Not only is the NZ Open title on the line for the 104th time, it’s also going to be a key tournament in determining who wins the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit (OOM) with 18 of the current top 20 entered and ready to make their move.

With 760 OOM points on offer to the winner, current No.1 Elvis Smylie is no sure thing to leave Queenstown with the same status.

Back on Tour for the first time since the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Smylie has 1247.56 points, but he can be caught this week by Lucas Herbert (717.06), Jack Buchanan (626.21), Curtis Luck (523.4) and Anthony Quayle (496.54).

A victory on Sunday would also bring Corey Lamb (463.24) and Jordan Doull (399.61) right into the picture for the No.1 spot, and all the rewards that brings, heading into the final three tournaments of the season.

While the OOM winner is once again guaranteed a spot in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, that same golden ticket will be secured by one player as soon this Sunday with, for the first time, the NZ Open part of the Open Championship Qualifying Series.

The stars of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia won’t have it their own way though. This week’s field includes 60 players from the Asian Tour, headed by last year’s Order of Merit winner John Catlin, who won twice in 2024, as well as 21 entrants from the Japan Golf Tour.

The NZ Open is a pro-am event with the Remarkables and Coronet courses, both par-71s, used over the first two rounds before a composite layout hosts the weekend action.

The weekend layout takes on a new look this year with more holes from the Remarkables course in action. It is a par-71 playing to 6365m.

LAST YEAR’S CHAMPION: Takahiro Hataji

PRIZEMONEY: A$1.8 million

LIVE SCORES:  www.pga.org.au

TV COVERAGE: The NZ Open presented by Sky Sports is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

*All times AEDT.

Round 1: Thursday 12.30pm-4.30pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

Round 2: Friday 12.30pm-4.30pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

Round 3:  Saturday 12.30pm-4.30pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

Final Round:  Sunday 12.30pm-4.30pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

HEADLINERS

Elvis Smylie: BMW Australian PGA champion

Lucas Herbert: 2024 Ford NSW Open champion

David Micheluzzi: 2022/23 Challenger PGA Tour Order of Merit winner

Daniel Hillier: 2023 British Masters champion

Brad Kennedy: Two-time NZ Open champion

Nick Voke: 2025 Webex Players Series Sydney champion

Josh Geary: 2025 Vic Open champion

John Catlin: 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion

Ryo Ishikawa: Former world No.29