Golf: Flagship golf pot raised to $1 million

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New Zealand's flagship golf tournament has increased its prize pool to $1 million and will be broadcast live here and in Japan.

The NZ Open has joined up with new naming rights sponsor BMW for the tier one tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia, which will be played at the Hills and Millbrook courses in Queenstown from March 12-15 next year.

Initial details were unveiled yesterday in Auckland by John Hart, chairman of the organising committee.

Hart confirmed there had been interest from golfers in Europe and America but none could make any commitments to travel and play until they knew their schedules.

"We will continue to have a lot of dialogue but I think the key thing for us is we are not trying to create just a golf tournament," he said.

"We are trying to create an event and if we just focus on golf there will be a tendency to say we have got to have a few great players. I think the reality is a few great players cost you a lot of money and we are not going to get into the situation where we start to pay large appearance money to attract players who will break us."

Japan has a possible television audience of eight million people and many fine-calibre players and 15 places will be reserved for them.

Sky will broadcast some of the tournament live each day in New Zealand and abroad.

A professional field of 144 golfers will play alternate rounds at the Hills and Millbrook before the cut at 60 players and ties. The last two rounds will be held at the Hills.

A pro-am will run alongside the main event.