With border restrictions still in place, the field will be made up of local players as the Tour begins its expansion beyond Australian shores.

Points will still be on offer in the year long race to secure professional tournament exemptions.

COURSE: Royal Wellington Golf Club has plenty of big tournament hosting experience, and in 2017 welcomed the region's best amateur players for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

A seven-time New Zealand Open venue, the club began in 1895, while the new Heretunga course was dessigned by local legend Greg Turner and Scott Macpherson and opened for play in 2013.

Vivian Lu is one of the players to watch at Royal Wellington.

The pair created what was effectively an entire new course, with tree lined fariways placing a premium on driving the ball on the banks of the Hutt River.

FORMAT: The competitors will play 18 holes of stroke play, with points on the year-long race awarded to a number of players, and the top boys and girls finishers to go head-to-head in a six-hole match for the title and additional points.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Zack Swanwick

Handicap: +3.5

Age: 16

Home club: Napier Golf Club

District: Hawkes Bay

Summary:

Zack Swanwick of Napier Golf Club has shown a lot of promise over the last few years. Most recently, he’s been part of the Hawkes Bay Interprovincial side that has made the semi-finals in back-to-back years.

Playing off +3, Swanwick recently won the North Island Boys Under 16 Championship by eight shots.

Although only 15-years-old, Joshua Bai has a lot more tournament experience than most his age. The Akarana Golf Club member recently won all three under 16 age group championships: North Island Under 16 Boys Championship, South Island Under 16 Boys Championship, and the New Zealand Under 16 Boys Championship. In 2021, Bai finished third on the NZ OOM.

Darae Chung is a member of the Golf New Zealand National Academy. She had a breakout year in 2020, winning the New Zealand Order of Merit. She was runner-up at last year’s New Zealand Amateur Stroke Play and played No.1 for Wellington’s winning interprovincial team.

Vivian Lu is a member of the Golf New Zealand National Academy. The Royal Auckland player is the reigning New Zealand Amateur Stroke Play Champion and is a member of a small group of golfers who have won both New Zealand Amateur and New Zealand Stroke Play titles.