Green in pursuit of Stadler
RICHARD Green will have bulky American Kevin Stadler in his sights when he tees up in the New Zealand Open golf championship today.
The Victorian fancies his chances of victory after going close at the Australian Open (10th) and Australian Masters (equal second) in the past two weeks.
And he has a special goal to pass leading money-earner Stadler as he targets the rewards that come from finishing first on the Australasian Tour’s Order of Merit.
Green’s Masters prizemoney lifted him to third on the Order of Merit with $322,119 - $189,819 behind Stadler and $45,700 adrift of Nick O’Hern, who isn’t playing this week.
But Stadler is in the NZ Open field at the Gulf Harbour course north of Auckland, and he’ll be out to defend his top spot which owes much to his Johnnie Walker Classic victory in Perth in February.
Green said he wanted to be ahead of Stadler on the Order of Merit heading to the final event, the Australian PGA Championship at Hyatt Coolum next week.
“Winning the Australasian Order of Merit has always been one of my goals and while a top-three gets you into the British Open, finishing No.1 opens up so many other doors like the World Golf Championship events and also the Shanghai tournament that was held a few weeks ago.”
A NZ Open victory would earn Green $235,000 and give him the lead should Stadler finish outside the top three.
Green is among 82 Australians in a field of 156 for the $1.31million tournament.
