The 2017 ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open champion Michael Hendry heads up a strong group of 12 New Zealanders mixed with proven winners and exciting young talent in the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways.

Hendry has been plying his trade on the Japan Golf Tour where he was a winner in 2015 and will join fellow Japan Tour winner and countryman David Smail, as well as Mark Brown, Daniel Pearce, Josh Geary, Gareth Paddison, Michael Long, Ben Campbell, Kieran Muir and Harry Bateman.

Talented amateurs and now first-year professionals Ryan Chisnall and Nick Voke round out the Kiwi challenge at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course.

Hendry became the first New Zealander to win their national Open since Mahal Pearce in 2003 which he followed up with a second place finish in the Japan Tour’s Gate Way to The Open – The Mizuno Open, enough to see him make his major debut at the 146th Open Championship.

He replicated that same Japanese result in 2018 to make a second straight appearance in the prestigious tournament.

“It was another amazing experience, anytime you can book a spot in a Major against the world’s best golfers is always going to be pretty special,” said Hendry.

“I’m looking forward to carrying some of those good vibes over to Fiji and hopefully get a good result there. It’s quite close to home so it’s a great chance to pop over to New Zealand, refresh a little bit before getting stuck back into the season overseas.”

There’s a sense of unfinished business for Hendry returning to Fiji, he finished runner-up to American Brandt Snedeker in the 2016 edition of the tournament.

“I have played well there before, there were a few changes Vijay Singh made to the track and I had my first look at those last year.

“Hopefully I can put it all together this time and go one better than I did in 2016.”

Hendry has been one of the most consistent performers on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia recording top-5 finishes on the money list in the last two seasons, a strong performance at the AU$1.25 million Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways would put him in good stead for a third strong result on the Order of Merit.

“It’d be great to win that Order of Merit title, it opens so many doors through the exemptions you receive with it,” added Hendry.

“There’s a couple of guys who have already gotten off to great starts this season so it’ll be difficult to catch them but a good result in Fiji would be the first step.”

The even dozen New Zealanders add to the international flavour the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways has established over the past five years.

“We have so many talented New Zealander golfers who are part of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and it’s great to see them so well represented in the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways,” said Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia which owns the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

“As a proud sporting nation, New Zealand enjoys a strong relationship with its Pacific neighbours and it’s fantastic to see that relationship continue with both Fiji and golf in general.”

About the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways

To be held from 2-5 August 2018 the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways will be played at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course which boasts breathtaking views of the Coral Coast and is home to the Natadola Beach Land Estate. 

Enticed by the tropical destination, the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways has attracted some of the world’s best golfers since its inaugural staging in 2014 including Fijian hero and three-time Major champion Vijay Singh, 2017 champion Jason Norris, 2016 champion Brandt Snedeker, 2015 champion Matt Kuchar, 2014 champion Steven Jeffress, Steven Bowditch, Boo Weekley and Nick Price.

This year’s tournament is set to feature four-time Major champion and Captain of the International Team for the 2019 Presidents Cup, Ernie Els.

In 2018, the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways continues to have a global presence confirming its position as an integral tournament in the South Pacific region, with the tournament being tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour.

A Pacific paradise, the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways also boasts some of the most unique hospitality options in world golf with the par-3 8th hole providing the perfect vantage point to watch the golf, whilst socialising on the beach.

More than just a golf tournament, the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways aims to leave a lasting legacy for golf in the Pacific region, with the PGA of Australia supporting initiatives to introduce and grow the game in Fiji.

Owned by SEL and the PGA of Australia, the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways is proudly supported by the Fijian Government, Tourism Fiji and the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa as the official resort of the tournament.

For the second consecutive year Michael Hendry has played his way into The Open Championship with a top-four finish at the Japan Tour’s Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open.

Hendry was outright second last year in grabbing a spot at Birkdale and shared second place this year as he booked a berth at Carnoustie in July.

Brendan Jones also came agonisingly close to also qualifying, the 14-time Japan Tour winner finishing alone in fifth but would have claimed an Open spot on World Rankings had he been part of the tie for fourth.

Only one player finished under par for the 72 holes, winner Shota Akiyoshi posting a 1-under total to win by a shot from Hendry and two others.

The Royal Golf Club in Ibaraki proved a difficult assignment for the field, a combination of length, thick rough and fast greens making birdies hard to come by.

Hendry will be pleased to have made The Open field but disappointed that a final hole bogey saw him miss a play-off for the title by a shot though he won’t be the only player rueing the tough finish.

