Lydia Ko to headline NZ Women’s Open at Wainui

Wainui Golf and Function Centre will host the return of the New Zealand Women’s Open in March 2027, as one of the world’s premier women’s professional golf tournaments returns to New Zealand after a decade-long hiatus.

Co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and WPGA Tour of Australasia, the championship will feature a 132-player field competing for a $800,000 purse.

The field will be led by Dame Lydia Ko, the reigning Olympic champion, LPGA Hall of Fame member and three-time New Zealand Women’s Open winner. She returns to a tournament she won in 2013, 2015 and 2016, bringing one of New Zealand golf’s biggest names back to the national stage.

“Playing in front of a home crowd in New Zealand is always something really special to me, and I’m thrilled the New Zealand Women’s Open is back. I grew up on the North Shore, so to have an event of this calibre at Wainui, just up the road, makes it feel even more like home” said Ko.
 
“To return with the strength of the Ladies European Tour and WPGA Tour of Australasia behind it is fantastic for the game here, and I can’t wait to tee it up in March.”

Supported by New Zealand Major Events and Auckland Council Events, the championship will be played at Wainui Golf and Function Centre March 18–21 2027. Tournament week begins with a welcome event on March 16, followed by a Pro-Am on March 17, before four days of championship golf.

Golf New Zealand has also secured places for leading young New Zealand amateurs and professionals, including the winner of the New Zealand Māori Golf Association Nationals wāhine title. The move will give emerging local players the opportunity to compete alongside established international stars.

It also opens an opportunity for alumni from the Lydia Ko Scholarship mentorship programme to join the field, including LET players Amelia Garvey and Momoka Kobori, Epson Tour’s Fiona Xu and NCAA collegiate players Vivian Lu and Eunseo Choi.

The championship will be broadcast to 94 international markets, including New Zealand, showcasing Wainui Golf and Function Centre and New Zealand golf to a global audience.

Ladies European Tour chief executive Tom Phillips said the tournament’s return would bring an international field to New Zealand while helping inspire the next generation of golfers.

“This announcement underlines our commitment to collaborating with valued partners to offer global opportunities to the world’s best players, whilst inspiring future generations to take up the game. New Zealand has a proud history of producing world class talent and passionate, knowledgeable golf fans.
 
“We look forward to bringing a truly international field of competitors to Wainui and Function Centre to celebrate and showcase elite women’s golf on the global stage.”

The tournament’s return also sees the New Zealand Women’s Open restored to the schedules of both the Ladies European Tour and the WPGA Tour of Australasia, marking its first appearance on the LET calendar in 10 years and its first on the Australasian tour since 2017.

WPGA Tour of Australasia chief executive Karen Lunn said the tournament’s return would be a major boost for players and fans alike.

She said members were excited to return to Auckland and compete alongside Dame Lydia Ko and a strong international field from the Ladies European Tour.

Lunn said Wainui Golf and Function Centre would provide an outstanding venue for the championship and expected strong crowds eager to watch Ko compete in the event she first won as a 15-year-old in 2013.

She also thanked Golf New Zealand, event partners and sponsors for their commitment to bringing the New Zealand Women’s Open back to the calendar.