Daniel Hillier charges from the back to win NZ Under-19

Daniel Hillier, flanked by Nelson Golf Club president Owen Kirker and New Zealand Golf board member Anna Shires, following his win in the New Zealand Under-19 Championship in Nelson.

Daniel Hillier went into the final round of the New Zealand Under-19 Championship in Nelson six shots from the lead and virtually out of discussion as a contender.
But like a horse race at Trentham the leaders found the home straight a long one and charging from the back was Hillier.
At the finish there was no need for a photo with Hillier winning by two shots. He had the equal best score of the final round with a brilliant five-under 66.
Sharing the equal best final round was Jake Meenhorst from Auckland who got up to share second with Charlie Smail from Waikato.
Most of the fireworks from Hillier came in the last seven holes. One of them was a fizzer with a bogey on the 17th but another four of them were birdies.
Hillier, from Manor Park Golf Sanctuary in Wellington, said he knew he would need to produce something special in the last round to give himself a winning chance.
“I was feeling pretty good about my game going into the tournament,’’ Hillier recalled.
“At the start of the (final) day I knew there was a big chase up ahead and I had to go pretty low to give myself a shot.
“I went out with an attacking mindset and it was one of those days when it pays off. Sometimes it doesn’t.
“I didn’t think it would pan out the way it did but I’m just really honoured to come away with the title again.”
Hillier, 18, had won the same tournament the previous year when it was held at Shandon in Wellington and the latest victory continued an outstanding year and a half.
In that time he had become the youngest male to win on New Zealand’s Charles Tour when beating the professionals at the age of 17 in the Harewood Open in Christchurch last October.
Five months earlier he had won the New Zealand Amateur Championship in Auckland and more recently he won the Australian Boys’ Amateur Championship for under-18s in Tasmania in April.
The Tasmanian win gained him a start in the Australian Open at the Royal Sydney Golf Cub from November 17-20 and Hillier is very much looking forward to it.
“They’ve announced that Jason Day, Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth will all be there so it’ll be nice to hopefully meet a couple of them,’’ he said.
“If I’m extremely lucky, maybe I’ll get a practice round with one of them.”
But for the meantime to win consecutive under-19 national titles was a proud moment.
“It’s awesome to be in the winner’s circle once again and my year seems to keep getting better,” he said.
“To win and then defend this championship is something I will never forget, so it’s a pretty special day for me.”