P.G.A. to have $75,000 purse

Press, 16 May 1985, Page 44

P.G.A. to have $75,000 purse

PA Tauranga The New Zealand P.G.A. golf tournament will again be held at Mount Maunganui late this year and will carry a purse of $75,000 to qualify it for the Australasian order of merit rating. The announcement by the tournament organiser, Mr Pat Hertnon, followed a meeting involving representatives of the New Zealand Professional Golfers Association, the tournament’s major sponsors and Mr Hertnon, representing Hertnon Associates.

The latter Taurangabased organisation has underwritten the P.G.A. at a substantial loss — believed to be in the vicinity of $50,000 — for the last two years of the tournament’s staging. Last year Mobil and Steinlager were linked as major sponsors while the Owens group has been a significant supporter for many years. This was qualified success, the reservations being that there was insufficient

prize money to attract a top quality field of professional golfers while the prominent amateurs felt they were competing in an event of little consequence. Mr Hertnon said yesterday there would be some parallel amateur involvement in this year’s tournament.

“There will again be the traditional opening day proam,” he said. “Then there, will be amateur participation, for invited players and sponsors, over the first two days only. “The tournament will again build to a final on New Year’s day to capitalise on the interest of holi-day-makers in the region at that time.”

The P.G.A. will be the third major professional tournament in New Zealand to carry Australasian order of merit ranking. To bridge the gap between the New Zealand Open, played in the first week of December and the P.G.A., there are moves afoot to promote a fourth major tournament.