Matt Griffin made back-to-back double bogeys on the final two holes to drop from 4-over to 8-over and from just outside the top-10 to a share of 27^th place.

Won Joon Lee was best of the Australasians behind Hendry and Jones, his 5-over total for the 72 holes good for a share of 13^th place.

The cut coming at 6-over was a testament to the difficulty of the course, Scott Strange, Aaron Wilkin and Brad Kennedy the other three Australasians to play all four days.

Strange finished 11-over and T42, Wilkin 12-over and T47 while Kennedy was 13-over for the week and T51.

Missing the cut were David Bransdon, Todd Sinnott and Andrew Evans.

Confidence is key for the Kiwi trio of defending champion Michael Hendry, Ryan Fox and Ben Campbell going into the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open starting in Queenstown on Thursday.

The trio are confident of their chances in the 99^th New Zealand Open, co-sanctioned by the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour. Campbell comes off his breakthrough professional win at the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship at the weekend, while Fox has taken time out to refresh and re-focus following his tie for third in his European Tour event in Malaysia.

While Hendry has not been in his best form this year, the 2017 winner has been pleased that his hard work is beginning to bear some fruit.

They are among the 144 Professionals to contest the $1.15 million tournament at Millbrook Resort and The Hills.

The key to them all is confidence.

“My form hasn’t been great but I feel I have played better than my results. I have been working particularly hard and was happy with how I played today,” said Hendry, who finished 17^th on the Japan Tour Order of Merit in 2017.

“Confidence levels and expectations are always changing but it takes a certain amount of pressure off. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone that I can win it because I’ve done it.

“That said I would love anything in the world to win it again and I have done pretty well defending golf tournaments.

“It’s amazing even when you haven’t been playing your best what good memories and confident thoughts can do when you come to venues you have played well at before. If you know deep down that you are good enough on your day that counts for a huge amount.”

Fox, who was 34^th in his rookie year on the European Tour, said his run of top finishes in three big tournaments in a row in France, Ireland and Scotland last year, has given him belief.

“I believe I can compete out there and after those three weeks. I was competing against the best players in the world and playing with the likes of Jon Rahm and Justin Rose,” said Fox.

“Sometimes belief is hard without the results and thankfully I’ve got results to back it up now and I’m starting to believe. At the start of last year, I was a little bit of an unknown and I probably didn’t believe as much as I should of.

“The best players in the world believe that they are the best players in the world. There are guys that have got that far almost on confidence alone. It’s the mental side of the game, the belief and the confidence which is the big part of it.”

Campbell is full of confidence after his resounding victory in the NZ PGA Championship, and has the benefit of returning to his home course; Millbrook Resort.

“It’s always nice I suppose getting the monkey off your back and I played pretty solid last week,” said Campbell.

“I learned quite a bit in the Open and it gave me more confidence and that I felt like I should be here.”

His key is improvement in his short game, with major change to his putting technique that showed dividends at the NZ PGA last week.

He will then hope the support from his local Queenstown friends and fans will help boost his confidence.

The 144 professionals will complete their final practice on Wednesday ahead of the first two rounds at Millbrook Resort and The Hills. There is a cut to the top-60 players plus ties to contest the final two rounds at Millbrook Resort.

Reigning ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open champion Michael Hendry will have a home course advantage when the inaugural REBEL Sport Masters gets underway at Wainui Golf Club from 11-14 January.

Hendry will have the benefit of local knowledge when he tees it up at Wainui, one of the New Zealand clubs where he is currently a member.

“I’m a member here as well as Gulf Harbour and I live literally about three minutes up the road so it was a no-brainer to play, I’m always keen to support my golf course and New Zealand events as well,” said Hendry.

“It’s a fantastic golf course, a great layout but it’s going to be really challenging this week.

“It’s a tough golf course in soft conditions let alone in these hard and fast conditions. It’s just one of those things as players we’re going to have to realise; we’re going to get some pretty big bounces at times and they’re not always going to be good ones.

“Hopefully the guys can appreciate the golf course for what it is and so too can the spectators when they come and watch.”

The 38-year-old gets the chance this week to add a third national title to his name after winning the NZ PGA Championship in 2012 & 2013, and last year’s ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open where he became the first Kiwi to win since 2003.

“Absolutely it would be nice to say you’re a New Zealand Masters, New Zealand PGA and New Zealand Open champion, it’d be a pretty cool trifecta to have,” added Hendry.

