Professional golf is back in Auckland for the first time in 22 years when two of the world’s premier golf tours come together for the inaugural ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship starting on Thursday.
Located about half an hour south of the city centre, Royal Auckland & Grange is ready to go on show.
It boasts 27 holes with this week’s layout including all nine from the Middlemore course, seven from Tamaki and two from the Grange.
The bunkering, quite penal in places, is a feature and with four par-3s, four par-5s and 10 par-4s it plays to a par of 72, stretching to 6603 metres.
The word from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia members who double as Royal Auckland & Grange members, is that this week will not be a low-scoring shootout, even though the weather prediction is very favourable.
After his Tuesday morning practice round, Cam Harlock noted the conditions for the professionals this week were very similar to what his fellow RA&GGC members face from day to day.
“There’s a few little things around the course, like the rough’s a little longer, the greens are a touch firmer, but honestly, they have this place in such good nick all year round that there’s not too many differences out there,” he said.
“Having the chance to have so many Tour players and really good players here and appreciating it, we feel pretty lucky to have it here.”
Jared Edwards, who has been a member since starting at the then Grange Golf Club as a nine-year-old said: “I’m just hoping that the wind stays up and then this place will definitely show its teeth.
“It’s pretty cool to finally have a big event in Auckland and at my home track.”
Meanwhile Nick Voke is hoping for some tucked the pins to go with some firmer greens than usual.
“Everything’s just that little notch up. Hopefully they get some cooperative weather and produce quite a challenge for us,” he said.
With just three events left on the 2025/26 schedule, this week is also set to have huge permutations in the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit race.
The top three on the standings remained unchanged after last week’s New Zealand Open where leader Cam John, second-placed Christopher Wood and No.3 James Marchesani all missed the halfway cut.
The other members of the top 10 playing this week, targeting a win would them take them into the No.1 spot, are Haydn Barron (No.4), Nathan Barbieri (No.6), Will Florimo (No.8) and Jay Mackenzie (No.9).
This week’s field also features 60 Japanese tour players, led by their No.3 on the moneylist last year, Taiga Semikawa, whose 2025 season featured 11 top-10s highlighted by a win at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup.
Major global golf supporter ISPS HANDA serves as the title partner of the new event, which is also supported by Tataki Auckland Unlimited.
ISPS HANDA JAPAN-AUSTRALASIA CHAMPIONSHIP
Venue: Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club
Prizemoney: A$1.2,000,000
Live scores: https://golf.com.au/pga-tour-aus/
Facebook: @PGATourAus
Instagram: @PGATourAus
X: @PGAofAustralia
TV COVERAGE
The ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo and Sky Sports.
*All times AEDT.
Round 1: Thursday 1.30-4.30pm
Round 2: Friday 1.30-4.30pm
Round 3: Saturday 1.30-4.30pm
Final Round: Sunday 11.30am-4.30pm
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kazuma Kobori – Three-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia champion
Anthony Quayle – 2025/26 DP World Tour member
Cam John – Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader
Ryan Peake – 2025 NZ Open champion
Kevin Na – Five-time PGA TOUR winner
Nick Watney – Five-time PGA TOUR winner
Kazuki Higa – 2025 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion
Taiga Semikawa – 2025 JGTO Order of Merit No.3
MJ Maguire – Asian Tour winner
STORY: PAUL MUNNINGS | PGA AUSTRALIA/GOLF AUSTRALIA
where’s the leaderboard?
It is on the golf.com.au website as provided. But now we’ve added the /leaderboard bit… just for you! Hope it is working OK a day out from the event.