Kade McBride and his Geoff King Motors North Coast Open trophy- photo David Tease Golf NSW
The North Coast of NSW and the Tweed Coast beyond, have suffered from a deluge of rain this past week but, despite it all, two $50,000 36 hole events have been decided, Gold Coast professional Kade McBride winning one and Queensland amateur, Will Florimo, heading a field of professionals at the rain shortened Tweed Coast Open to win the other.
On Wednesday McBride, from the Sanctuary Cove Golf Club, came from well off the first-round pace to win the Geoff King North Coast Open at the Coffs Harbour Golf Club after rain had interrupted play on two occasions on day one, forcing the first round into day two.
McBride, who has played the China and Australasian Tours in the early stages of his professional career, has been restricted from playing opportunities other than, essentially, pro-ams in recent times, but he has shown a little bit of form in recent weeks in events such as the Queensland PGA Championship and the TPS Series events in Victoria.
McBride began the final round at Coffs Harbour two shots behind the joint first round leaders Corey Lamb and Coffs Harbour member and University of Iowa graduate, Amelia Mehmet-Grohn, in the 36-hole event but by the time he reached the 10th tee he led by two.
In increasing rain and on a rain drenched golf course and with the threat of play being called off, McBride would birdie two further holes on his closing nine but a double bogey opened the door for the 20 year old amateur (soon to be professional) Corey Lamb from Branxton in the Hunter Valley.
Lamb, who won the Concord Cup a few weeks ago and played his way into the upcoming NSW Open in the process, recovered from a shaky start to fight his way back and when McBride stumbled at the 17th he was just one back.
Lamb then birdied the par five 17th but, in the group ahead, McBride hit a delightful shot from the right rough to five feet at the last and made the putt for birdie.
It was enough for McBride to win by one and take the historic title and the $9,000 cheque.
Lamb finished second while Mehmet-Grohn was another three shots back in 3rd place and claiming a cheque for $5400, having turned professional just two months ago.
The players then headed north to Tweed Heads for the Tweed Heads Open at the Coolangatta Tweed Heads Golf Club with the prospect of the event even being played under a cloud, literally.
Tweed Heads appeared to be in a rain shadow of sorts between the deluges being experienced further south and further north and play was completed on day one with Queensland amateur William Florimo producing an amazing round of 10 under par 62 to lead at the completion of the opening 19 holes.
22 year old Florimo’s brilliance established a two-shot lead over Lismore’s former Hong Kong Open winner, Sam Brazel.
Organisers were again forced to play the final round as a shotgun start as rain storms loomed and as Florimo began to feel the effects of leading several quality players chasing him down including Brazel and former PGA Tour player, Michael Sim, he fell off the pace and by the turn he trailed Brazel by four.
Douglas Klein and local Damien Jordan moved into a share of second and three from the lead when storms forced players from the course and play to be abandoned with the final group on the 11th hole.
Scores reverted back to the day one results and Will Florimo was declared the winner over Sam Brazel, Brazel claiming the first prize of $9000 with Florimo’s amateur status precluding him from taking any share of the purse.
While the events were small in nature compared to PGA Tour of Australasia events most have played in recent times, they provided a great opportunity for both male and female professional amateurs to play competitive golf for a solid purse for 36 hole events but for
The events also offered the chance the chance for those not otherwise qualified to play their way into the NSW Open in a few week’s time should they finish inside the top three not otherwise qualified for the event at the Concord Golf Club in mid March.
In Coffs Harbour it would be Kade McBride, Neven Basic and Jordan Mullaney who earned those honours while at Tweed Heads although it was Florimo, Brazel and Jay McKenzie.
Florimo was delighted to have earned the chance to test his game against the strong field likely at Concord Golf Club ahead of a decision to turn professional later in the year.
“Honestly I can’t wait,” Florimo beamed. “It’s going to be great to play one last event at this level as an amateur, and hopefully I will finish my career off with a good stretch of golf.”
It was a week where tournament organisers from both Golf NSW and the PGA of Australia were stretched to the limit by the issues created by a rain depression hovering over the east coast for much of the week but for those who played, just having a chance to compete was welcomed.
