really phenomenal team of people there.
The Volunteer Army has led by one Ben Ashford, and
Ben's done a phenomenal job. We have over five hundred
volunteers coming for I mean totally tells me six countries
(03:01):
I haven't actually had, but I know some of it
from Australia and I know that some from the UK,
and something like seventy percent of those people are repeats.
So again, that's a huge success story for us because
if volunteers are coming back year on year, a that
makes our recruitment job so much easier. But b it
chelseas that we are hopefully looking after them because that's
what we want to do. We can't run this tournament
(03:22):
without five hundred extra people, you know, So it's quite
a It's one of those stories that kind of almost
flies under the radar, but it's a really important part
of our success.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Oh absolutely it is. And look the aforementioned reasons why
the golfers love coming back. Clearly the volunteers do as well,
because it's a really lovely area and great golf are
going to get great golf. When do you start your
preparations for this event?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Ah, we will start up. We will have about a
week off afterwards, and then we will start again. Because
our first process, and I think it's been a mean
John hartat chairman, and John anyone that knows John, he's
incredible detail man, and that's been a great asset for
us because we will start while things are fresh in
our mind, going through absolutely everything. We have a huge
(04:10):
debrief process and just you know, really making sure that
anything that we didn't quite get right this year we address.
So we genuinely will start in about a week's time
we'll have a week off and then we'll start, and
then we will start the debrief, and the debrief is
a I think one of the core ingredients to how
we succeed again because if you you know, when you
(04:33):
it's a weird kind of job really, because you spend
fifty one weeks of the year getting ready for week
fifty two, so you kind of but you need to
use that time and plant and so it's all in planning,
and it's all in making sure that we don't if
we make a mistake, don't make it again, I think.
And more to the point, how do we improve things?
How do we actually make and turn the notch up.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
And under doll fantastic. We're talking with Michael Glading, the
tournament director for New Zealand Golf Open. With talked about
Ni Vogue. Who else will be gracing the fairways in
the greens.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, we've got a you know, it's a really strong
feel too. Again, we source our players from a lot
from Asia, so they're not household names in this country,
although one of them is Rio Ishikawa is a name
that any golf fan will probably know. Burst onto the scene,
won his first professional tournament, had sixteen he's still only
thirty three. He's won twenty four tournament. He is literally
(05:29):
like Tiger Woods in Japan. He can't go anywhere without
being almost mobbed. So I've been trying to get Rio
to come for the last three or four years and
succeeded this year with help from people like Brendan Jones
who had plays in Japan and had worked on him
as well. But look closer to home, you know, having
you mentioned that, but we've got some really strong key
(05:50):
with Dan Hillier, who normally plays in Europe, has come
home to plan this event, which we're thrilled with. Obviously,
Ben Campbell, a local boy who's in phenomenal form and
in fact is pretty much along with John Catlan John
as a leading number one player in Asia. He's American,
and here John and Benna both and Dan hilly are
(06:10):
actually all really highly ranked world rankings. Out of Live
We've got Lucas Herbert and of course I Danny Lee,
who's making his first professional appearance in this tournament. He's
played in a couple of times when he was an amateur,
hasn't played since. Of course, He's been plying his trade
all around the world and hasn't really been home much.
So getting Danny to come home following his live success
(06:32):
last year is phenomenal, so very very strong field and
I'm very happy with it.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Fantastic. Talking of live golf, there is talk of unification
with the PGA and love golf. Where would the New
Zealand Open sit in that discussion.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
To be honest with you, we've always been that tried
to be the Switzerland of golf. We've tried to be
the tournament which doesn't have affiliations one way or the other.
We're not because we had tournaments the right opposite. The
PGA Tour may not come addition, certainly, but they you know,
we can't attract players from the PGA Tour because they
are playing for so much money in their homeland. So
(07:08):
and you know, we've always been We've always had that,
you know, one world attitude if you like. So I
think that and the rest of the world ironically is
going to follow suit eventually. So I think that it's
a very strong thing. But it's something that, as I say,
we can't influence. All we can do is sit here
and try and be good to everybody wherever their base is.
And I would see us having more live players in
(07:30):
the future good.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
It's excellent. And the PRORAM format we know brings celebrities,
which is always about names. Who is going to feature
this year.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Well, we've got a new one this year. I mean
we have our sock standard Stephen Fleming and Jeff Wilson,
who are particular rocks around which we build our We
call it our Ambassador program. I think Keis don't like
the word celebrities cous as much as they do in America.
