The Holden NZ PGA Championship has an international flavour
this week with Professionals travelling from all over the world to compete in
Auckland.

This week, a total of nine countries are represented at the Holden NZ PGA Championship with players coming from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Korea, Germany, Sweden, New Caledonia and the United
States of America.

Headlining the international contingent is Sweden’s Daniel Chopra. A two time winner on the PGA TOUR, Chopra has also notched up wins on the Asian Tour, Web.com Tour and European Challenge Tour.

Returning to New Zealand, a country he has always enjoyed visiting, Chopra is hoping to play himself into some form for his 2016 season.

"I love it, it’s such a beautiful country, I was really excited when the plane was coming into land, the sun was just rising and my head was pressed up against the window like a little kid," said Chopra who is playing the Asian Tour in 2016.

"All I have been trying to do lately is resurrect my game. It’s been feeling good but nothing beats actually performing in the heat of the battle, which is why I am playing this week. I need to get more competitive tournaments under my belt so that my confidence grows, you can’t do that practicing."

"My non-competitive form is brilliant, I feel like my game is good but once the gun goes off on Thursday it’s a different story. So we will have to wait and see what happens, the pieces are all there but we will see if I can put them together."

South African Dylan Frittelli has also made the trip to New Zealand, drawn to the land of the long white cloud by family.

"I’m still settling in but it seems like a wonderful place. My uncle has lived here for about 18 years so hopefully he can show me some of the local attractions and all that Auckland has to offer this week," said Frittelli.

"It’s always been a dream of mine to come here and visit him but I never had a reason to. Now with these tournaments it gives me something to play for and a reason to come out."

Frittelli is certainly going to be a player to watch this week as he comes into the Holden NZ PGA Championship in good form.

Last week he finished tied 4^th at the South African PGA Championship and has also notched up four top-20 finishes on the European Tour in the last four months highlighted by his runner-up finish at the co-sanctioned Australian PGA Championship.

"I am coming off a top-5 finish last week at the South African PGA so I have good form coming in," added Frittelli.

"A win is just around the corner. I just have to keep playing the way I have been and get myself in contention."

"It feels great to be under pressure, playing two days ago in South Africa I was somewhat near the lead on the back-9 and it felt really good and comfortable."

"If I can get in a similar situation this Sunday, I think all the practice I have had over the last two months should help a lot."

Other international players in the field include Japan’s Shintaro Kobayashi who finished T4 in his last start at the Singapore Open and Korean Ryu Hyun-Woo who has already won on the Japan Golf Tour and OneAsia tour.