Countdown to the 85th NZ PGA Championship

With a month left until some of the best professional players in New Zealand tee it up at the 2021 New Zealand PGA Championship, attention has turned to the intriguing new teams' element of the tournament.

The New Zealand PGA recently announced the regional team captains and laid out the format for both the NZPGA Championship and the teams’ competitions. With their captains in place and the regional teams starting to assemble, the inaugural Rohe Trophy competition is shaping up to be one of the year's golfing highlights.

The NZPGA Championship will be celebrating both the home clubs and regions where the tournaments players started their love for the game. From Northland to Southland each region of New Zealand will field a team and with live scoring during the tournament, local clubs and their members will be able to follow their players and share the excitement of this historic tournament.

Each team in the Rohe Trophy will consist of up to four players with the top two scores counting for each round. The teams will be made up of both men and women and professional and amateur players who will represent the regions of their first club of origin.

Hamish Campbell, the NZPGA teams' event manger believes that this event highlights the regional pride that professionals really miss when they make the change from amateur to professional.

“As professionals we really love the team experience and there are not many opportunities in the professional side of the golf do this,” Campbell said.

“To be representing the region and club where golf started your journey is a special part of the Rohe Trophy teams' event and we can’t wait to see the camaraderie during the week.

“This is a special part of the 2021 New Zealand PGA Championship and bringing together men and women players at both the professional and amateur levels to celebrate the game of golf is what it’s all about.”

NZPGA general manager Dominic Sainsbury is excited about what the teams' element will bring to the overall championship.

“We really want to celebrate golf at the grassroots, where the love of the game is nurtured and recognising where it all began for our members,” Sainsbury said.

“The Rohe Trophy is a nice connection to the local communities throughout New Zealand and highlights what golf can bring to all those who engage in the game.''

The New Zealand PGA Championship 2021 Event Details

The New Zealand PGA Championship and the Rohe Trophy regional teams event are being held at Te Puke Golf Course in the Waikato between April 28 and May 2.

About the New Zealand PGA Championship

The New Zealand PGA Championship has been played since 1909. This year will mark the 85th playing of this illustrious tournament.

Past winners of the New Zealand PGA Championship include Andrew Shaw, Ted Douglas, Alex Murray, Bob Glading, Kel Nagle, Sir Bob Charles, Greg Turner, Frank Nobilo, Michael Hendry, Brad Kennedy and Ben Campbell.

Current title holder Kazuma Kobori won the title as an amateur in 2019 at Pegasus Golf Club in North Canterbury, winning by a four stroke margin over David Smail and posting a total of 21 under par.

The Rohe Trophy

The Rohe Trophy teams’ event will be held alongside the New Zealand PGA Championship. Teams made up of four players who will represent the region of their first golf club. Scoring will be made up from the top two scores from each round. The team which posts the lowest cumulative score across the four rounds (eight scores in total) will be awarded the inaugural Rohe Trophy.

The Rohe Trophy is named after the Maori word Rohe which translates to district/region of land.

Team captains and their current line ups:

REGION PRO 1 PRO 2 INVITE AMATEUR

Northland Taylor Gill Luke Brown Christian Nitsche Kylie Jacoby

Auckland Tae Koh Fraser Wilkin Ryan Fox TBC Finona Xu

North Harbour Jerry Ren Michael Hendry TBC Hanee Song Jimmy Hydes

Waikato Dong Woo Kang Luke Toomey Brad Shilton Charlie Smail

Bay of Plenty Kieran Muir Hayden Beard Jordan Loof Catelin Maurice

Hawkes Bay Pieter Zwart David Klein Tessa McDonald Mako Thompson

Taranaki Troy Ropiha Grant Moorhead TBC Sam Jones

Mang/Wang Lachie McDonald Trent Munn Bridie Hodge Tyler Hodge

Wellington Harry Bateman Mark Brown Dan Hillier TBC

Tasman Nick Loach Ryan Chisnall Hamish Campbell TBC

Canterbury Momoka Kobori Oscar Cadenhead James Devlin Kazoma Kobori

Lower South Daniel Pearce TBC TBC Laura Hoskin Matt Tautari

Te Puke Jared Pender Josh Geary James Tauariki Jessica Green

PGA Ben Campbell Harry Na TBC TBC