October 3, 2025 • 7 mins
Peter Witton is a busy man, co-ordinating golf tournaments all across the country for our young, and not so young, professional and amateur golfers.
He’s the Tournament Co-ordinator for PGA of NZ, and with thanks to the Elmwood Trading Company, he joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat about his role and the opportunity it provides to see the best golfers in the country as they try to break into the big leagues.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
News talks. He'd be twenty seven away from nine o'clock.
It's Saturday, the fourth of October, and what a treat
for us now on the program and the Elmward Trading Company.
We're really grateful to Marty Fuller and the team because
we are speaking to Peter Whitten. He is a tournament
coordinator for the PGA of New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Peter, good morning, Good morning, how are you.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh, we're really good. Well, I mean, obviously it's raining
all around New Zealand I think today, and we're actually
meant to have the first day of club cricket here
but that's been canned because it's raining out there. But
never mind. Golf can pretty much be played in anything,
can't it.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, almost anything. We're actually running round one of a
two day prim at Kaikora today and thankfully it's not
raining too heavily. It's just a bit misty. Our only
dangerous if it rains too much in the green slid.
That means it does become a little bit unplayable, but
hopefully we don't get to that level exactly.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Actually, the Charles Tour event has just been a very
successful one up in tot Long there hasn't there next
week Charles two event at Pigis's Golf Club. That's pretty exciting.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yes, yes, So we've just come off two great weeks
in the Bay of Planning region. We had two childs,
two events. They're one at the Mounts Golf Club and
one at the Talonga Golf Club, one by Cooper Moore
and Josh Gary respectively. And next week the tour continues
on to the Pixes Golf Club as we bring it
(01:26):
back to the christ Church after taking a one year break.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yeah, fantastic. We're loving that and loving what Cooper Moore's
doing as well. We've chatted to him a couple of times.
But what a great young golf on the rise, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yes, absolutely, and it's going to be disappointing we don't
have Cooper more with us in christ Church. However, he's
onto bigger and better things so to speak, as he'll
be playing and the Eisenhower Trophy and Dubai.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yes, we're looking forward to hearing how that goes for
him as well well. As coordinator for the PGA of
New Zealand. How did you get into your role, Peter?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So, Yeah, I've been a PGA member myself for just
about ten years. Have worked in the golf industry for
pretty much my whole adult life as well. And yeah,
I have always had a passion for running golf tournaments
and competitions within the golf club space and used to
love running pro ams as well. And yeah, got this
(02:20):
opportunity when the PGA in Golf New Zealand joined into
one workforce model, because.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
The PGA is over one hundred years old, right.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, yeah, So the PGA was created in nineteen thirteen.
There were four professional golfers based in Dunedin that kind
of formed the professional organization and has then just grown
from there and is now part of the what we
call the World Alliance of PGAs, which is the PGA
of Australia, Great Britain and Ireland, the PGA of America,
the PGA of Europe's PGO South Africa, and the PGA
(02:53):
of Canada as well.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
So how do you work with New Zealand Golf? It's
interested in that. So you had some collaboration, do you.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, So Golf neew Zealand is and the PGA operate
under a one workforce model, so all of our staff
working towards all the stuff that work towards the one
objective really, so a lot of it is golfing Zealands
after delivering services for the PGA and the PGA member
(03:23):
as well, and that the whole thing is to point
of that is to stop the duplication of resources. Really,
you know, being in sport, obviously things can be a
little bit tight to as we try to grow things.