Live stream of North Coast Open
Will Florimo – photo golf NSW
Yours truly looking a little more respectable than five hours later
Green chasing hat-trick of titles in Singapore
Hannah Green in full flight at the Murray River event – can she make it three in a row? photo Golf Australia
Australian Hannah Green will chase a hattrick of victories when she tees it up at the grandly named HSBC Women’s World Championship at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course in Singapore this week.
Fresh from victories at the Women’s Victorian Open and the gender combined TPS Murray River, Green will play her first LPGA Tour event of 2022 and while she has not competed in any of the three events on that schedule to date in 2022, she brings a lot of confidence from her impressive victories at 13th Beach and Cobram Barooga.
Green will be joined by fellow Australians Minjee Lee, Su Oh and Sarah Kemp, along with New Zealander Lydia Ko in the 65 player field.
The event will be followed a week later by yet another LPGA Tour event in Thailand where most in this field will move north.
Adding further to Green’s chances this week is that in her only previous start in the 72 hole event she finished runner-up twelve months ago, just one behind Hyo Joo Kim.
World number three, Lydia Ko, has not finished outside the top 15 in seven times to the event, four of those top tens and given her most recent form she is expected to even improve on that record.
Minjee Lee was runner-up two years ago behind Sun Hyung Kim and finished 6th the previous year but Lee is making her first appearance on the LPGA Tour in 2022 and it may be there is a little rust to shake off ahead of Thailand.
Su Oh of course won the women’s version of the Australian PGA Championship six weeks ago and Sarah Kemp missed a start at the WAPGA event won by Oh due to Covid issues.
Coffs Harbour and Tweed titles decided despite rain storms
Kade McBride and his Geoff King Motors North Coast Open trophy- photo David Tease Golf NSW
The North Coast of NSW and the Tweed Coast beyond, have suffered from a deluge of rain this past week but, despite it all, two $50,000 36 hole events have been decided, Gold Coast professional Kade McBride winning one and Queensland amateur, Will Florimo, heading a field of professionals at the rain shortened Tweed Coast Open to win the other.
On Wednesday McBride, from the Sanctuary Cove Golf Club, came from well off the first-round pace to win the Geoff King North Coast Open at the Coffs Harbour Golf Club after rain had interrupted play on two occasions on day one, forcing the first round into day two.
McBride, who has played the China and Australasian Tours in the early stages of his professional career, has been restricted from playing opportunities other than, essentially, pro-ams in recent times, but he has shown a little bit of form in recent weeks in events such as the Queensland PGA Championship and the TPS Series events in Victoria.
McBride began the final round at Coffs Harbour two shots behind the joint first round leaders Corey Lamb and Coffs Harbour member and University of Iowa graduate, Amelia Mehmet-Grohn, in the 36-hole event but by the time he reached the 10th tee he led by two.
In increasing rain and on a rain drenched golf course and with the threat of play being called off, McBride would birdie two further holes on his closing nine but a double bogey opened the door for the 20 year old amateur (soon to be professional) Corey Lamb from Branxton in the Hunter Valley.
Lamb, who won the Concord Cup a few weeks ago and played his way into the upcoming NSW Open in the process, recovered from a shaky start to fight his way back and when McBride stumbled at the 17th he was just one back.
Lamb then birdied the par five 17th but, in the group ahead, McBride hit a delightful shot from the right rough to five feet at the last and made the putt for birdie.
It was enough for McBride to win by one and take the historic title and the $9,000 cheque.
Lamb finished second while Mehmet-Grohn was another three shots back in 3rd place and claiming a cheque for $5400, having turned professional just two months ago.
The players then headed north to Tweed Heads for the Tweed Heads Open at the Coolangatta Tweed Heads Golf Club with the prospect of the event even being played under a cloud, literally.
Tweed Heads appeared to be in a rain shadow of sorts between the deluges being experienced further south and further north and play was completed on day one with Queensland amateur William Florimo producing an amazing round of 10 under par 62 to lead at the completion of the opening 19 holes.
