Greg Turner is a New Zealand professional golfer who won both the 1989 and 1997 New Zealand Open Championships.
Born in Dunedin, Turner attended the University of Oklahoma in the United States and spent most of his career on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour.
Turner’s brothers are former national cricket captain Glenn Turner and award-winning poet Brian Turner. His sister-in-law, Sukhi Turner, is a former mayor of Dunedin.
Winning four tournaments on the European Tour and achieved a career-best ranking of 18th on the European Tour Order of Merit in 1997. He has represented New Zealand in international competitions many times and was one of Peter Thomson’s two wild card selections along with Frank Nobilo for the winning International Team in the 1998 Presidents Cup.
Since retiring from tournament golf, Turner has set up a golf course design and corporate hospitality business. He is also active in the promotion of a series of tournaments in New Zealand for both amateur and professional golfers.
1989 New Zealand Open
The success of Paraparaumu Beach as a venue the previous year saw the event return on November 2 to 5 1989.
With five previous winners, the course in excellent order and several New Zealanders on the leader board, the final day promised much. Nobilo, with a first-round 66 was the front runner until he triple bogied the par 3 fifth.
Of the thirteen players within five strokes of the lead at the start of the day, only seven made the top twelve. Greg Turner, who had a lack of success for quite some time provided great pleasure for the crowds with a fine round of 66 to win by six strokes from American Richard Gilkey.
1997 New Zealand Open
1997’s New Zealand Open was played at the Auckland Golf Club on December 11th to 14th. The Middlemore course had undergone a number of changes since it previously hosted the event in 1983 and proved a fine venue.
The Formosa Auckland Country Club on the Hauraki Gulf east of Auckland city was little more than a year old when chosen to host the championship. With much input from Bob Charles the course was designed to top international standards and at 6633 metres provides a challenge at the highest level.
Without rain, the greens turned glassy as the tournament progressed and demanded respect. Greg Turner showed great steadiness as three rounds of 69 indicated and was always close to the lead. Australian Lucas Parsons shot a course record 65 to take the lead on the second day but Turner responded well to win in a most deserving manner by seven strokes.
