KEY POINTS:
More than 120 golfers will turn up at four courses around New Zealand this morning with one thing on their mind - keeping alive their hopes of winning a spot in the New Zealand Open.
With 30 spots at the final qualifying tournament at stake, competition will be
keen at the Manukau, Omanu, Shandon and Christchurch golf clubs for the 36 professionals and 91 amateurs who will play 18 holes in regional qualifying today.
The biggest field will be at Manukau where 46 players are chasing 11 spots in the final qualifier at Millbrook on November 27 - two days before the first round of the $1.5 million Michael Hill New Zealand Open at the nearby Hills course.
There will be nine spots at stake for the 39 hopefuls at the Christchurch Golf Club's Shirley course; six (from 23) at Shandon and four (from 19) at Omanu.
Leading prospects at Manukau include New Zealand representative Scott Wightman and fellow North Harbour amateur Ben Jujnovich. Aucklanders in the field include professional Franz Schwanner and amateurs Ryan Fox, Mark Speedy, Fraser Wilkin and Jason Mann.
Leading contenders at Omanu should be Bay of Plenty representatives Nicholas Meyer and Ben Taylor, and Wellington amateur Sam Bastion.
The Shandon field includes Jonny Dittmer, Aaron Leech and Adam Church now playing out of Hamilton's Lochiel club.
Former Canterbury No 1 Brad Stuart and national inter-provincial amateur teammates Tyrone Nelson, Willie Moore, Dean Cameron and Daniel Pearce will tee up at Shirley with top Otago hope Cameron Beel and young Southlander Cody Harper. Seasoned Canterbury professionals Carl Brooking and John Williamson will also be looking to progress.
Out of town professionals Dominic Barson (Nelson) and Otago's Garth Domigan will make the journey to Shirley in their attempt to stake their claims.
The final number of players to progress from Millbrook will be determined early next week when entries from the European and Australasian tours are confirmed.
Organisers are awaiting final names from those tours but say they will have a full field of 156 ready for action with between 10 and 20 players likely to claim a spot after that cut-throat 18-hole shootout at Millbrook.
