Source: Radio New Zealand
Daniel Hillier of New Zealand talks to caddy Steve Williams during round one of the New Zealand Open. photosport
In-form Kiwi golfer Daniel Hillier flexed his muscles in his curtailed opening round as rain played a part on the first day of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown.
Unheralded Australian Matias Sanchez was the leader after day one at Millbrook Resort on seven-under, one stroke clear of New Zealand amateur Yuki Miya, who was among nearly half of the 156-strong field still to complete their round.
Among that group who will return early to the course on Friday was New Zealand’s second-best player Hillier, who was five-under with five holes still to play.
He sat level with seasoned Australian Wade Ormsby and American veteran Kevin Na, a five-time winner on the US PGA Tour.
Early rain forced a late start, slowing the fairways and greens.
It didn’t stop Hillier unfurling an impressive 13 holes and continuing his strong form from the World Tour.
The 27-year-old has racked up three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at Dubai, to win about $1 million and break into the world’s top 100 rankings.
He was also married on Saturday, an event that didn’t affect his game in the fading light of Central Otago.
Fellow-Kiwi and World Tour player Kazuma Kobori is a shot back on four-under, also hoping to be the first New Zealander to win the national open in nine years and just the third in 20 years.
Kazuma Kobori. www.photosport.nz
Kobori produced the shot of the day, holing out on the 210m fourth hole of the Remarkables course, his second ace of the Australasia PGA Tour season, following on from the Party Hole at the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
“It was kind of unexpected to get (another) one so soon,” Kobori said.
“You don’t really expect to hole it on that hole, especially with 4-iron in hand in these conditions.”
Sanchez cashed in on the best scoring conditions to shoot 64 on the Remarkables course, holing his last putt just before 8.30pm.
“I was just really happy to get it done, get the round in,” Sanchez said of his bogey-free round.
“This (event) is right up there, so to do it here, it’s really special, but I know it’s a quarter of the way down. It doesn’t really mean a whole lot.”
Matias Sanchez. www.photosport.nz
Ormsby, whose last tournament was as a fill-in player at LIV Adelaide, could rightly claim to have produced the best round of Thursday. His 66 came on the Coronet course which played considerably the more difficult of the two, providing just 10 of the top 29 scores on the end-of-day leaderboard.
A winner of five titles on the Asian Tour, including the Hong Kong Open twice, the South Australian is still searching for a victory on his home tour.
“I’ve never won on the Aussie tour and that’s something that I’ve always wanted to try and do,” Ormsby said.
“It’s nice to put myself towards the pointy end early in the week.”
After leaving LIV Golf, Na has come to Queenstown to start a new chapter of his 24-year professional career and he negotiated yesterday’s round without a bogey.
“I haven’t played competition golf in three months or so, maybe longer, but I feel like there’s a good energy, there’s a positive energy and I’m happy,” he said.
“Mind is fresh and I feel like I have a chance to enjoy golf more.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