22 year old Florimo’s brilliance established a two-shot lead over Lismore’s former Hong Kong Open winner, Sam Brazel.
Organisers were again forced to play the final round as a shotgun start as rain storms loomed and as Florimo began to feel the effects of leading several quality players chasing him down including Brazel and former PGA Tour player, Michael Sim, he fell off the pace and by the turn he trailed Brazel by four.
Douglas Klein and local Damien Jordan moved into a share of second and three from the lead when storms forced players from the course and play to be abandoned with the final group on the 11th hole.
Scores reverted back to the day one results and Will Florimo was declared the winner over Sam Brazel, Brazel claiming the first prize of $9000 with Florimo’s amateur status precluding him from taking any share of the purse.
While the events were small in nature compared to PGA Tour of Australasia events most have played in recent times, they provided a great opportunity for both male and female professional amateurs to play competitive golf for a solid purse for 36 hole events but for
The events also offered the chance the chance for those not otherwise qualified to play their way into the NSW Open in a few week’s time should they finish inside the top three not otherwise qualified for the event at the Concord Golf Club in mid March.
In Coffs Harbour it would be Kade McBride, Neven Basic and Jordan Mullaney who earned those honours while at Tweed Heads although it was Florimo, Brazel and Jay McKenzie.
Florimo was delighted to have earned the chance to test his game against the strong field likely at Concord Golf Club ahead of a decision to turn professional later in the year.
“Honestly I can’t wait,” Florimo beamed. “It’s going to be great to play one last event at this level as an amateur, and hopefully I will finish my career off with a good stretch of golf.”
It was a week where tournament organisers from both Golf NSW and the PGA of Australia were stretched to the limit by the issues created by a rain depression hovering over the east coast for much of the week but for those who played, just having a chance to compete was welcomed.
Live stream of North Coast Open
Will Florimo – photo golf NSW
Yours truly looking a little more respectable than five hours later
Matt Jones chasing defence of Honda Classic title
Matt Jones with last year’s trophy – photo Getty Images
Matt Jones already had great memories of the Honda Classic and the PGA National Course in Palm Beach Gardens even before his five-shot victory over Brandon Hagy last year.
In his very first start in the event in his rookie PGA Tour season in 2008, Jones finished 4th, three shots behind Ernie Els and has now made six of eight cut in the event since his first appearance that year.
“To be associated with this golf tournament and be a defending tournament of this tournament that’s been around for so long is great,” said Jones in a pre-event press conference as the defending champion.
Jones has recorded a mixture of results thus far in 2022, finishing 3rd at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, an event he gained access to as a result of his Honda Classic win 12 months ago. Jones also finished 15th at the Riviera Country Club last week his game is reasonable shape.
“It’s been good all year. I haven’t putted the best, and that would show on my stats, but if I can figure that out I’m looking forward to this week. And it’s always a test and a battle out here, so it’s more of a course where you just try and battle along and just make pars, make a couple of birdies here and there and limit your mistakes, and that’s what I did last year and hopefully I’ll do this year.”
The Palm Beach Garden layout is an exposed golf course where wind can be a genuine factor but Jones suggested it is an element of the course that plays into his hands.
“I’m used to the wind. I’ve normally performed well in the wind in the past and over in Australia growing up in the wind you just try to lower your ball flight a little bit, which actually helps me, I like to hit a low ball flight naturally, I’m not a high-ball flight hitter. So historically I would say the more wind the better for me.”
Jones will be joined in the field by fellow Australians Lucas Herbert and Brett Drewitt, Herbert having finished 46th in his only appearance in this event last year while Drewitt who regained his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour last year, has played the event just once for a missed cut in 2017.
Adam Scott finishes 4th at Riviera Country Club
Adam Scott – file photo
Adam Scott has recorded his best PGA Tour finish in more then six months and his second best since winning this same event two years ago with a share of 4th place at the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
For Scott is continued a very successful relationship with Riviera having won the event on two occasions and finished twice runner-up.
Scott began the final round brilliantly as he attempted to chase down the tearaway leader Joaquin Niemann who he trailed by ten shots at the start of the day.
