FEATURE

Five players to watch in Queenstown during the BMW ISPS Handa New Zealand Open

By Southern PR

Arriving in Queenstown, players will be hard pressed to focus on their games this week with one of the most stunning backdrops set to distract.
 
Played at Millbrook Resort and The Hills, set at the base of The Remarkables, the two courses offer up much more than just a scenic view. Challenging and fun layouts, players will need to be on top of their games if they hope to claim the BMW ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open.
 
There are plenty of contenders for the title this week but here are five players we think you should be watching:
 
Josh Geary: A Kiwi hasn’t won the New Zealand Open since 2003, but this year could change all that. Coming into this week on the back of a runner-up finish at the NZ PGA, Josh will be fired up to claim a win on home soil. He had an outstanding season last year overseas, winning three times on the PGA TOUR China. Last week he said his game didn’t feel quite at it’s “A” level but if he finds that next gear this week he will definitely be in contention on Sunday.
 
Brad Kennedy: A steady player who has an extremely solid game, it’s hard to go past Brad when he is in form. He comes to Queenstown fresh from a dominant performance last week where he won the NZ PGA. Just like Adam Scott, Brad could go back-to-back this week.  
 
Rhein Gibson: With a break in his PGA TOUR schedule, Rhein is taking the opportunity to tee it up this week in Queenstown. A player with huge talent and the ability to shoot super low numbers when hot, Rhein could tear up the courses this week. So far it’s been a year of adjustment for Gibson who is playing his first season on the PGA TOUR but he returned to Perth and was in the top-5 after two rounds at the ISPS HANDA Perth International. Having played that tournament with no practice rounds, he will be better prepared this week in Queenstown, having arrived on Monday.
 
Michael Hendry: Of everyone in the field, Michael has one of the best track records at The Hills. He won the NZ PGA Championship in back-to-back years when it was played at Sir Michael Hill’s golf course. Obviously having focused his attention on getting his game into peak condition for the two week swing in New Zealand, Michael comes into the week fresh off a tied 5^th finish at the NZ PGA last week.  
 
Aron Price: Making his first trip to Queenstown, Price is making the most of his time here and is loving every minute of it. However come Thursday he will be focused on winning the BMW ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open. He is a quality player who competes on the Web.com Tour and has also experienced golf’s biggest stage, the PGA TOUR. Aron has posted some good results recently, a tied 3^rd at the Vic Open and T12 at the Victorian PGA Championship. This followed on from top-10 finishes at the Fiji International and Australian Open late last year. It feels like a win is on the horizon for Aron.  
 
Other notable New Zealanders in the field: Ryan Fox, Steven Alker, David Smail and Mark Brown.
 
Other notable Australians in the field: Defending champion Jordan Zunic, Brendan Jones, Mathew Goggin, Michael Sim, Peter O’Malley and Peter Fowler.
 
Other notable internationals in the field: South African Dylan Frittelli, Swede Daniel Chopra, and Japanese Toshinori Muto.
 
The BMW ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open tees off at Millbrook Resort and The Hills on Thursday 10^th March with the winner to be decided at The Hills on Sunday 13^th March.