Golf: NZ Open date, venue announced

2010 New Zealand Open champion Robert Gates. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Open is to return to Christchurch for the first time since 1984 when American golfer Corey Pavin won the championship.

New Zealand Golf (NZG) today announced the 2011 championship will be played at Clearwater from December 1 under the sanctioning of the Australasian PGA Tour.

NZG chief executive Dean Murphy said a minimum purse of $500,000 would be offered although the precise amount of the prizemoney would not be known until three-four months before the tournament.

NZG is to assume financial control of the championship from Tuohy Associates, the Australian promoters who oversaw the running of the event from 2007 to 2010.

The organisation lost $1.2 million when the championship was played at Gulf Harbour north of Auckland in 2006 and 2007, but the last three editions were staged at The Hills near Queenstown and NZG had no financial stake in those tournaments.

Murphy said Tuohy Associates were likely to play a role at Clearwater but details of the company's involvement had yet to be hammered out.

He revealed BMW as the naming rights sponsor of the Open, which has been locked in at Clearwater for 2011, 2012 and 2013.

- NZPA