Tournament Director Michael Glading expressed his delight at capturing another of the world’s current form players to compete in Queenstown.

“To have two recent tournament winners in Wade Ormsby (Hong Kong Open winner) and Lucas Herbert (Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner) is a real plus for our tournament,” said Glading.

“Both of these players have access to a European Tour event in Oman the same week, but have chosen to come and compete here, which says a lot for the rising stature of our event.

“I have been watching the progress Lucas has been making since he started on the European Tour, and his win last week, resulting in his rise to No. 79 in the world rankings, shows just how much he has improved in two short years.”

Herbert, in announcing his intention to return to play in New Zealand said: “I’m really looking forward to returning to Queenstown. My win in Dubai last week was very exciting and hopefully I can continue that form in the stunning backdrop of Queenstown.”

With just under a month to go, the field is taking shape, with more announcements expected over the next two weeks.

Glading remains confident that the tournament will host greater player depth than ever before, with the players from the Asian Tour and the Japan Tour all due to be finalised within the next few days.