KEY POINTS:
New Zealand Golf chief executive Bill MacGowan is sure the New Zealand Open will sell itself to more Europeans in coming years.
The 90th Open is the first of three opens New Zealand Golf has agreed to stage at jewellery magnate Michael Hill's private course near the tourist
resort of Queenstown.
Only 32 Europeans are participating - three more than 12 months ago but slightly down on the 37 who appeared in the Australian Masters in Melbourne last week.
NZG is in the third year of a five-year arrangement with the European Tour, whose members accounted for 64 of the players who contested the 2005 Open at Gulf Harbour.
While the European uptake is again very light among the 156-strong field, MacGowan believes the dual attractions of The Hills and the wider Queenstown region will inevitably lead to more players from the continent making the effort to play here in future.
"The decision to sign a three-year agreement with Michael Hill is going to pay off," said MacGowan, whose organisation lost close to $1.2 million from the previous two opens. "The European players who are here are saying they will talk to people to encourage them to come here next time.
"They don't normally see this environment. European Tour officials sat out here yesterday and just went 'wow, look at this, why wouldn't you come out here to play'."
MacGowan said officials could be more pro-active in attracting players.
"We need to be selling more than the golf event for the players as well. I mean, sell Queenstown. We've talked to a few players who have done the jetboat rides and a few other things and they're saying 'man, this is fantastic'. We need to build on that."
Championship organisers had been hit by a rash of European player defections in the past 10 days, with MacGowan saying 56 Europeans had indicated they would be here as late as last week.
MacGowan is confident the Open will prove a hit with the public.
The Hills is notable for its many spectator-friendly vantage points in the scenic Wakatipu Basin.
"We are hearing that huge groups of people are coming to Queenstown, they're treating it as a holiday, as a destination event," he said.
- NZPA