New Zealand Open Golf Championship attracts new naming rights sponsor

New Zealand Golf and Millbrook Tournaments Limited (promoters of the New Zealand Open) are delighted to announce the signing of ISPS Handa as the new naming rights sponsor for the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open for a minimum three-year term, covering the 2017, 2018 and 2019 events.

This follows the co-naming rights agreement that was in place for the 2016 BMW ISPS Handa New Zealand Open, with ISPS Handa now taking the sole naming rights position for the next three years.

In addition to the naming rights agreement, the organisers are also pleased to announce that the partnership agreement with the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO) has been renewed for 2017. Under this agreement a minimum of 25 players from the JGTO will compete in the 2017 ISPS Handa New Zealand Open.

“In view of the fact that the first five finishers in the 2016 event all ply their trade on the Japan Golf Tour, this partnership agreement again represents an excellent investment that the tournament continues to make in terms of securing quality Professional players from this tour,” said Tournament Chairman John Hart.

Mr Hart also thanked BMW for their enormous support for the Queenstown event over the past three years, which has helped grow the event into one of Oceania’s premier sporting events since it’s re-launch as a Pro-Am format in 2014.

“With the tournament’s focus on Japan in particular, it is especially exciting to have ISPS Handa on board as a naming rights partner for the next three years. It gives the tournament enormous stability, and further cements our relationship with Japan.”

CEO of New Zealand Golf Dean Murphy added his delight at this significant addition to the national Open.

“ISPS Handa sponsors over twenty tournaments around the globe, and to have them add our premier men’s golf event to their huge stable of events is a real vote of confidence to the event that we deliver.”

Dr Handa, ISPS Chairman and Founder was equally thrilled. “I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the Pro-Am section of the tournament this year, and saw for myself how this innovative tournament brought so many business and sporting people together. 

“I am pleased to have our organisation support the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open, and to use this opportunity to highlight our goal of adding assistance to blind and disabled golf throughout New Zealand, Australia and SE Asia.”

The ISPS Handa New Zealand Open will be played in Queenstown at Millbrook Resort and The Hills on March 9-12, 2017.