Gareth Paddison will come into the tournament in sublime form, after winning the Victoria PGA last month, and he says the tournament is wide open.
"There is a good group of players here who are in very good form. There's a great field of Australian players and several of our own.
"This could be anyone's open."
Although Paddison missed the cut at the Indonesian Open last week, he is feeling fine and said he was looking forward to competition with the likes of world No 80 Brendan Jones, Indonesian Open winner Nick Cullen as well as second and third place-getters there, David Smail and Michael Long.
"I'm feeling fine. I'm not 100% there. All you need is to hit it down the middle.
"It's hard to predict what you are going to get out of a tournament and what you are going to do."
Paddison played in all three NZ Opens held at The Hills between 2007 and 2010 and is familiar with the course and its technicalities.
"It's a championship golf course. You do have to play well and it is a good test of golf on this course."
After playing a practice round yesterday, the Wellingtonian found the greens "very, very quick" and hoped they would slow by the time the championship begins at 7.45am tomorrow.
"It is very fast at the moment. The greens are a little bit too quick, two days before a tournament.
"As long as they're [groundsmen] sensible in regard with not keeping the green too fast for the tournament, it should shape up."
The forecast for the week ahead indicates a drier course, meaning things would speed up.
"If the wind picks up, things could get silly out there."
The Hills general manager Ian Douglas said the course was softer and longer due to the rain over the past week and would harden up, which would make play "not so easy".
"The frosts will slow up play."
A team of 24 groundsmen would be working on the course from 4.30am every day before play began he said. Several ould come from the Otago Polytechnic.
Paddison thought the new format tournament would be a great trial event and predicted it would get larger as the years unfold.
"I'm sure it will be bigger and better next year. Players will look forward to this tournament next year.
"It will be great for New Zealand, the New Zealand golf scene and a great advert for him [Michael Hill], Queenstown and New Zealand.
"Michael seems very ambitious for the event, and with someone like him behind pushing it, it can only get bigger and better. He's certainly the guy to do it.
"It's a great thing and it's something different."
Now a regular to the region, Paddison said the surrounds never got old.
"You can't not love Queenstown."