Scott eagled the first and then birdied the 4th and 6th holes and by the turn he had reduced the ten-shot margin to just five but a bogey at the 10th slowed the momentum. Although he would add another eagle at the 17th, the 41 year old would eventually finish five shots behind the winner Niemann and three shots from the share of second place recorded by Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa.
The massive purse of US$12 million means Scott will walk away with US$540,000 for his share of 4th with Viktor Hovland.
For Scott the week reinforced his love of the Riviera Country Club; “That’s a nice way to finish,” he opened referring to his eagle at the 17th. “I have good feelings around here and, like everything, seems a little bit easy.
“Even though I wasn’t winning this week, even the bad stuff didn’t get me down so much. So it’s nice when you’re out on the course with like a really light-hearted vibe. This place does that for me.”
Scott takes some good form into the next few weeks leading into Augusta National and he referred to a current satisfaction with his game.
“When you’re playing good, it’s generally easier to kind of process what happened out there for the week. There’s not too much bad. You’re not needing to rebuild at this point. I think I’m working on all the right things. I wouldn’t change anything much, but just a little more practice and hopefully it keeps kind of embedding itself into my routines out there and I make a few more putts and a few less bad shots and hopefully be winning soon.”
Matt Jones and Marc Leishman were the next best of the Australians when they tied for 15th, New Zealander Danny Lee was 21st, Cameron Smith 33rd and Cameron Davis 48th.
For Danny Lee the finish comes after four consecutive missed cuts on the PGA Tour and hopefully reverses a trend which has seen him slip outside the top 250 in the world.
Class prevails as Hannah Green wins again
Holding trophies a habit worth getting used to for Green – photo PGA Australia
Perth’s Hannah Green might have had the benefit of playing from the forward tees available to the women’s field in this week’s TPS Murray River event in the cross-border townships of Cobram Barooga on the Murray River, but the highest ranked golfer of either gender in the field showed why she is just that with a four-shot victory in the $200,000 event.
Green was one of four golfers tied in the lead at 15 under par as the event entered its final round today although the early stages of the day became a contest between Green and NSW Japan Tour player, Andrew Evans – until the 10th hole that was.
It was at that point when Green, one of only four Australian females to win a major championship, separated herself from the field when she chipped for eagle in from just short of the near driveable par 4, then added another birdie at the 11th to race clear.
Others would then join Evans in the race for second place, but Green held on to win comfortably and complete a great start to 2022, this being her second win in as many starts following her Vic Open victory last week and earn $36,000 to go with her $72,000 last week.
“I feel amazing,” said Green. “I’m just so grateful that I came. It actually wasn’t my plan to play; I was hoping to go back to Perth. Things happen for a reason so I’m really glad that I made it,” added Green, who last Sunday won the Vic Open title at 13th Beach.
“I wanted to win these two events as soon as I said that I’d enter them. I didn’t think it was a ridiculous goal to try and get my name on these trophies so now that that’s done hopefully I can continue this momentum.
“I want to be in the top-10 in the world. I think I can achieve it. If I keep playing the golf that I am now hopefully I can get there.”
Evans and West Australian amateur, Hayden Hopewell tied for second place, Evans earning $20,000 while Hopewell is still unable to accept prizemoney.
Rookie professional Grace Kim and New Zealand rookie Momoka Kobori tied for 4th.
Green is currently ranked 30th in the Rolex Rankings for female golf but she has been as low as 13th and today she gave an indication of why she is not only ranked so highly but rated so highly by the industry and her peers.
This was just her second tournament of the year and given her win last week and this convincing performance the break she has had has done her well.
Evans regained his Japan Tour playing rights late last year when winning the Tour School in that Country while Hopewell could now be considered one of Australia’s best young prospects, having won the West Australian Open in 2020 as an amateur amongst many other titles.
The winner now heads to Singapore for her first LPGA Tour event of 2022 and takes an impressive vein of form with her.
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Hannah Green continues great start to 2022 to lead in Cobram Barooga
Green in full flight on Friday – photo PGA Australia
The series of events jointly sanctioned between the PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour rolled into Cobram / Barooga, joint towns on opposite sides of the Murray River in Northern Victoria, this week for yet another event in the Webex Player Series and it is last week’s Women’s Victorian Open winner, Hannah Green who leads the way.
