In a bid to increase competition, Ryan Fox is sending out an invitation.
For the past three years, Fox has ended his season with a six-hole tournament in which he has taken on invited teams of three from various walks of life.
While he played well in the first edition, it became clear that winning was a huge task for an individual playing in such a format.
Now, when the Mānuka Phuel Chasing The Fox event returns to Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club on December 12, Fox won’t be the only one the field are chasing.
Fox will be joined by another international golfer for the tournament, while spots in the field previously reserved for other individual golfers will also become teams of two.
While he is yet to lock in a playing partner, Fox said the change was in the best interests of the event.
“The first year, I played really well in that six-hole stretch and was up near the top.
“The last couple of years have shown that was more, not necessarily a fluke, but it was getting hot for six holes and you need to hole some putts,” he said.
“Having two people in the team, I think will make it a bit more competitive from the professional side this year, and it gives us some scope for the amateur teams to have some better golfers in the teams.”
Fox said he and event promoter Nick Randell were exploring options for his teammate, and the idea of getting some special guests down for the tournament was something they wanted to do more of in the future.
“It’s a tough time of year to get people down to this part of the world, but we are working on it, and hopefully we can get an exciting partner for me and have some of the usual suspects back and play.
“You know, guys that have played the last couple of years, it’d be great to have them involved again.
“We’ve got the basic concept sorted and everything like that, we’re just trying to refine it going forward and make it as interesting as possible, and we think this is an idea that will certainly make it a bit more interesting for everyone and a bit more competitive overall.”
The event website suggests Fox and his teammate will be one of four teams of two golfers, with another eight teams of three.
In the past, the teams of three have been filled by athletes, politicians, and media types. This year, each team will be playing for prize money that goes directly to their chosen charities.
Organisers had tried to balance those teams to have a mix of abilities, however, Fox said they could have more room to play with in terms of stacking the teams after the adjustment.
“Having the two pros, or two good players instead of one gives us the scope to get some of the best golfers that we can for the teams, which is pretty cool.”
This year’s event will again be broadcast live and free across TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, with coverage of all the action from the final party hole.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.