World Speedgolf champion Jamie Young and New Zealand Olympian Nick Willis are among the star lineup for this year's third annual New Zealand Speedgolf Open in Rotorua.
Last year's champions, Kiwis Richard Olsen and Liz McKinnon will also defend their titles at Rotorua's Arikikapakapa Golf Course in the first weekendof March.
"I'm really looking forward to returning to the NZ Speedgolf Open in Rotorua," Willis said.
"Arikikapakapa is such a great venue, the firm pumice under the fairway makes it a fast course.
Last year's champion Richard Olsen returns to defend his title in Rotorua. Photo/File
"Some of the best speedgolfers in the world will be competing this year so it will be important for us locals to defend our home turf."
Competitor numbers are expected to double this year with brand new sponsor TORO NZ on board, a larger prize pool, and two new player categories suitable for both amateurs and professionals.
TORO NZ's Managing Director Chris Todd said the future of golf relied on new thinking and ways of doing things.
"It's exciting to see top athletes demonstrating their skills on golf courses. It makes for a great fit with TORO and its commitment to high performance."
Nick Willis came second in the New Zealand Speedgolf Open in 2015. Photo/File
This year, three categories (individual, social individual and social pairs) are open for players at any level.
The event's fast pace also makes it a great spectator sport.
Another addition this year is the Par after Dark charity tournament which will be played on the Saturday night. Anyone is welcome to register and funds raised will go to the Dream Chaser Foundation.
Nine holes of the course will be specially lit and players will use special golf balls that light up in flight.
The New Zealand Speedgolf Open has been hosted in Rotorua for the past three years since the sport was introduced in New Zealand in 2015. This year's tournament has been included to make up part of an Australasian double with the Australian Open taking place in Sydney the following weekend.
What is speedgolf?
-Speedgolf is a combination of running and golf -Scores are tallied by adding the time taken to complete the round with total number of strokes. -Last year's Richard Olsen won the tournament with a score of 117.48 - golf score of 75 and a running time of 42 minutes and 48 seconds. -Players usually carry just a few clubs (maximum of seven). They must carry the clubs themselves and each player is accompanied by a scorer.
Categories:
Individual - Top Flight & Emerging Talent (36 holes over two days) Social Individual (18 holes either Saturday or Sunday) Social Pairs (9 holes each, either Saturday or Sunday)
