Taranaki and Dunedin golfers first winners of nine-hole competition
 
A couple of casual nine-hole games of midweek golf with friends has earned two Kiwi golfers a shot at flying to Scotland to play in a world invitational golf tournament leading into The Open Championship.
 
Jocelyn Stevenson, who plays at Westown Golf Club in New Plymouth, and Archie Shaw, who plays at St Clair Golf Club in Dunedin, were randomly selected as the first monthly winners in a promotion being run by Golf New Zealand.
 
The highly patronised event, called Make Time Play 9, runs throughout summer, and encourages golfers of all ages and skill levels across the country to participate in a shorter format of the game.
 
Golfers go in the prize draw by simply submitting their nine-hole score card. As a starter for winning the most recent monthly draw, Joceyln and Archie won return airfares and accommodation to Queenstown to compete in the Make Time Play 9 final event – being held in March in conjunction with the New Zealand Open.
 
Jocelyn and Archie will join eight other winners from around New Zealand to tee up for nine holes at Millbrook Golf Club – with the two best players going on to represent New Zealand at The R&A 9-Hole Challenge on the eve of the 152nd Open Championship being played at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland in July. The world final will feature 42 nine-hole players from 22 countries.

 Play nine holes and go in the draw to win an all-expenses paid trip to The Open
 
Kiwi golfers taking to the fairways and greens around New Zealand for a nine-hole round over the coming months are being given the opportunity to win an all-expenses paid trip of a lifetime to play in a world tournament leading up to The Open Champion to be played at Royal Troon Old Course in Scotland.

The free-to-enter promotion, called Make Time Pay 9, is being organised by Golf New Zealand. Running from October 1, every golfer who submits a nine-hole scorecard – either playing a nine-hole course, or just nine holes as part of an 18-hole course – will go into the draw for a chance to play the national nine-hole qualifying event against nine other golfers as part of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown.

Players simply put in their nine-hole scorecard to enter the initial draw. There are no forms to fill in, no entry fees required, and no formalities to complete.

At the end of each month through until February, Golf New Zealand will randomly select one male and one female winner. The computer-generated draw is open to every player in New Zealand – regardless of what handicap they are playing on, or what they scored on their nine holes.

All nine-hole scorecards submitted during the qualifying period will be eligible – including casual rounds of golf with friends and family, competitive club competitions, and twilight sessions.

All monthly draw winners, with two draws in February, will receive a prize trip for two to play at The Millbrook Golf Club in the national Make Time Play 9 finals as part of the New Zealand Open. Playing off a stableford format, the winner and runner-up at the national Make Time Play 9 event will qualify as New Zealand’s representatives at the world R&A 9-Hole Challenge on the eve of the 152nd The Open Championship in Troon, Scotland.

The final at Troon will feature 42 nine-hole players from 21 other countries. The R&A 9-Hole Challenge initiative, including airfares and six nights’ accommodation for two, is literally a ”money can’t buy opportunity” – as the only way to secure an invite to the world final is through winning each country’s qualifying tournament.

Golf New Zealand development general manager Thiem Nguyen said the Make Time Play 9 initiative was a pathway for golfers to potentially win the sporting trip of a lifetime – starting with the qualifying round at Millbrook Golf Club, and for two players, ultimately taking them to a shot at a world title being played in conjunction with one of the sport’s most prestigious events.

“For two lucky Kiwi golfers, they will have the prospect of playing on the same golf course as Ryan Fox, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and the best professional golfers in the world for The Open Championship,” said Nguyen.

“Best of all, entry to Make Time Play 9 is totally free, and players of all abilities and skills have exactly the same chance of going into the draw to get them to Queenstown.”