Dame Lydia Ko to headline NZ Women's Golf Open after 10-year hiatus

The New Zealand Women's Golf Open will return from a 10-year hiatus next year with Dame Lydia Ko already signed on as its big drawcard.

The tournament will be held at the Wainui Golf and Function Centre, north of Auckland, from 18-21 March 2027. It has been co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.

Ko first held the NZ Women's Open trophy aloft as a 15-year-old in 2013 as an amateur, before winning the tournament again in 2015 and 2016 as the world's top-ranked female professional.

The 29-year-old reigning Olympic champion and LPGA Hall of Fame member will be a main attraction for fans, who have been starved of top-level women's golf since the 2017 Open.

"Playing in front of a home crowd in New Zealand is always something really special to me, and I'm thrilled the New Zealand Women's Open is back," Ko said in a statement.

"I grew up on the North Shore, so to have an event of this calibre at Wainui, just up the road, makes it feel even more like home. To return with the strength of the Ladies European Tour and WPGA Tour of Australasia behind it is fantastic for the game here, and I can't wait to tee it up in March.''

The 2017 tournament, won by Canadian Brooke Henderson at Windross Farm in Auckland, was sanctioned by the LPGA but the showcase event was marred by heavy rain and gale-force winds on the final day.

The tournament has returned with the backing of the government's New Zealand Major Events and Auckland Council. The 2027 Open will mark the first year of a four-year event agreement between the partners, securing the championship's place on the calendar through to 2030.

The NZ Women's Golf Open will have a 132-player field competing for a purse of NZ$800,000. The Open's final two days will be broadcast to 94 international markets.

Golf New Zealand said some of the country's best young amateurs and professionals, including the winner of the New Zealand Māori Golf Association Nationals Wāhine title, will be included in the field.

There's also an opportunity for alumni from the Lydia Ko Scholarship mentorship, including LET players Amelia Garvey and Momoka Kobori, Epson Tour's Fiona Xu and NCAA collegiate players Vivian Lu and Eunseo Choi, to play.

Golf New Zealand CEO Jeff Latch wants to see the Open become an enduring part of the sports calendar.

"At Golf New Zealand we have set ourselves a goal of doubling the number of women and girls playing golf in this country, and events like this are exactly how we get there.

"There is nothing quite like seeing the best players in the world up close; watching how they carry themselves, how they compete, and we know that for a young girl standing greenside at Wainui, that experience can be the spark that starts a lifelong love of the game.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our own players, from our leading professionals to the amateurs in the field, to test themselves against the very best in the world right here at home."

Ladies European Tour CEO Tom Phillips said bringing New Zealand back into the schedule for the first time in a decade reinforced its push to expand playing opportunities for its members across the globe.

"New Zealand has a proud history of producing world class talent and passionate, knowledgeable golf fans. We look forward to bringing a truly international field of competitors to Wainui Golf Club to celebrate and showcase elite women's golf on the global stage.''

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said support from the Major Events Fund reflected the wider value of events such as the Open to the economy.

"Alongside attracting visitors to see Dame Lydia Ko compete in Auckland, the broadcast coverage will showcase our spectacular golf courses and landscapes to global audiences, reinforcing New Zealand's reputation as a world-class golfing destination.''

A pro-am tournament will be held the day before the main event in March.

The Wainui course, near Silverdale, was once known as the Peninsula Gold Club. It relocated inland and reopened in 2016 as the Wainui club. It hosted the 2018 Masters on the PGA Tour of Australasia.