NZ Herald golf reporter Will Toogood is taken through the ins and outs of one of the fastest games around by former World Champion Robin Smith. Video / Alex Cairns
The 104th edition of the New Zealand Open will see the return of a Tour champion to the country’s top tournament.
Kiwi Steven Alker, recently crowned PGA Champions Tour overall season title winner, will tee it up at Millbrook Resort in 2025 - the tournament haveconfirmed.
Getting his name on the Brodie Breeze trophy is the clear objective for the 53-year-old, in doing so he would sit alongside some of the country’s greatest golfers including Sir Bob Charles, Greg Turner and Michael Campbell.
“Absolutely, the aim is to be holding the trophy come the end of the tournament next year. To win the New Zealand Open is something I have always wanted to achieve and I feel that my game is in a great place in terms of consistency and performance under pressure,” said Alker.
”There are some great names on that trophy and I would love to see my name on there too. I have watched a few other Kiwis get the chance to lift the trophy, I hope that 2025 is my turn.”
Alker’s second place finish at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club in early November was enough to secure his second season title in three years and with it a US$1m ($1.68m) payday, along with US$300,000 ($502,752) for his share of second in the tournament – for a total of $2.18m for the day.
Steve Alker shares a joke with his caddie during his first round of the New Zealand Open. Photo / Photosport
The Hamiltonian will need a much better showing in 2025 if he were to take New Zealand’s premier golfing title after missing the cut in 2024 with an opening round of 76 and second round 67.
At last year’s Open, Alker had his wife Tanya, caddie for him - something she had done before but not since 2014 - at none other than the US Open.
“There’s no golf talk at all, which is kind of a nice change from what it’s been. We have fun out there and it’s just a nice change of pace, something we haven’t done for a while and we talked about doing. We were going to do it last year and couldn’t unfortunately,’ said Alker.
NZ Open 2025
Where: Millbrook Resort, Queenstown
When: February 27- March 2
How to watch: Sky Sport have exclusive live coverage and the Herald will have a live leaderboard and daily wraps of the action.
Will Toogood is an online sports editor and golf reporter for the NZ Herald. He enjoys watching people chase a ball around on a grass surface so much he decided to make a living out of it.