“Obviously there’s no real history to the event yet but hopefully the guys behind the tournament can continue to drive it and make it bigger and better.”

Hendry, who plays on the lucrative Japan Golf Tour, said he was happy to support the new REBEL Sport Masters which tees off the 2018 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia season.

The proud New Zealander has also made the decision not to play the WGC – Mexico Championship, where he would be guaranteed at least US$40,000 in prize money, instead opting to defend his title at the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open.

“I always like to try and front up as much as I can on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, it doesn’t always help with the schedules clashing as much as they do but I love playing my home Tour, I always have,” added Hendry.

“For me I don’t only just look at an event like this as good preparation for next week but the Tour, I think deserves, for want of a better term, the better players to play it more often."

Following the REBEL Sport Masters, Hendry will contest the SMBC Singapore Open, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour, giving him the perfect opportunity to fine-tune his game under tournament conditions this week.

“I like to support the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia as much as I can and if it can prepare me for bigger events in terms of prize money then that’s great.

“I’ve implemented a couple of changes in terms of equipment so whether or not I’m just struggling to get my head around those at the moment, I’m not sure.

“But I’ve played some good golf and some bad golf over the holiday break so hopefully getting in to that competitive mindset might help.”

The REBEL Sport Masters will be played at Wainui Golf Club from 11-14 January, round one begins Thursday at 7:30am local time with Michael Hendry teeing off at 7:50am.

Entry to the tournament is free to the public.

Michael Hendry, who holds the Brodie Breeze Trophy after winning the 2017 ISPS Handa New Zealand Open in Queenstown, has announced he will return to defend the title.

Kiwi golfer Michael Hendry will defend his title at the 2018 ISPS Handa New Zealand Open in Queenstown.

The 38 year old, who became the first New Zealander in 14 years to win the Open title, has today confirmed his place in the field for the 99^th ISPS Handa New Zealand Open at the Millbrook Resort and The Hills on 1-4 March.

Hendry, who is playing in the Australian PGA Championship this week, said he is honoured to return to defend his crown, despite a potential second invitation to play in the World Golf Championship event in Mexico at the same time.

“It wasn’t really a hard decision. Mexico is an amazing event and the chance to play against the best players in the world which is a big thing for a player of my stature,” said Hendry.

“You don’t just win it once and forget about it. You want to keep coming back and winning it. As far as I am concerned it is my trophy and I am not going to let it go.”

He joins USA-based Tim Wilkinson and Steven Alker as early entries for the tournament that is co-sanctioned by the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour, and in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.

Hendry followed his playoff victory at Millbrook Resort with another outstanding year on the Japan Tour that included seven top-10 finishes including second in the Mizumo Open and T3 in the Mitsui Sumitoma Masters. He is currently 16^th on the Japan Order of Merit with earnings of NZ$670,000 this year.

“I would give my year in Japan a seven out of 10. I was consistent, which is something that we strive for. I’ve played 26 events and only missed three cuts. The one thing that marks it down is not winning again in Japan.

“Winning the New Zealand Open was a great thing and something that was very special for me. But I play golf to win and I’ve come very, very close in a lot of golf tournaments this year so it’s been a great year but one tinged with a bit of frustration also.”

The North Harbour-based player says he would like nothing more than to become just the 12^th person to win the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open in successive years, a feat not achieved since American Corey Pavin 32 years ago.

“You never go into a tournament expecting to win, you go in hoping to win. I suppose now with my track record around those courses I know I am going to have a pretty good chance if I have a good summer in terms of preparation and get myself ready for the event properly. If I do that then I can put myself in a position to defend.

“I managed to do it (win back to back) around the Hills with the NZPGA in 2013, so I would love to defend it.”

Hendry said he has enjoyed supporting the event in Queenstown, and watched with admiration at its development.

“When I first played, the tournament was the NZPGA Pro Am and the prizemoney was less than half of what it is now. Every year it is getting that little bit better.

“The organisers are on to a great formula. They recognise where the sponsors want their money placed and how they want it to be shown to people. The fact that everyone is having a good time shows that the organisers have the tournament moving in the right direction.”

Organisers expect to announce further key players in the coming weeks with tickets for the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open now on sale. Anyone who buys a ticket before 6 February will go into a draw for the Ultimate Fan Inside The Ropes experience.  On the final day the winner and a friend will walk with the leading Kiwi pro inside the ropes. They will also win a tournament shirt and cap, plus two tickets to the VIP Champions Lounge on the first three days.

Details: www.nzopen.co.nz Tickets: www.ticketek.co.nz