Yesterday afternoon, some of the 102nd New Zealand Open golf tournament ambassadors headed to Arrowtown’s Buckingham Green, where children had a chance to "take a swing" against some of their sporting heroes.
Former Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming, former double All Black Jeff Wilson and former All Black Israel Dagg spent a couple of lighthearted hours mingling with fans, who were encouraged to have a go at the sport, before things start to get more serious this week.
Fleming said he was delighted to be back in Queenstown for what he considered his favourite sporting week of the year.
"It’s like you’re stepping into a professional golfer’s world — that’s what I love."
Coming in with a handicap of 7.5, he was relishing the chance to get back on to the greens at Millbrook Resort, hoping to redeem himself this year.
"The first year I played I didn’t know what to expect, so I took it quite seriously.
"I ended up in the final, partnered with Mark Brown.
"Since then I’ve been an absolute disgrace."
Despite spending 14 years representing New Zealand with a cricket bat, Fleming said there was nothing like the pressure of being inside the ropes at the NZ Open, which he described as "terrifying".
However, a couple of the other ambassadors also had not fared much better, he said.
"Israel Dagg, he hits for miles but he can’t putt and Jeff Wilson’s a talented athlete, but pressure-wise, there’s always a question mark."
Other ambassadors this year include English cricket legend Sir Ian Botham, former Black Sticks Olympian Ella Gunson, New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon, Seven Sharp co-host Jeremy Wells, England cricket coach Brendon McCullum and former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick.
The New Zealand Open is being played at Millbrook Resort from Thursday to Sunday, for the first time since 2020.
