Tauranga Open test for New Zealand golfers
- Dave Worsley
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The Tauranga Golf Open returns this week on the Charles Tour to showcase plenty of Kiwi talent especially after the previous event, the Mount Open produced a new winner champion
Seventeen-year-old Golf New Zealand Academy member Cooper Moore stole the headlines at the Mount, holding his nerve against seasoned professional names like Kerry Mountcastle, Josh Geary, and Sam Jones to secure victory.
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His composed performance confirmed his place as one of the brightest amateur prospects seen in a decade, and he will again be a name to watch in Tauranga.
Among the professionals, defending champion Josh Geary looms as one of the top contenders.
A multiple winner at his home club, Geary’s track record at Tauranga Golf Club is formidable. Phil Aickin, Golf NZ’s Handicapping and Golf Services Manager, points out that Geary has previously gone 20 under par for 42 holes here, a sign of just how low he can go.
“Josh Geary is multiple-time winner on this venue. It's where he learned his game, and we've seen him just do some incredible things on this golf course.
“He likes to play aggressive. And if you take an aggressive approach early, you can find yourself 6, 7, 8, under par through 10 holes, which is quite incredible and we've had three or four rounds of 59 over the years,” he said.
His aggressive, fast-starting style is well-suited to Tauranga, and if he finds rhythm early, Aickin says he will be very hard to stop.
With many of the field backing up from last week, there will be two notable names absent in Kerry Mountcastle and Tyler Hodge – who are travelling to tee it up at the Alfred Dunhill Links in Europe.
In the Women's field, Golf New Zealand Academy player Chloe So will look to back up her impressive outing at Mount Maunganui Golf Club where she began the final round six shots back of the lead to shoot a 1-under 70 Sunday score and claim the leading amateur title.
So will face stern competition from Faith Vui who is fresh from a Top-5 finish at the Bay of Plenty Stroke Play along Amy Tang and Anya Apanui who featured at the top of the leaderboard at the Christies Floorings Mount Open.
Tournament organisers have been working tirelessly to prepare the course in the face of challenging weather.
Even with the course in excellent condition, there remains some concern about the forecast, with further rain predicted. Towersey admitted there are nerves about how the greens might hold up, but added that a few curveballs are all part of the character of this long-running event.
“We are a little bit nervous about that rain coming in tomorrow and whether the greens will hold up for that. But we just, you know, we just have to take it as it is. It wouldn't be a Carrus if there weren't some, some little curve balls thrown at us along the way,” said Towersey.
With firm, fast conditions expected if the weather holds and a field featuring both proven professionals and rising amateurs, the Carrus Tauranga Open promises another week of drama and low scoring.
