Who will it be? Who will be the king of Arrowtown on Sunday and break the 11-year drought since a Kiwi won the New Zealand Open?
For all the buzz over the Open being back at The Hills (and joined by Millbrook), the tournament needs a home-grown winner to provide the best story this week.
That is possibly a little unfair on the Australians - and literally dozens of them are capable of winning - and the handful of Japanese golfers.
But a New Zealand winner would ignite the revived tournament and delight those on hand at the most spectator-friendly course in the country.
Much of the buzz has, rightly, centred on Hendry, who won the New Zealand PGA both years it was held at The Hills.
Brown and Geary must be considered, and another smart pick would be Paddison (33), who led the PGA through 12 holes of the final round last year before finishing third.
His confidence, after winning the Victorian PGA in Australia three weeks ago, is clearly high.
''I really feel like I'm a contender,'' Paddison said yesterday.
''I came third last year and that was with dropping a couple of shots on the back nine, so this year I'm looking to go two better.
''I don't see a reason why I can't win. I've won enough. I feel like I've proven to myself that I can win a tournament. But I haven't won anything over $120,000.
''It's just a matter of me staying patient and waiting for when it's your week.''
''I was oozing confidence for the week,'' he said.
''Every time you win, you realise how big a difference there is between winning a tournament and not winning a tournament.
''It is a bit like chalk and cheese between winning and doing well. Winning brings exemptions and potential sponsors. It's about winning, especially the tours I'm playing on, OneAsia and Australasia.''
Paddison enjoys The Hills but has not been to Millbrook since he played an amateur tournament there in 1997.
The lack of a New Zealand winner since Pearce's stunning Open victory in 2003 has not caused the professionals too many sleepless nights.
''I didn't even realise that. I haven't really thought about Mahal being the last New Zealand winner,'' Paddison said.
''It'd be great to see a Kiwi win the New Zealand Open again. I'd certainly like to win and fly the New Zealand flag very high.''
Perhaps, though, the winning flag will have two more stars on it.
World No 125 Scott Hend, Scott Strange, Kurt Barnes, Brody Ninyette and Nick Cullen are among the leading Australians, and both Anthony Summers and Matthew Griffin are coming off tour wins.
Then there is Jake Higginbottom, who won the Open as an amateur at Clearwater in 2012.
He was quick to respond when asked whether he, as defending champion, or Hendry, conqueror of the past two tournaments played at The Hills, would be under more pressure today.
''I'd probably say Mike. He's won the last two years here,'' Higginbottom said.
The 20-year-old said winning the Open changed his life.
''It probably fast-tracked my professional career a little bit. I've learned more in a year as a professional than I have in my whole amateur career.''
Apart from the nationality of the champion, any number of issues will be fascinating this week.
How will golfers cope with the introduction of the dual-course format for the first two rounds? Will the pro-am format bed in nicely? And will the tournament attract the crowds it did the first time around?
The forecast is fine for today, but showers are likely tomorrow.
NZ Open: The facts
Venues: The Hills and Millbrook (first two rounds only).
Par/lengths: 72, 6507m (The Hills); 72, 6536m (Millbrook).
Field: 136 in Open, 129 in accompanying pro-am.
Prize: $900,000 (including $50,000 for pro-am).
Format: Elite players compete in both the Open and, paired with amateurs, for the pro-am title. Pro-am scoring is best-ball format. After two rounds, the elite field is cut to top 60 plus ties, and pro-am field is cut to 35. Another pro-am cut, to 10 teams, is made for final round.
Defending champion: Jake Higginbottom (Australia).
Scoring records: The Hills, 62 (Peter Fowler, 2007, and Jin Jeong, 2012); Millbrook, formerly 62 (Peter Spearman-Burn, 2007), no record yet for new layout.
