Daniel Hillier Eyes Victory at Australian Open, Four Shots Behind

Wellington’s Daniel Hillier is poised for a strong finish at the Australian Open, entering the final round four shots off the lead. After three rounds at Royal Melbourne, Hillier is tied for sixth place with Australian golfer Min Woo Lee and veteran Adam Scott, a former World No. 1, all sitting at 10-under for the tournament.

Hillier delivered an impressive performance on Saturday, carding four birdies in a row from holes 11 to 14, helping him to a four-under 67 for the day. Despite a double bogey on the seventh hole, he rebounded strongly, showcasing his skills as he heads into Sunday’s final round. The 27-year-old is currently four shots behind Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who finished his third round with an impressive five-under 66.

South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, Australian Cam Smith, and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz are positioned two shots ahead of Hillier, all at 12-under. Hillier began the day tied with fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox, who started poorly with four consecutive bogeys but managed to recover, finishing with a solid even-par 71 that included four birdies. Fox is now part of a nine-way tie at six-under for the tournament, trailing Neergaard-Petersen by eight shots.

Hillier arrived in Australia following a near miss for a spot on the PGA Tour at the DP World Tour finale in Dubai, where he narrowly missed qualification by a few shots. He previously tied for fifth at the Australian PGA Championship last week. Both Hillier and Fox are determined to break the longstanding trend of New Zealanders not winning Australia’s oldest golf tournament, which dates back to its inaugural event in 1904.

“That is pretty crazy (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,” Hillier commented on Friday regarding the lack of Kiwi champions in the tournament’s history.

In addition to Hillier and Fox, Auckland’s Nick Voke is at two-under and tied for 41st place after three rounds. Another New Zealander, Kazuma Kobori, missed the cut, finishing at three-over with rounds of 75 and 70.

As the final round approaches, Hillier’s performance will be closely watched by both fans and fellow competitors. With a strong finish, he could not only secure a notable position in this prestigious tournament but also make history for New Zealand golf.