But speaking of America, that we have Michael Pinya, now
(08:02):
Michael Pinyer. Those of us like me who've followed every
episode of Narcos throughout its series will recognize Michael. He's
an actually a three handicapped golfer, plays in as many
tournaments as he can. He's actually filming a movie right
now in Florida, but has broken the schedule so that
he could fly down and play in this tournament and
fly home again. That's how crazy is on golf. So
(08:25):
I think having Michael added to the field this year
will be extra good. And to go along, we have
Hayden Padden here who Hayden's played in it most years,
So yeah, look, I think they add another dimension and
another flavor to our event. We're very excited to have them.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Sounds as though you've got everything under control. We are
keeping our fingers, eyes and toes cross that you get
fabulous weather and it won't mature anyway, because it still
looks gorgeous whatever happens down there. But Michael glad and
we wish you well for the New Zealand Golf Open.
It starts next Thursday, and yeah, by this time next
week we'll be well into it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Indeed, indeed, I'll be probably sleeping a little bit more
this time next week, so that's good.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, thank you very much for your time on our
program here in christ Church, and enjoy the weekend before.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Thank you very much for more from News Talk st B.
Listen live on air or online, and keep our shows
with you wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
Yes, what we're talking about in association with the O
we're trading company. We are very lucky to have with us.
The person who is going to have well, I guess
the buck stops with him. He is the tournament director
of New Zealand's greatest golf treasure. I'm talking about the
New Zealand Golf Open, and Michael Cleaning joins us.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning, Hey, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
How are you We have very good thanks. Well, this
is such a massive event and the amount of money
that's involved, two million dollars, and how did this happen?
How did you get this?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, you know, it's like there's no such thing as
an overnight success story, is there. It takes a long time.
I think our first year that we ran the Torna
was one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, so we've sort
of quadrupled it in eleven years. But yeah, looks through
hard work with lots of contact, through spreading our portfolio,
if you like, rather than having all eggs in one basket,
(00:52):
we managed to attract quite a wide variety of commercial
sponsors from quite a wide part of the world. You know,
we have sponsors from home Hong Kong, from Korea, from Indonesia,
and at a small level, from the US, from even Europe.
So we've really become a very international event, and we've
(01:14):
been able to attract funds from in many cases people
who have been here and just absolutely love it. I
think that's the first pre record. Obviously, this is a
commercial equation in there somewhere, and that's not to be underestimated.
But you know, people are coming because they love the event,
They love Queenstown, they love the camaraderi that a pro
(01:35):
am brings alongside a very competitive golf tournament. So it's
kind of we've managed to match those two things up.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Oh fantastic. Look, just before we get into the nuts
and bolts of what starts next Thursday, just on the
back of Craig's Sports News net Folk, is he going
to be at the New Zealand Golf Open?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Do you know he? Sure is? He? Sure is?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
No.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I don't think an answer to the comment that will
he be seventy in under up two days because I
don't think anybody well, that's a phenomenal score when you
think about it, that's a verdy every second hole. But yeah,
Neck is playing and he's in very good format. Didn't
need me to tell you that. And yeah, he's certainly
one of those kiwis who's who he's you know, he's proven,
(02:17):
he's a proven winner. He's one in China, he's played
in the US mostly in recent years. He's now playing
in Asia and doing very well there again. So yeah,
he's a form kiwi, which is pretty one of many.
But he's very exciting.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Exactly, Well, let's talk about how you actually put this
event together, the size of the Volunteer Army, how do
you do this?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, hey, look, I hate anyone to think this is
a personalized conversation. It's certainly not me. There's a phenomenal
we have got a really phenomenal team of people there.
The Volunteer Army has led by one Ben Ashford, and
Ben's done a phenomenal job. We have over five hundred
volunteers coming for I mean totally tells me six countries
(03:01):
I haven't actually had, but I know some of it
from Australia and I know that some from the UK,
and something like seventy percent of those people are repeats.
So again, that's a huge success story for us because
if volunteers are coming back year on year, a that
makes our recruitment job so much easier. But b it
chelseas that we are hopefully looking after them because that's
what we want to do. We can't run this tournament
(03:22):
without five hundred extra people, you know, So it's quite
a It's one of those stories that kind of almost
flies under the radar, but it's a really important part
of our success.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Oh absolutely it is. And look the aforementioned reasons why
the golfers love coming back. Clearly the volunteers do as well,
because it's a really lovely area and great golf are
going to get great golf. When do you start your
preparations for this event?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Ah, we will start up. We will have about a
week off afterwards, and then we will start again. Because
our first process, and I think it's been a mean
John hartat chairman, and John anyone that knows John, he's
incredible detail man, and that's been a great asset for
us because we will start while things are fresh in
our mind, going through absolutely everything. We have a huge
(04:10):
debrief process and just you know, really making sure that
anything that we didn't quite get right this year we address.