And yeah, we're just pretty lucky that we've been able
to grow our tournaments circuit because of it.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Absolutely very good. Now, interesting how many golf professionals are
there in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So we have about four hundred and fifty golf professionals
in New Zealand. They're split between tour professionals who are
like the likes you arrived boxes and your Lidiar codes,
and then we've got about four hundred club professionals in
New Zealand. And they're the ones that you've green grass facilities,
the ones that greet you and the pro shop were
(04:11):
on the first tee, who you go see if you
want to get to learn how to play the game,
if you ever need golf equipment in a retail store,
et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Very good. Oh that's really interesting, isn't it. So the
types of event that the PGA run each.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Year are so we've got three types of events. We'll
do a one day pro am, we'll do two day
pro ams as well, which is what we're running this
weekend in Tokora. And then the bread and butter of
our series of events are the Childs Tours that we
run in conjunction with Golf New Zealand, so they simulate
Sidney two whole tournament golf. There. What you would more
(04:47):
likely see on TV on the PGA Tour, on the
dp World Tour, and our collaboration with Golf in Zealand
with that is that the fields are made up of
the New Zealand professional golfers that both play domestically only
as well as overseas, as well as a large amount
of elite amateurs within the district. So it's a great
opportunity for our professionals to play their game domestically as
(05:11):
well as well as to help the young amateurs coming
up through the ranks to test the game against the
country's best as well. Oh.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Absolutely, and is there a season as such?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yes, absolutely so. The PGA runs a season throughout its
calendar year and it provides pathway to the events being
the New Zealand Open, the PGA New Zealand PGA Championship,
which we both run on the PGA two of Australasia,
and then our season also provides pathway onto the PGA
two of Australasia for the entirety of the season as well.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Very good, well, how cool that the Club Car Pegasus
Classic is bringing the Child's Tour back to Canterbury, as
you mentioned, after a year of Cooper More will not
be there, So who are you pinning their hopes for
the Charles Tour back here at Pegasus? Who do you
think will front up?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So? I think it's going to be pretty tough to
be Gareth, Sorry, Josh Geary. He's obviously just come off
a great one at Telna's shooting twenty nine under there
over four rounds, shooting sixty in his final round as well.
It's pretty tough to beat him, and here is New
Zealand's most winning US golfer as well. However, I would
(06:23):
definitely keep eyes out for another hot Canterbury amateur Yuki Maya.
He's had a great two weeks and they plenty in
the last two Childs events, and I wouldn't be surprised
to see him in the top five.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Wow, well, there we are. We'll be watching that with
great interest. Man, you must be busy keeping your eyes
on everything that's happening in the PGA. That is a
phenomenal job, Peter.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yes, yes, thank you. It's definitely busy, but it's definitely
rewarding as well. Oh.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Absolutely, you're seeing all the young and up and coming golfers,
which we know we've got heaps of. You're seeing their
careers evolve.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Sorry, who is that.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
You're seeing their careers evolve, the young up and coming golfers.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Oh yes, yeah, absolutely, And this has been the beauty
of the child Terror events as well, as you get
to see young golfers excel at an early age as well,
and you then do get to watch them grow as
not just athletes, but also as people as well.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Absolutely, well, thank you so much for joining us on
the All Sports Breakfast here on christ Church. We're all
the better for knowing exactly what you do do in
the PGA, Peter Whitten, and look forward very much to
the Child's two events at the Piggers of Golf Club, Thank.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
You, Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Good job.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Live on air or online, and keep our shows with
you wherever you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio
News talks. He'd be twenty seven away from nine o'clock.
It's Saturday, the fourth of October, and what a treat
for us now on the program and the Elmward Trading Company.
We're really grateful to Marty Fuller and the team because
we are speaking to Peter Whitten. He is a tournament
coordinator for the PGA of New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Peter, good morning, Good morning, how are you.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Oh, we're really good. Well, I mean, obviously it's raining
all around New Zealand I think today, and we're actually
meant to have the first day of club cricket here
but that's been canned because it's raining out there. But
never mind. Golf can pretty much be played in anything,
can't it.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, almost anything. We're actually running round one of a
two day prim at Kaikora today and thankfully it's not
raining too heavily. It's just a bit misty. Our only
dangerous if it rains too much in the green slid.
That means it does become a little bit unplayable, but
hopefully we don't get to that level exactly.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Actually, the Charles Tour event has just been a very
successful one up in tot Long there hasn't there next
week Charles two event at Pigis's Golf Club. That's pretty exciting.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yes, yes, So we've just come off two great weeks
in the Bay of Planning region. We had two childs,
two events. They're one at the Mounts Golf Club and
one at the Talonga Golf Club, one by Cooper Moore
and Josh Gary respectively. And next week the tour continues
on to the Pixes Golf Club as we bring it
(01:26):
back to the christ Church after taking a one year break.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yeah, fantastic. We're loving that and loving what Cooper Moore's
doing as well. We've chatted to him a couple of times.
But what a great young golf on the rise, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yes, absolutely, and it's going to be disappointing we don't
have Cooper more with us in christ Church. However, he's
onto bigger and better things so to speak, as he'll
be playing and the Eisenhower Trophy and Dubai.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yes, we're looking forward to hearing how that goes for
him as well well. As coordinator for the PGA of
New Zealand. How did you get into your role, Peter?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So, Yeah, I've been a PGA member myself for just
about ten years. Have worked in the golf industry for
pretty much my whole adult life as well. And yeah,
I have always had a passion for running golf tournaments
and competitions within the golf club space and used to
love running pro ams as well. And yeah, got this
(02:20):
opportunity when the PGA in Golf New Zealand joined into
one workforce model, because.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
The PGA is over one hundred years old, right.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, yeah, So the PGA was created in nineteen thirteen.
