The DVS Pegasus Open has attracted an outstanding field for the Jennian Homes Charles Tour event starting on the North Canterbury golf club layout next week.
The only South Island event on the Charles Tour in 2020, the DVS Pegasus Open will be the second event since the COVID-19 restart and is full of top-class New Zealand professionals and elite amateurs.
The likes of James Anstiss, Harry Bateman, Luke Brown, Ryan Chisnall and Luke Toomey will be contrasted by internationally performed players such as Mark Brown, Josh Geary, Peter Fowler, Gareth Paddison, Keiran Muir, Daniel Pearce and Michael Hendry.
The prize purse of $50,000 and a Charles Tour title has tempted these high-class professional golfers to ‘come south’ to the ‘spiritual home’ of Sir Bob Charles, the New Zealand Golf Legend that the tour is named after.
Sir Bob has held a farming property at Oxford in North Canterbury for many years and until recently lived part of the year there.
James Devlin, Golf Operations Manager of the Pegasus Golf and Sports Club said they are delighted to be hosting the Jenian Homes Charles tour event for a second year.
“The tournament was a great success last year and with the golf course in great shape, we look forward to an even better event this year,” Devlin said.
“We are excited about hosting the best amateur players in NZ, tournaments like this are vital for the development of these players as well as providing an opportunity to showcase our top-class golf course and facilities.
“We are very fortunate to have the support of our fantastic sponsors with which this event wouldn’t happen. All the best to all of the competitors.”
The professionals will not have things their own way either, the elite amateurs competing at Pegasus also have a claim to golfing fame and include James Hydes who beat a professional and amateur field at the recent Muriwai Open Charles Tour event.
Sam Jones the current NZ Golf OOM leader will be joined by Kazuma Kabori who won the 2019 NZPGA Championship as an amateur as well as Tyler Wood, Tom Parker, Kerry Mountcastle, Jimmy Zeng and Johnny Tynan who became the first Lamb & Hayward Cup winner as the leading amateur at Pegasus in 2019.
The talent is not contained to the men either, entries from women professionals include Laura Hoskin, Julianne Alvarez, Danielle Price and Jess Reid with leading amateurs Momoka Kabori and Darae Chung who boast handicap indices of 4.8 and 5.8 respectfully turning up to put the heat on the field.
Perhaps another unique feature of the event next week could be the ‘family against family battle’ being played out by the entry of local brothers and sisters Maddie and Zach May and Kazuma and Momoka Kabori.
Dave Mangan, New Zealand Golf General Manager of Championships and Golf Operations was pleased the second edition of the DVS Pegasus Open is going ahead.
“The Jennian Homes Charles Tour is a very important part of the player pathway in New Zealand and gives our elite amateurs and rookie professionals very valuable playing opportunities,” Mangan said.
“Without the support of DVS Homes Ventilation and the Pegasus Golf Club opportunities like this would simply not be possible.”
The DVS Pegasus Open 72-hole Strokeplay tournament will be staged at the Pegasus Golf & Sports Club from Thursday, October 1st to Sunday, October 4th.
NZ Golf Magazine is the Official Magazine of the Jennian Homes Charles Tour, a tour named in honour of New Zealand’s legendary Sir Bob Charles, and is made up of 6 events in New Zealand.
The Charles Tour is designed to provide an opportunity for young, talented local amateur golfers to play alongside New Zealand Golf’s elite squad members, as well as seasoned New Zealand based professional golfers, who will play for their share of $50,000 prize money.
The Charles Tour 72 hole strokeplay format provides a unique opportunity for Canterbury’s young talent to compete in genuine ‘big time’ tournament conditions against top-class players.
