Golf: New Zealand Women's Open cancelled for 2019

  • 02/10/2018
Ko in action at last year's event.
Ko in action at last year's event. Photo credit: Photosport

The next New Zealand women's golf Open has been scrapped after the tournament lost its primary sponsor.

Promoters, The Clubhouse, staged the event in Auckland in October last year and had planned a second for February 2019.

But sponsors McKayson have opted not to continue their association with the tournament, which has seen it removed from next year's LPGA calendar.

"Bringing the LPGA Tour to New Zealand is a huge undertaking which requires significant commercial support from tournament sponsors," said NZ Gold CEO, Dean Murphy.

"While the 2017 event was an unqualified success, we need to make prudent and financially sensible decisions for future events.

"We look forward to continuing to work with The Clubhouse and having the LPGA Tour return in the future."

Organisers are now in discussion with the LPGA to negotiate its return in 2020.

Despite poor conditions, the 2017 Open was considered a success. It boasted a field which included Kiwi star Lydia Ko and Canadian Brooke Henderson, who went on to win the title.

"The event achieved all goals and we were happy with the outcomes," said Clubhouse Managing Director, Michael Goldstein.

"The 30,000-plus fans that came out to support the event were incredible.

"The situation with McKayson is unfortunate and the bottom line is that without a global naming sponsor, the event is not commercially viable."

Newshub.