New end of season tournament added to Charles Tour

The 2023 Charles Tour season in New Zeland will be greatly enhanced with the first season-ending championship event at Tieke Golf Estate, near Hamilton.

The Charles Tour Race to Tieke boasts an impressive prize purse of at least $100,000 underwritten by both Jennian Homes and the Perry Group and will be played at the end of the Jennian Homes Charles Tour season at the Waikato’s marquee golf course in February, 2024.

All Charles Tour tournament players will now be battling it out to gain as many points at each Jennian Homes Charles Tour event as they can, as the leading 24 players will qualify automatically for the 54-hole Charles Tour Race to Tieke season-ending tournament.

The Charles Tour Race to Tieke started at the inaugural Hastings Open at Hastings Golf Club in January. In each calendar year, the points accumulated will decide the qualifiers for the Charles Tour Race to Tieke event, which will be held at the start of the following year.

In addition to the leading 24 players over the season, there will also be six tournament invites to create a field of 30 players who will play with pro-am teams over the first 36 holes before a seeded draw to determine the season champion on the final day over 18 holes.

In an exciting addition to the $100,000 prize purse, players will earn more prize money based on the number of Charles Tour events they play during the season. If a player accepts a tournament invite and hasn’t played during the season, they will only be eligible for 50 percent of the $100,000 prize money earnt for their finishing position.

However, if a player has played all Charles Tour events, then they will receive all of the allocated prize money for their tournament finishing position. If a player plays in 25 percent of the Charles Tour events during the year, they will receive 50 percent of the prizemoney allocated to their tournament finishing position, and the other 50 percent would be paid out at 25 percent only for the events they played.

Amateur golfers will also be eligible to earn their way into the season finale event to compete alongside the country’s leading professionals.

In addition to the $100,000 prize pool, through its ownership of the New Zealand Open, Golf New Zealand will provide the leading amateur or professional at the Charles Tour Race to Tieke event, (who has not already qualified), an entry into the New Zealand Open for 2024.

Stu Munro from Jennian Homes said: “Jennian Homes is proud of its continued support of Golf New Zealand and celebrates the pathway for young amateurs and professionals to experience tournament play within New Zealand to assist and prepare them for success on the international stage.

``With the partnership of Perry Group, under the leadership and support of Simon Perry, Jennian Homes and Perry Group believe the Charles Tour Race to Tieke event will be a major boost for not only golf in general but tourism for the Waikato region.”

Simon Perry from Perry Group added: “We are delighted to partner with Jennian Homes and Golf New Zealand in supporting this new Charles Tour season-ending event. Perry Group has sponsored our unique Waikato teams' event for over a dozen years now, and the opportunity to become part of this Charles Tour event while continuing to support junior golf and Kiwi professionals was an easy decision to make."

Dave Mangan, general manager championships and golf operations, is pleased Golf New Zealand is able to promote this season-ending additional event.

“Jennian Homes first supported the Charles Tour in 2015, and to have their support for so long has been outstanding for the golfing landscape in New Zealand,’’ Mangan said.

``While each year the players have competed for the Jennian Homes Charles Tour Cup, we have always desired a season-ending event.

“With Jennian Homes, Perry Group, and the Tieke Golf Estate’s support, we should see an exciting finish to the season, as well as excitement and interest during the year where the players are trying to get into that top 24.

“Just as Jennian has supported Golf New Zealand so well, the players, in turn, now get a bigger financial incentive for the more events that they support.”