There were four professional golfers based in Dunedin that kind
of formed the professional organization and has then just grown
from there and is now part of the what we
call the World Alliance of PGAs, which is the PGA
of Australia, Great Britain and Ireland, the PGA of America,
the PGA of Europe's PGO South Africa, and the PGA
(02:53):
of Canada as well.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
So how do you work with New Zealand Golf? It's
interested in that. So you had some collaboration, do you.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, So Golf neew Zealand is and the PGA operate
under a one workforce model, so all of our staff
working towards all the stuff that work towards the one
objective really, so a lot of it is golfing Zealands
after delivering services for the PGA and the PGA member
(03:23):
as well, and that the whole thing is to point
of that is to stop the duplication of resources. Really,
you know, being in sport, obviously things can be a
little bit tight to as we try to grow things.
And yeah, we're just pretty lucky that we've been able
to grow our tournaments circuit because of it.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Absolutely very good. Now, interesting how many golf professionals are
there in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So we have about four hundred and fifty golf professionals
in New Zealand. They're split between tour professionals who are
like the likes you arrived boxes and your Lidiar codes,
and then we've got about four hundred club professionals in
New Zealand. And they're the ones that you've green grass facilities,
the ones that greet you and the pro shop were
(04:11):
on the first tee, who you go see if you
want to get to learn how to play the game,
if you ever need golf equipment in a retail store,
et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Very good. Oh that's really interesting, isn't it. So the
types of event that the PGA run each.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Year are so we've got three types of events. We'll
do a one day pro am, we'll do two day
pro ams as well, which is what we're running this
weekend in Tokora. And then the bread and butter of
our series of events are the Childs Tours that we
run in conjunction with Golf New Zealand, so they simulate
Sidney two whole tournament golf. There. What you would more
(04:47):
likely see on TV on the PGA Tour, on the
dp World Tour, and our collaboration with Golf in Zealand
with that is that the fields are made up of
the New Zealand professional golfers that both play domestically only
as well as overseas, as well as a large amount
of elite amateurs within the district. So it's a great
opportunity for our professionals to play their game domestically as
(05:11):
well as well as to help the young amateurs coming
up through the ranks to test the game against the
country's best as well. Oh.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Absolutely, and is there a season as such?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yes, absolutely so. The PGA runs a season throughout its
calendar year and it provides pathway to the events being
the New Zealand Open, the PGA New Zealand PGA Championship,
which we both run on the PGA two of Australasia,
and then our season also provides pathway onto the PGA
two of Australasia for the entirety of the season as well.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Very good, well, how cool that the Club Car Pegasus
Classic is bringing the Child's Tour back to Canterbury, as
you mentioned, after a year of Cooper More will not
be there, So who are you pinning their hopes for
the Charles Tour back here at Pegasus? Who do you
think will front up?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So? I think it's going to be pretty tough to
be Gareth, Sorry, Josh Geary. He's obviously just come off
a great one at Telna's shooting twenty nine under there
over four rounds, shooting sixty in his final round as well.
It's pretty tough to beat him, and here is New
Zealand's most winning US golfer as well. However, I would
(06:23):
definitely keep eyes out for another hot Canterbury amateur Yuki Maya.
He's had a great two weeks and they plenty in
the last two Childs events, and I wouldn't be surprised
to see him in the top five.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Wow, well, there we are. We'll be watching that with
great interest. Man, you must be busy keeping your eyes
on everything that's happening in the PGA. That is a
phenomenal job, Peter.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yes, yes, thank you. It's definitely busy, but it's definitely
rewarding as well. Oh.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Absolutely, you're seeing all the young and up and coming golfers,
which we know we've got heaps of. You're seeing their
careers evolve.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Sorry, who is that.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
You're seeing their careers evolve, the young up and coming golfers.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Oh yes, yeah, absolutely, And this has been the beauty
of the child Terror events as well, as you get
to see young golfers excel at an early age as well,
and you then do get to watch them grow as
not just athletes, but also as people as well.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Absolutely, well, thank you so much for joining us on
the All Sports Breakfast here on christ Church. We're all
the better for knowing exactly what you do do in
the PGA, Peter Whitten, and look forward very much to
the Child's two events at the Piggers of Golf Club, Thank.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
You, Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Good job.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Live on air or online, and keep our shows with
you wherever you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio
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