The Kiwi Challenge is an annual golf tournament which is held as a part of the PGA Tour’s challenge. Now the Kiwi Challenge as the name suggests is played in New Zealand and on two different courses. This is a 36 hole tournament which started in 2008 and has a four man field that includes Adam Scott, Anthony Kim, Brandt Snedeker, and Hunter Mahan. The Kiwi Challenge of 2008 was aired in December on the large sports channel NBC and the tournament was originally played on the courses Kauri Cliffs as well as the Cape Kidnappers for two days. The players first play the initial round and then they get on to helicopters to the other course. The purse for the Kiwi Challenge in 2008 was set at $2.6 million with over $1.5 million was given to the winner. The Kiwi Challenge winner of 2008 was Hunter Mahan.

In the Kiwi Challenge four of the word’s top golfers go up against each other to compete for a price of $2 million in prize money. The latest Kiwi Challenge of 2009 will take place at Cape Kidnappers golf resort located in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.

This time the defending champion is Hunter Mahan as well as the runner up from last year’s Kiwi Challenge Anthony Kim. They will be joined by Sean O’Hair and the famous Camilo Villegas. They will play the 36-hole stroke play from 11 to 12 November. The beauty of the Kiwi Challenge is that apart from taking home the US$1 million cheque the winner also gets to call him self the “best golfer under age 30”. This is a title that every golfer under the age of thirty wants but not everyone gets.

According to the New York financier as well as Cape Kidnappers owner Julian Robertson the 2009 line up is something of the best of the best golfer under the age of 30. This type of line is considered to be a first in the history of the Kiwi Challenge. This is what adds to the interest of the game. It’s really anyone’s guess how might or might not walk away with the title but one thing is for sure and that is that this is going to be one hell of a match.

Between the young golfers they already have eight PGA wins. They also have over eighty top ten finishes as well as career winnings toping $40 million. The Cape Kidnapers Golf resort is unforgiving and challenging. Even the most seasoned of players have a hard time beating the golf course. This golf course was originally designed by the architect Tom Doak and opened in 2004. According to Golf Magazine it is no. 36 on the list of the world’s best golf courses. The Daily Telegraph rated it as the word’s best in 2008.