Daniel Hiller finishes runner-up in Dubai after final round 65
Daniel Hillier – file image courtesy of Photosport NZ / NZ Open
New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier staged a remarkable final round of 65 (beaten by only one golfer) to almost snatch the Dubai Invitational at the Dubai Creek Resort after beginning the final round five shots behind the eventual winner, Nacho Elvira of Spain.
Hillier would finish in the runner-up position and earn €258,400, increasing his already significant take from events in the UAE following his runner-up finish in Dubai last year and a 5th place in Abu Dhabi.
When he finished his round nearly an hour before the final group of Elvira and South Africa’s Dylan Fritelli, Hillier was perhaps only hoping for the chance to finish in a share of second place, especially with the likes of Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy still with a few holes to play.
A lengthy birdie putt at the 15th had given Hillier a share of the lead with McIlroy and Elvira with Lowry and Marcus Armitage another shot back, but with those players having holes to play, surely someone would finish strongly to grab the lead.
Lowry appeared to have stolen a march on the field when he moved one ahead with a birdie at the 15th. It would be the Irishman, however, who gave up a one-shot lead at the 72nd hole when he found the greenside bunker with his approach, blasted across the green and into a penalty area, double bogeyed and at that point Hillier and Elvira were left in the lead at 9 under.
Within a few minutes, the 38-year-old Elvira had taken the lead with a birdie at the 17th, and he managed to safely negotiate the potentially dangerous 18th to secure his third DP World Tour title.
Hillier has become one of the real forces amongst the DP World Tour regulars since joining the tour in 2023, finishing 18th on the money list last year, and although he so nearly gained access to the PGA Tour via the DP World Tour money list, he is already showing that another year in Europe will be an even more successful one.
Hillier has finished inside the top 6 in four of his last five DP World Tour starts.
Hillier suggested after his round that a round of golf with fellow countryman Ryan Fox earlier in the week allowed him a different mindset this week, and it so nearly paid off in the best possible way.
“To be honest, at the start of the week I was chatting with Foxy,” said Hillier. “We had a couple of nine-hole matches, and he said, Why can’t you be like this when you’re playing in a tournament?
“Yeah, just pretend I was playing a little nine-hole match against the golf course, and yeah, basically taking it one shot at a time. Yeah, for the most part, happy days.”
Fox finished 27th in the 60-man field.
The DP World Tour continues in Dubai with this week’s Dubai Desert Classic, where Hillier and Fox will be joined by fellow Australasians Kazuma Kobori, Elvis Smylie, Jason Scrivener, and David Micheluzzi.
