The Choice Hotels PGA Pro-Am Series Sunshine Swing gets underway this
week, with 46 professionals keen to kick start their campaign at the $110,000
Morobe Open.

Professionals
will tee off at the Lae Golf Club tomorrow morning, with a number of top
Australian and New Zealand Professionals, vying for the coveted Morobe Open
title.

Daniel
Nisbet will return from his playoff victory over Tim Hart last year, looking to
become the first back-to-back winner of the Morobe Open since Heath Reed in
2010/11.

"It
was great to walk away with a win last year, especially when you consider it
was my first trip up to Papua New Guinea," said Nisbet.

"There
are a number of good players here and although I am quietly confident about the
week ahead, I know I am going to have to be on my game if I am going to be in
with a chance on Sunday. I am looking forward to that challenge and can’t wait
to get onto the course tomorrow afternoon." 

Along
with Nisbet, last year’s runner-up Tim Hart heads into the week in hot form,
firing a final round 61 at the Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship to eventually
lose out in a playoff to David Klein.

"My
game has been on the rise for the past 18 months and although I have fallen
short in recent times at big events, I know it’s only a matter of time before I
breakthrough," remarked Hart.

"This
week is another great opportunity and as long as a few putts drop for me over
the opening rounds, I will hopefully be in with a chance come Sunday
afternoon."

Along
with Nisbet, past champions in this year’s field include Brad Burns (2007),
Steven Jeffress (2008) and Michael Wright (2009).

Papua
New Guinea have high hopes for their amateur players heading into the
tournament after their amateur men and women’s teams dominated the South
Pacific Games last year.

Soti Dinki, Brian Taikiri
and Sammy Bob will lead the local charge this year, as they look to become the
first Papua New Guinean player to win the Morobe Open since the PGA of
Australia first sanctioned the tournament in 2000.