Stunning Kiwi trick-shot golfer Tania Tare received a double dose of good news this week when she picked up Avis Car Rental New Zealand as a much needed new sponsor and also received an official invitation to play in the MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open.
Tare, a social media phenomenon with over 65,000 followers on Instagram and 20 million views on Facebook, has been doing the hard yards in pursuit of her LPGA Tour dream in the United States, and it is a dream come true for her to gain an invitation to play in the first LPGA in New Zealand.
The MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open will be staged at Windross Farm Golf Course in South Auckland from 28 September to 1 October.
Avis Pacific managing director Kaye Ceille says; “Tania’s dedication to her sport and willingness to work hard whilst retaining a smile on her face fits perfectly with our brand value of; ‘We Try Harder.’ We are thrilled to support her in her endeavours as part of our sponsorship involvement with the first ever LPGA event to be held in New Zealand, which lines up well for us as the Official Rental Vehicle sponsor for the tournament.”
Tim Watts, Commercial Director of The Clubhouse, the company promoting the event, says Tare brings a new dimension to the tournament.
“Tania is drawing thousands of people to golf through her trick-shots and her massive following on social media, which has attracted the attention of people who would not be drawn to the sport otherwise,” he says.
“She has been badly affected by injury in recent years – most players would have given up by now, but Tania has persevered and doesn’t tire of the hard work.”
Tare came through the New Zealand Golf High Performance programme and earned a golf scholarship to Florida International University, graduating in 2013 after a successful college career. Since then she has had three wrist surgeries over a frustrating three year period but is now back to full fitness.
Tare transformed herself into a trick shot sensation last October. Her signature move is the Laybourne trick where the club is flipped over her front shoulder and she catches it before hitting the ball. Her ability to flip clubs and juggle, chip and bounce balls has hugely elevated Tare’s profile. She has featured on sports broadcasting giant ESPN, the PGA show as well as Golf Channel and Golf Digest.
Her approach to finding new tricks is ‘simple enough that people can try it, but hard enough that they can’t do it’.
Tania is thrilled to be offered the opportunity to compete on such a big stage in her home country. “I feel really privileged to be offered an exemption into the NZ women’s open this year. The pathway to the top for professional golf is a grind and opportunities like this don’t come by too often.
“Exemptions can be game changers. And for me, I also like the idea of being part of such a big moment for women’s golf in NZ. The LPGA coming to NZ is a huge step in the best direction, bringing the best women’s players from around the world. It feels crazy to be considered a part of that selection,” she says.
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