KEY POINTS:
New Zealand Golf officials are bemused at Michael Campbell's claim that he has not been kept in the loop about the future of the New Zealand Open.
Campbell yesterday criticised NZG, saying he had not been kept informed of a date change for the highlight of the domestic
calendar.
In Scotland for the Scottish Open, Campbell said moving the tournament, now based at The Hills near Queenstown, to next March rather than its usual November slot meant he would be unable to compete because he would have commitments in the United States.
"I've had no email, no phone call whatsoever and here I am an ambassador for the tournament and it's just so disrespectful as far as I am concerned," Campbell said.
NZG chief executive Bill MacGowan expressed surprise at Campbell's outburst, saying the dates had not yet been confirmed, though the tournament would be later in the summer.
"I'm a little disappointed, we haven't confirmed a date," MacGowan said, adding he had discussions with Campbell's agent within the last month.
"I had discussions with his management group and advised them of the situation and they undertook to pass that on to Michael," he said.
"I'm not picking up the phone every five minutes to talk to players."
MacGowan said he hoped to have a date confirmed within four to six weeks.
Which tour the tournament features on also remains to be finalised.
It is included in the European Tour but there is a growing likelihood it will switch to the United States' second tier Nationwide Tour.
"It's a 99-piece jigsaw to pull together. It's a work in progress," MacGowan said.
The 2009 New Zealand PGA Championship is also being held next March in Christchurch and it is possible the events will be held in successive weeks.
The original plan was to play this year's New Zealand Open in the same November-early December window as in 2007. But MacGowan said a suitable date before Christmas was not available, due to the busy international calendar and increasing competition from tournaments, particularly in Asia.
Should the NZ Open switch to the Nationwide Tour it would mean a significant cut in the Open prizemoney, which last year totalled $1.5 million.
The PGA Championship, by comparison, offered a purse of US$650,000 ($847,350).
- NZPA