DID YOU KNOW? – FACTS ABOUT THE HOLDEN NEW ZEALAND OPEN
Gulf Harbour Country Club will be staging its first Holden New Zealand Open and the first time the Championship is to be played in the North Harbour District.
Gulf Harbour opened in 1997 and designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr. The course staged the 1998 World Cup of Golf, won by England’s David Carter and Nick Faldo.
The Championship was first played in 1907, won by New Zealand amateur A D S Duncan and the 2005 Championship will be the 88th staging of the event.
The record for the most victories belongs to Australian Peter Thomson, with nine (1950-1951-1953-1955-1959-1960-1961-1965-1971). Another Australian, Kel Nagle and New Zealand’s Andy Shaw, have both won the title seven times.
Kel Nagle, in winning his final championship in 1969, became the oldest winner, aged 48 and 11 months.
Bob Charles holds the record for being the youngest winner, aged 18 and seven months, in 1954 whilst still an amateur. The 1963 Open Champion won the event a further three times as a professional, in 1966, 1970 and 1973.
New Zealander Andy Shaw holds the record for most consecutive wins – four in 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932
Another record Shaw holds is the largest winning margin – 18 shots in 1930.
In 2004, New Zealand amateur, Brad Heaven finished second behind Australian Terry Price, just failing to become the eighth amateur to win the New Zealand Open. The seven amateurs to have won are:
A D S Duncan (1907, 1910 and 1911)
E M Macfarlane (1925)
S Morpeth (1928)
J P Hornabrook (1937 and 1939)
R H Glading (1946 and 1947)
R J Charles (1954)
R W Berwick (1956).
Rodger Davis of Australia holds the record for the lowest 72 hole aggregate in 1986, with rounds of 67-62-65-68 for a total of 262 at the Grange Golf Club, Auckland. His second round 62 is also the lowest 18 hole score in the history of the event.
The New Zealand Open has a rich line of former winners, including six Major Champions –
Bobby Locke (1938)
Peter Thomson (1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1959, 60, 61, 65 and 1971)
Bob Charles (1964, 1966, 1970 and 1973)
Kel Nagle (1957, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1968 and 1969)
Ian Baker-Finch (1983)
Corey Pavin (1984 and 1985)
Ronan Rafferty of Northern Ireland holds the distinction of being the only European golfer to have won the New Zealand Open in 1987.
Only four players from the United States have triumphed –
Bob Gilder (1974)
Bob Byman (1977)
Bud Allin (1980)
Corey Pavin (1984 and 1985)
(Pavin was the last player to win back-to-back New Zealand Opens)
