The New Zealand Open will start a week earlier than last year and whether the defending champion comes back should be known in a couple of weeks.
Organisers announced this week New Zealand professionals Tim Wilkinson and Steve Alker are lining up in next year's tournament, which will be played at Millbrook and the Hills, in Arrowtown, on March 1-4.
It was also confirmed the final two rounds for the professionals will be played at Millbrook.
Wilkinson will start at the Open for the first time in a decade while Alker has been a more regular starter, last playing in the Open in 2016.
In announcing the early March date, the tournament has been moved forward a week, through linking with the Asian Tour.
But that move means the tournament clashes with the World Golf Championship-Mexico event with the two tournaments on identical days.
The tournament in Mexico is an invitation-only event with big money at stake. It is limited to golfers who qualify through world rankings and different tours across the world.
The top two players from the Australasian order of merit automatically qualify for the WGC tournament in Mexico.
Last year's New Zealand Open champion, Matthew Griffen, who finished top of the Australasian order of merit, lined up at the WGC event and then flew for nearly two days to attempt to defend his title.
New Zealander Michael Hendry won this year's New Zealand Open and with it bolted up the Australian order of merit.
With two tournaments to go - the Australian Open, and the Australian PGA - which will be played next week - Hendry sits in fourth place on the order of merit.
Ahead are Australians Brett Rumford, Jason Norris and Adam Bland but a good performance at the Australian Open and the Australian PGA could enable Hendry to push up into the top two. He would almost definitely head to Mexico if he qualifies, such is the money at stake.
The tournament had the leading professionals playing the final two rounds at Millbrook last year, in a change from the Hills, and the finish would again be played at Millbrook next year.
The tournament is a pro-am event with 144 amateurs playing alongside professionals.
