Daniel Hillier Eyes Victory in Final Round of Australian Open

Daniel Hillier stands poised for a strong finish at the Australian Open, entering the final round just four shots off the lead. The 27-year-old from Wellington delivered a solid performance at Royal Melbourne, carding a four-under-par 67 on Saturday. With a total score of 10-under for the tournament, Hillier is currently tied for sixth place alongside Australian golfer Min Woo Lee and former World No. 1 Adam Scott.

Leading the tournament is Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who concluded his third round with an impressive five-under 66, finishing with three consecutive birdies. Close behind him are South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, Australian Cam Smith, and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, all sitting at 12-under, two strokes off the lead.

Hillier’s third round was marked by resilience, particularly following a double bogey on the seventh hole. He recovered with an impressive streak of four birdies between holes 11 and 14, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure. This strong finish positions him well as he heads into the final round on Sunday.

Both Hillier and fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox began the day at six-under-par, three shots behind the lead. Fox struggled initially, recording four consecutive bogeys early in the round. However, he rebounded with four birdies to finish with an even par 71, placing him among nine players tied at six-under for the tournament, eight shots behind Neergaard-Petersen.

Hillier arrived in Australia with high hopes after narrowly missing out on a PGA Tour spot in the DP World Tour finale in Dubai, falling short by just two or three shots. He previously showcased his talent by tying for fifth at the Australian PGA Championship last week.

In a historical context, no New Zealander has ever won the Australian Open, which has been contested since 1904. Hillier expressed the significance of this statistic, highlighting the competitive nature of the tournament. “That is pretty crazy that there’s no New Zealand winner. There’s a lot of pretty awesome competition out there so it’s a tough one to win, but it’d be nice to have a good weekend and give it a shot,” he remarked on Friday.

Auckland’s Nick Voke is currently at two-under for the tournament, tied for 41st place, while fellow New Zealander Kazuma Kobori missed the cut, finishing at three-over after rounds of 75 and 70.

As the final round approaches, Hillier’s performance will be closely watched as he aims to break the long-standing Kiwi drought at Australia’s oldest golf tournament.