This week’s event brings both the men’s and the women’s fields together for the $200,000 TPS Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle where both genders compete against each other, separated only by the tees which the respective fields play from.
Green added a second round of 65 to her opening 64 and leads by one over NSW golfer and Japan Tour player, Andrew Evans, and by three over last week’s contender at the Vic Open Whitney Hillier, Cassie Porter, New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori and Canberra’s Matthew Millar.
Green, one of only four Australian females to win a major title, is playing just her second tournament of the year but the manner in which she won last week at 13th Beach and her hot start today suggests she will be great chance to make it two in a row to get her 2022 season underway.
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Ryan Fox completes impressive weekend for New Zealand golf
Ryan Fox holds his second DP World (European) Tour trophy – photo Getty images
Ryan Fox has led the way in what has been a good weekend for New Zealand golf, Fox winning his second European Tour title, Daniel Hillier finishing third in a European Challenge Tour event in South Africa and Ben Campbell finishing runner-up at the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Vic Open and, for Campbell, gaining a start at the Open Championship in July
Fox took a six shot lead into the final round of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic in the UAE but, as is often the case, such leads can prove difficult to defend. He did eventually win by five but there were occasions during the final round when things appeared to be going against the 35 year old, his lead reduced to just two early in the second nine.
It would be a birdie putt of some 45 feet at the 12th that got things back on track and with further birdies at the 13th and 18th he would win by five over England’s Ross Fisher.
The win was worth 299,000 (NZ$508,000) and move him from his current 211th place in the world ranking to around 120th when the revised rankings are announced later today.
It might have appeared like a comfortable win but there were some nervous moments for the long hitting Aucklander who won his second European Tour title nearly three years after his first in Perth in February of 2019.
“Probably relief is the main emotion, obviously it was a bit of a struggle today,” said Fox after his win. “Sleeping on a six shot lead, I didn’t sleep very well last night. Obviously a couple of the guys came at me early. I was a bit nervous, I had that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach all day but I’m very happy with how I played, a couple of great shots coming down the stretch and it was certainly nice walking down the last with putter in hand with so many putts to win.
“I learned that I’m pretty resilient, obviously there was some bad stuff in there but I just kept plugging away. There were a couple of big momentum putts on the back nine, the one on ten for par and then the one on 12 just kick-started everything and I felt like I played pretty solid the rest of the way in.
“It was going south pretty quickly there and I’m pretty happy I could turn it around and show plenty of mental fortitude there.
“Probably the one on 12 was the turning point. I haven’t been a massive fan of that tee shot for two weeks and I got away with one there. Obviously I wasn’t aiming there, I pushed it a little bit, but at least I hit it solid.
“I thought I hit a decent second shot, the breeze just didn’t really move it left and thankfully the hole got in the way with my putt, to be honest I probably would have had three or four feet coming back but it looked good all the way and that just changed everything, it gave me more of a buffer.
“Obviously 13 and 14 you feel like you have a couple of birdie holes coming home and I managed to birdie 13 which made it a little easier coming down the stretch, but obviously not that easy.
“I’ve got a nervous energy, my old man is the same – he paces around on the phone – and I think I probably walked 25km today with how much I paced around the greens. That’s just me and I was definitely thinking about the family coming down the last couple of holes.
“It’s pretty big for them, they’ve got to come over to Europe every year and that’s a little bit harder with a little one now, and this win makes that a little bit easier for them to do that.
“I’m a bit disappointed I missed (his 14-month-old daugher) Isabel walking for the first time and I’ve got ten days in a quarantine hotel when I get home to think about that as well, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing them when I get out of the hotel in late February. The first couple of days in there I might have a pretty sore head but after that I think it’ll feel pretty good with the trophy.”
Hillier bounced back from a disastrous start to his final round of the Dimension Data Pro Am at the Fancourt Estate in South Africa after beginning the final round just one from the lead.
