Golf course managers are still in the dark over whether the New Zealand Open will be held at The Hills course in Arrowtown this year.
New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy still could not be contacted for comment yesterday about a Radio Sport report, also posted on its website, that said the Open was "likely" to be held at The Hills in December, with an announcement from New Zealand Golf expected within a fortnight.
The Hills general manager Sam Gent said yesterday she had still had no contact from New Zealand Golf.
"I think I said it all yesterday, really. I don't want to jeopardise anything," she said.
"We're still continuing to move ahead and I still haven't heard anything."
She said her understanding was that the Clearwater course in Christchurch thought it had clinched the Open.
"I was pretty convinced that Christchurch had it.
"But in the absence of conversations with the people who own the tournament, everybody's speculating," Gent said.
Clearwater general manager Steve Power said he was unable to comment on whether his course would be hosting the Open.
"All we can say is that we haven't heard anything recently, at all," he said.
The Hills hosted the Open in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and was widely credited for reinvigorating the event.
But all sponsorship and co-sanctioning deals expired after the last event, and promises of action from New Zealand Golf have amounted to nothing.
