Golf: Top golfers at odds over timing

By CHRIS RATTUE

The chances of seeing NZ No 1 Michael Campbell on home soil could become increasingly rare if some of his fellow professionals get their way.

It's nothing personal. There is, however, divided opinion among big-name players about when the New Zealand Open should be played, and timing decides who shows up.

Campbell will make his first fulltime assault on the USA tour this year, but it is the "silly-season" rich pickings after the PGA events which rule him out of playing the New Zealand Open at the end of a year.

"This is the only time for me. If it's in December I've got no chance of playing," Campbell said before the Open's pro-am at Middlemore yesterday.

"I'm a business. I'm Michael Campbell Inc ... You can't turn down US$1 million [$1.8 million] in prizes."

Campbell, who has a world ranking of 22, was invited into the elite fields at Tiger Woods' Williams World Challenge, the World Cup and Sun City tournaments last November/December. Sun City's first prize alone hits a staggering US$2 million. ($3.7 million).

Campbell said Sir Bob Charles favoured an end-of-year Open, as does Phil Tataurangi, the next ranked Kiwi at No 78. Grant Waite would have missed this week's tournament if he had made the Hawaiian field. Steve Alker and Craig Perks bypassed Middlemore.

Tataurangi, in Auckland yesterday after tying for 17th with Perks in Hawaii, said: "It would suit a few more in November or December when it wouldn't be opposite a PGA tour event."

Obviously the $700,000 NZ Open - first prize, $126,000 - is not in Sun City's galaxy. It even loses players to the Asian qualifying school.

NZ Golf now shuns paying appearance money, so this country's golfers are the Open's lifeblood.

There was appearance money galore at Paraparaumu Beach last year for the Tiger Woods show, an event buried in rough or bang down the middle of the fairway depending on who is talking.

NZ Golf operations manager Phil Aickin, who rolls with the punches in setting the Open dates, favours boosting prizemoney over paying appearance fees. This year's stake is $200,000 up on two years ago.

"We would rather show commitment to 156 players than one or two," said Aickin. "But nothing is set in concrete. We want to do our best for the growth of the tournament.

"Maybe there will be a different approach in future, but serious money is needed and that side isn't easy."

Aickin, meanwhile, has defended NZG allowing entrepreneurs to run last year's Open.

Its organisation has been slated by Waite and Greg Turner.

Aickin said: "It was a huge decision, there have been difficulties, but it was a very special week for New Zealand golf, New Zealand and the Wellington economy."

* Campbell won the inaugural New Zealand Golfer of the Year Award in Auckland.

Perks won the Golf Achievement Award for single best performance of the year for his remarkable debut victory on the PGA Tour at The Players Championship, considered the fifth Major.

The awards for the best amateurs went to Eddie Lee (Christchurch) and Brenda Ormsby (Rotorua).