First ever 12 man team Test Match between Golf Professionals from Australia and New Zealand

On March 7th, 2010 at the Lakes Resort Golf Club, Pauanui the inaugural Nagle Charles Challenge Trophy will be staged for the first time.

The concept of the Challenge Trophy has been formulated in the first instance to honour two great golfing legends.

Kel Nagle and Sir Bob Charles both Golf Hall of Famers and winners of the British Open who have unconditionally given their names to this challenge and have fully endorsed the concept.

Secondly the Challenge has been designed to bring together for the first time those Legends of the game who are over 50 years of age in a “Test Match Atmosphere” .

The Australian team led by former US PGA Champion, Wayne Grady will play the New Zealand team led by Sir Bob Charles.

It will be a twelve man team format which in years to follow will closely be aligned to the Presidents Cup format.

This will be a unique opportunity for todays “baby boomers” and golf purists alike to rekindle the memories of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s when golfers with familiar names like; Wayne Grady, Bob Shearer, Rodger Davis, Brian Jones, Randall Vines, Mike Ferguson, Terry Gale, Graham Marsh, Ian Stanley, Noel Ratcliffe, John Clifford, Sir Bob Charles, John Lister, Barry Vivian, Simon Owen, Walter Godfrey and Stuart Reese will be representing their respective country’s in a bid to win this prestigious trophy.

This afternoon event will be preceeded by the 18 hole Air New Zealand Pro-Am on the morning of March 7th and the whole day is a pre-cursor to the Lakes Resort Legends Pro-Am starting on the 9th March and finishing on the 11th March.

There is no charge for entry to this event just a gold coin donation to Charity.


Wall of Legends

In addition to the above Challenge we are also creating a Wall of Legends to celebrate the contribution that the Legends of the game have made over the last sixty years to Australasian Golf.

The qualifying criteria for “the wall” has been established and the response from the invitees has been overwhelming.

The official unveiling and induction will take place at The Lakes Resort at Pauanui in March of 2011.

However by March 7th, 2010 many of the photographs of the invitees will be gracing the wall where the centrepiece will be the Nagle Charles Challenge Trophy.

Already we have had acceptances for the 2011 induction from Bruce Crampton, David Graham, Graham Marsh, Bruce Devlin.

There are 49 invitees to “the wall” and between them they have accumulated collectively in excess of 1000 ( actual 1024) career successes excluding team events.

Between the invitees they have won 12 major Championships and invitees of note are:
Greg Norman – 88 career victories

Kel Nagle - 80 “ “

Peter Thompson - 76 “ “

Graham Marsh - 68 “ “

Bob Charles - 66 “ “

Terry Gale - 43 “ “

Bruce Crampton - 42 “ “

David Graham - 38 “ “

Bruce Devlin - 28 “ “

Rodger Davis - 28 “ “

Ian Stanley - 28 “ “

Alan Murray - 28 “ “

Bob Shearer - 27 “ “

Peter Senior - 26 “ “

Brian Jones - 22 “ “

The above figures have not updated the Australasian Legends Tour

It is intended in March 2011 to have all 49 invitees gathered at Pauanui for the unveiling in what will be the most significant gathering of Australasian golf immortals that has ever taken place.