Alker to play Holden NZPGA Championship 2016   1 Dec 2015

Alker to play Holden NZPGA Championship 2016

Auckland – 1 December 2015: One of New Zealand’s golfing stalwarts, seasoned PGA Tour and Web.Com Tour professional Steven Alker, is returning home to play in the Holden NZPGA Championship at Remuera Golf Club in Auckland next year.

Hamilton-born Alker has recorded twelve professional victories, including the 2009 NZPGA Championship at Clearwater against a star studded Nationwide Tour field.

“We’re delighted to be able to include a player with Steven’s track record in the field,” said PGA of New Zealand CEO, Duncan Simpson.

“He is a class act, and has competed at a high level for many years on both main PGA Tours, as well as the European Tour. He is more than capable of taking away the McDougall Cup for the second time in the 2016 Holden NZPGA Championship.”

Alker’s recent form includes a top 20 finish in the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes, and victories on the Web.Com Tour in 2013 and 2014, including the Cleveland Open last year which he won after a world record 11-hole play-off against South African, Dawie van der Walt.

The hard-fought victory earned Alker a $108,000 pay day and qualification for the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst.

“Steven is one of a number of Kiwi golfers, including the likes of Danny Lee, Ryan Fox, Tim Wilkinson and Josh Geary, who are performing exceedingly well internationally. His career earnings to date sit at more than $2 million and his form is such that he is well-placed to achieve his goal of a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – so we are delighted to have him at the Holden NZPGA Championship,” said Mr Simpson.

Tickets are now on sale for the classic four-round PGA Tour sanctioned event which will be held at Remuera Golf Club from 3-6 March 2016 and is one of just two premier professional golf tournaments to make up the New Zealand leg of the PGA Tour of Australasia.

With a total prize purse of $125,000 and valuable PGA ranking points on the line, the tournament is set to be an outstanding showcase of professional golf in the Southern Hemisphere, Mr Simpson said.

“Kiwi golfers are punching well above their weight on the international circuit. The Holden NZPGA Championship provides a stage for us to witness this talent first hand and celebrate the growth of the game in our own backyard,” he said.

The popular Pro-Am tournament is also returning, featuring well-known New Zealand sporting stars, celebrities and business leaders, and will take place on March 2 as a curtain-raiser to the main event.

A number of affordable ticketing options are available, ranging in price from free entry for kids, to $20 for a single adult day pass, through to $225 for a Championship Club day pass including access to the corporate lounge where food and beverages are provided.

Corporate hospitality packages will also be available offering entry to the preliminary Pro-Am tournament, tickets to the tournament and official launch party, food, and beverages, car-parking, official merchandise and up to 15 complimentary rounds of golf for guests.

A free shuttle service will operate between the course and key locations within the city for the duration of the event and extensive free parking will be available in the adjacent Waiatarua Reserve.

Tickets and hospitality packages for the Holden NZPGA Championship (3-6 March 2016, at Remuera Golf Club Auckland) are on sale at ticketek.co.nz.
AT A GLANCE

Holden NZPGA Championship 2016

When: 3-6 March 2016
Where: Remuera Golf Club, Auckland
Ticket entry: Tickets from $20 and free entry for kids
What: 72-hole strokeplay, PGA Tour of Australasia event
Prize purse: (NZD) $125,000
Defending champion: Matthew Millar (AUS)

ENDS

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