The NZ PGA Championship has already stolen a march over the New Zealand Open by securing the entry of a player inside the world's top 100, Australian Brendan Jones.
The New Zealand Open's highest ranked player was another Aussie, the 228th ranked Brad Kennedy who went on to win the tournament at Christchurch's Clearwater Golf Club.
Kennedy's fellow Japan Tour member, Jones, has now agreed to tee it up in the NZ PGA at The Hills near Queenstown in late March.
Jones, the world No.80, isn't a household name on this side of the Tasman, and even hardly on his own, but can lay claim to a long list of accomplishments.
The 36-year-old made it to the heights of 57th in the world in late 2010 and made headlines shortly after in the New Year of 2011.
Qualifying 64th and last for the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play, he was drawn against world No.1 Tiger Woods in his official comeback from a much-publicised break from the game due to knee surgery.
Jones lost on that occasion, 3 and 2, but said at the time he felt like 'the luckiest guy in the world' to be involved in the match.
He has twice represented Australia at the World Cup, is 22nd in the Japan Tour's all-time money list and won The Crowns tournament last April.
Jones also has history in New Zealand, and the NZ PGA as well. He has played in the country several times, including the 2004 NZ PGA Championship where he finished second.
It will be his first trip to Queenstown, and The Hills course, but he has been given plenty of information by his Kiwi caddy amongst others.
"My caddy and many others have told me Queenstown is one of the most beautiful places in the world and also I have heard some fantastic things about The Hills Golf Course," Jones said.
"I'm really looking forward to starting my year at the NZ PGA pro-am in late March".
Jones is the eighth player to be announced for the tournament, which has taken on a new feel as a pro-am style week – similar to the AT&T Pebble Beach event on the PGA Tour at the moment.
Jones joins another former PGA Tour player, David Frost of South Africa, along with a local contingent Phil Tataurangi, Mark Brown, Richard Lee, Ryan Fox, Michael Hendry and Gareth Paddison.