Hillier's second win on the Charles Tour
Daniel Hillier posted his second win on the Charles Tour when he took out the inaugural New Zealand Super 6s at the Manawatu Golf Club in Palmerston North.
The Wellington golfer beat 17-year-old Auckland amateur Jang Hyun Lee in an intense final of the tournament sponsored by Brian Green Property Group.
The final was played over six holes with Hillier and Lee trading blows before Hillier prevailed with a one over par total, getting up and down in front of a large Manawatu crowd on hole No 18.
Hillier's first win on the New Zealand's Charles Tour, sponsored by Jennian Homes, came in the Harewood Open in Christchurch in 2015 when he was an amateur. Last month's win in Palmerston North was as a professional.
Hillier's win was all the more special with family and friends on hand and his father Nigel as caddy.
“Doing it front of friends and family is pretty crazy,'' Hillier said.
``It’s something I’ve thought about for a while now but to actually get it done means a lot.
``I remember my first win very vividly and to be able to lift the trophy here at the Manawatu Golf Club in a brand-new event is a special feeling.''
It was a week that could have turned out very differently for the 22-year-old as he was waiting on a European Tour invite which would have clashed with the Palmerston North event. The European tour tournament was eventually cancelled.
“To be honest I’m not too disappointed about that now,” Hillier said with a laugh.
“I’ll be celebrating with everyone tonight for sure, and now that I’m home instead of being overseas I’ll have a bit of down time before I try and repeat this effort at the Muriwai and Akarana Jennian Homes Charles Tour events.”
The New Zealand Super 6s is a brand new format to the Charles Tour, and is a format that Hillier is an advocate for.
The top 24 players from the first three days of play went into a knockout format played over six holes on the final day. Men and women, for the first time since 2007, were playing each other for the same prize pool.
Hillier said it was a different feeling playing in the final compared to the usual nerves of trying to close out a regular strokeplay event.
“With the new format being six-hole medal matchplay, it’s six-holes of really intense golf,'' he said.
“I played 30 holes of golf today and that’s something I can usually manage. I was sitting down having a break after my semi-final and I found it pretty hard to get back up,” he added with a chuckle.
“It’s a really tiring format as you’re under the pump the entire time. I’ve absolutely loved every minute of it, and I hope this event is long-lasting.”
Daniel Hillier with his trophy after the New Zealand Supers 6s at Palmerston North. On the left is his partner Siobhan and on the right is his parents Karen and Nigel. Photo credit: BW Media.