Organisers have reluctantly come to that decision due to the continued border entry restrictions for international players, coupled with the prohibitive restrictions operating under the current Red Traffic Light setting, which means it is no longer possible to hold the event in 2022.
Members of the PGA Tour of Australasia have been given a golden opportunity to play their way into the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews next July following the announcement of The Open Qualifying sites by the R&A.
A stronger field and a greater certainty of proceeding are the driving forces behind the decision of tournament organisers to delay the 102nd staging of the New Zealand Open at the Millbrook Resort near Queenstown.
The hotel was unresponsive at first, but tour officials weren’t and they made it clear Voke would be disqualified if he did not make it to the course on time.
Organisers have stalled a final decision in the hope of an unrestrictive trans-Tasman bubble opening up but are racing towards their self-imposed “drop dead deadline” of November 1 with little certainty in sight.
He also becomes the first player to win the New Zealand Open twice since Greg Turner in 1997, and the first Australian to win twice since Bob Shearer in 1981.
Australian Golf Digest
