Facts and figures of some leading NZ Open candidates

K T Kim, 31, has enjoyed 18 wins in his career including 13 on the Japan Golf Tour. His performances saw him climb to a world ranking of 18 and selection for the Presidents' Cup in 2011. He has earned more than $11 million in his career, and was the leading money winner in 2015 and 2010. Kim did not gain a win in 2017 but he enjoyed seven finishes in the top 10 on the Japan Tour.
Scott Hend was one of the first Australians to ply his trade on the fledgling Asian Tour in 2007, and after 20 years as a professional, the 44-year-old is in the best form of his life. He topped the Asian Tour order of merit in 2016 and was fourth last year, winning twice on the European Tour, nine times in Asia and five times in Australia. He moved to the Asian Tour in 2007 after two years on the PGA Tour, and represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

YE Yang is best known for his victory in the 2009 US PGA Championship, beating Tiger Woods down the home stretch. This win remains the only time an Asian-born player has won one of golf’s four majors.  Yang has won twice on the US PGA Tour, three times on the European Tour, and another seven times in Asia. After learning his craft in Auckland when starting out in his career, Yang returned to New Zealand for the first time in 2017 but missed the cut. Disappointed with his finish, he signalled his desire to return to make a much stronger account of himself in 2018.

Brad Kennedy has won 11 times as a professional including the New Zealand Open at Clearwater, Christchurch, in 2011 when he beat Craig Parry in a playoff, and the NZ PGA Championship in 2016. He was also runner-up in the 2017 New Zealand Open in 2017.
Andrew Dodt, 31, from Australia, has won five times as a professional including twice on the European Tour while compatriot Marcus Fraser, 39, is a six-time winner as a professional in Europe, Asia and Australia. He finished fifth at the Rio Olympics after setting a record eight-under 63 to hold the 36-hole lead.

Marcus Fraser represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Fraser has won $11.7 million in Europe since joining that tour in 2003. He also won his last ever amateur event in New Zealand, winning the 2002 NZ Amateur Championship before turning professional immediately after that.