So we genuinely will start in about a week's time
we'll have a week off and then we'll start, and
then we will start the debrief, and the debrief is
a I think one of the core ingredients to how
we succeed again because if you you know, when you
(04:33):
it's a weird kind of job really, because you spend
fifty one weeks of the year getting ready for week
fifty two, so you kind of but you need to
use that time and plant and so it's all in planning,
and it's all in making sure that we don't if
we make a mistake, don't make it again, I think.
And more to the point, how do we improve things?
How do we actually make and turn the notch up.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
And under doll fantastic. We're talking with Michael Glading, the
tournament director for New Zealand Golf Open. With talked about
Ni Vogue. Who else will be gracing the fairways in
the greens.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, we've got a you know, it's a really strong
feel too. Again, we source our players from a lot
from Asia, so they're not household names in this country,
although one of them is Rio Ishikawa is a name
that any golf fan will probably know. Burst onto the scene,
won his first professional tournament, had sixteen he's still only
thirty three. He's won twenty four tournament. He is literally
(05:29):
like Tiger Woods in Japan. He can't go anywhere without
being almost mobbed. So I've been trying to get Rio
to come for the last three or four years and
succeeded this year with help from people like Brendan Jones
who had plays in Japan and had worked on him
as well. But look closer to home, you know, having
you mentioned that, but we've got some really strong key
(05:50):
with Dan Hillier, who normally plays in Europe, has come
home to plan this event, which we're thrilled with. Obviously,
Ben Campbell, a local boy who's in phenomenal form and
in fact is pretty much along with John Catlan John
as a leading number one player in Asia. He's American,
and here John and Benna both and Dan hilly are
(06:10):
actually all really highly ranked world rankings. Out of Live
We've got Lucas Herbert and of course I Danny Lee,
who's making his first professional appearance in this tournament. He's
played in a couple of times when he was an amateur,
hasn't played since. Of course, He's been plying his trade
all around the world and hasn't really been home much.
So getting Danny to come home following his live success
(06:32):
last year is phenomenal, so very very strong field and
I'm very happy with it.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Fantastic. Talking of live golf, there is talk of unification
with the PGA and love golf. Where would the New
Zealand Open sit in that discussion.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
To be honest with you, we've always been that tried
to be the Switzerland of golf. We've tried to be
the tournament which doesn't have affiliations one way or the other.
We're not because we had tournaments the right opposite. The
PGA Tour may not come addition, certainly, but they you know,
we can't attract players from the PGA Tour because they
are playing for so much money in their homeland. So
(07:08):
and you know, we've always been We've always had that,
you know, one world attitude if you like. So I
think that and the rest of the world ironically is
going to follow suit eventually. So I think that it's
a very strong thing. But it's something that, as I say,
we can't influence. All we can do is sit here
and try and be good to everybody wherever their base is.
And I would see us having more live players in
(07:30):
the future good.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
It's excellent. And the PRORAM format we know brings celebrities,
which is always about names. Who is going to feature
this year.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Well, we've got a new one this year. I mean
we have our sock standard Stephen Fleming and Jeff Wilson,
who are particular rocks around which we build our We
call it our Ambassador program. I think Keis don't like
the word celebrities cous as much as they do in America.
But speaking of America, that we have Michael Pinya, now
(08:02):
Michael Pinyer. Those of us like me who've followed every
episode of Narcos throughout its series will recognize Michael. He's
an actually a three handicapped golfer, plays in as many
tournaments as he can. He's actually filming a movie right
now in Florida, but has broken the schedule so that
he could fly down and play in this tournament and
fly home again. That's how crazy is on golf. So
(08:25):
I think having Michael added to the field this year
will be extra good. And to go along, we have
Hayden Padden here who Hayden's played in it most years,
So yeah, look, I think they add another dimension and
another flavor to our event. We're very excited to have them.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Sounds as though you've got everything under control. We are
keeping our fingers, eyes and toes cross that you get
fabulous weather and it won't mature anyway, because it still
looks gorgeous whatever happens down there. But Michael glad and
we wish you well for the New Zealand Golf Open.
It starts next Thursday, and yeah, by this time next
week we'll be well into it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Indeed, indeed, I'll be probably sleeping a little bit more
this time next week, so that's good.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, thank you very much for your time on our
program here in christ Church, and enjoy the weekend before.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Thank you very much for more from News Talk st B.
Listen live on air or online, and keep our shows
with you wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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