New Zealand Golf says any reports on future venues or co-sanctioning partners for its major tournament are "complete speculation".
The long wait to confirm where and when the next New Zealand Open will be staged continues into a sixth month.
Millionaire businessman Michael Hill's exclusive Hills course has hosted the last three Opens in Arrowtown, the last two in conjunction with the United States-based Nationwide Tour.
All deals expired in February, and since then details have emerged of a likely shift to Christchurch's Clearwater course, a possible personality clash between Hill and promoter Bob Tuohy, and not much else.
The latest report, in yesterday's Southland Times, suggested Clearwater would indeed get the next Open but that the tournament would then return to The Hills on a five-year contract.
"It's complete speculation. There is no truth to that rumour at all," NZ Golf chief executive Dean Murphy told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"We are getting very close. We are expecting to make a formal announcement within a few weeks.
"But anything about shifting to Clearwater or going back to The Hills is speculation. No decisions have been made.
"We have to wait until all negotiations are complete before we can decide anything."
Murphy acknowledged the process of confirming Open details, expected to be finished in April, was dragging on more than the national organisation would have liked.
"Absolutely. It's taking much longer than we thought. Far, far longer than what we anticipated.
"But it's a difficult time. We're trying to put all the different parties together and come up with the right decision."
A three-year deal with venues, sponsors and tours was most likely, though Murphy said it was possible deals could extend to five years.
It is widely believed the New Zealand Open will eventually jump to the fledgling OneAsia Tour, which demands a bigger purse, and Murphy gave a clear indication that will happen.
"We have been talking to OneAsia. Staying with the Nationwide is a possibility, but it's probably fairly distant with only one proposed major tournament in New Zealand.
"I don't think it's incredibly likely that we'll stay with Nationwide."
Hills spokeswoman Sam Gent told the Southland Times she could not comment on the Open's future but the course was in favour of the idea of a long-term deal.
"We'd like to be able to know that we can host it for a longer period than three years because, as Michael is a businessman, a five-year plan allows people to invest, be settled what the returns of their investment will be," Gent said.
"That will help the infrastructure of the local people as well, from marquee people to caterers and all that kind of thing. That certainty will allow us to lift it to the level that we are hoping to."
