The NZ Open will proceed without the nation's premier golfer, after Ryan Fox announced he'll skip the annual tournament at Queenstown's Millbrook later this month.
Fox says he wants to focus on the PGA Tour this year, as he plays on a full card for the first time in his career.
"Unfortunately I have made the tough decision to miss the New Zealand Open this year,'' Fox wrote in an Instagram post.
"Whilst it is disappointing to miss one of my favourite events, my priority is in succeeding on the PGA Tour and I'll be staying in the US for the foreseeable future in order to give myself the best chance of doing that.
"Wishing everyone at the New Zealand Open a fantastic week and I will be back in the future."
Fox also missed last year's NZ Open in favour of playing the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational in California.
The Aucklander is coming off a breakthrough season in 2023, winning the BMW PGA Championship and placing second at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to earn a career-best world ranking of No. 28 and his full PGA Tour card for 2024, pocketing over $6 million in prize money along the way.
The NZ Open takes place from February 29 to March 3.