A bogey at the 2nd hole was followed by a double bogey at the third and any hope he had of winning a second Challenge Tour title appeared gone. He would, though, add five more birdies before a bogey at the last saw him finish alone in 3rd place and four from the winner, Alexander Knappe of Germany.
The event was the first of several in South Africa and Tanzania over the next few weeks allowing the 23 year old New Zealander to build some early season momentum. It provides a solid start to his second season on the European Challenge Tour from which he no doubt hopes to emerge as a European Tour card holder at season’s end.
Ben Campbell finished runner-up at the Vic Open at 13th beach on the Bellarine Peninsula and a wrap of that event can be seen here.
Papadatos and Green win respective Vic Open titles.
Hannah Green and Dimi Papadatos – photo Golf Australia
Dimi Papadatos and Hannah Green have won their respective Vic Open Championships at 13th Beach today.
Papadatos won by a narrow one shot over New Zealander, Ben Campbell, after a tense battle over the closing stages of the final round on the Bellarine Peninsula, while Green had a much more comfortable time when winning by six shots over the Gold Coast’s Karis Davidson and her fellow West Australian Whitney Hillier..
For Papadatos the win is his 5th in his professional career, his 4th PGA Tour of Australasia title and his second Vic Open win after first winning in 2017.
For Green it was her first win at home in the paid ranks, but her third overall in addition to her two LPGA Tour victories, one of those a major title.
In addition to his win and the $74,000 first place cheque, Papadatos, along with Campbell and Victorian Matthew Griffin, have played their way into the field for the Open Championship later this year, the leading three players in this week’s men’s field earning a start at St Andrews in July.
“The Open is an added bonus,” said Papadatos. “I was just trying to get the win today so that was definitely the highlight. I’ll worry about The Open when it comes. To win this is outstanding.
“I’ve played the Dunhill Links about four times. I haven’t had much luck over there. I struggle in the cold and the wind so I’ve got a bit of work to do. But I’m just looking forward to it. It’s going to be awesome.
“I played Royal Portrush when I finished second at the Australian Open in 2019 and that was pretty cool. So I know what that’s all about now.”
“It’s been such a long time since my last win in Portugal in 2018 so I wasn’t sure I still had it in me,” added Papdatos jokingly
Campbell gave it his best but came up just one short although a start at The Open Championship in July is quite a consolation. “It’s always nice to finish second if you have a bonus like that,” said Campbell on securing his place at St Andrews, where he will make his debut appearance in a major championship.
“I shot six under to finish today and it’s going to be nice heading to St Andrews. I’ve played there quite a bit, a lot as an amateur. It should be awesome.”
Papadatos plays the Challenge Tour in Europe, frustratingly missing out on full European Tour status over the last few years but this win will go some way to earning one of the three DP World (European Tour) cards available to the leading three on the PGA Tour of Australasia money list at the end of the 2022 season.
Papadatos will likely move inside the top five following his win.
Campbell has won only once in a career plagued by injury and health issues but the former runner-up at both the Australian and New Zealand Amateur Championships is a significant talent and today gave Papadatos all he could handle as he kept the outcome alive until the final hole.
Green is Australia’s second highest ranked female after her fellow West Australian Minjee Lee and her class showed as she fought off LPGA Tour rookie in 2022, Davidson and yet another West Australian Ladies European Tour player, Whitney Hillier.
This was Green’s first start in 2022 ahead of another LPGA Tour campaign which begins in Singapore on March 3rd.
She took control of the event from Hillier following her third round of 68 and despite a slow start to her final round she never gave the others a chance as she powered home in 33 for her comfortable win.
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Fox and Hillier building on New Zealand’s early 2022 success
Daniel Hillier one off the lead in South Africa – photo Sunshine Tour
Fresh from the recent win by its favourite golfing daughter, Lydia Ko, and a runner-up finish in Hawaii by PGA Tour Champions player Steve Alker, New Zealand golf is poised for further success with their highest and third highest ranked male golfers, Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier, very much in contention in events in the UAE and South Africa.
Fox continued his remarkable bounce-back from last week’s missed cut also in the UAE to lead from an opening round of 63 at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic at the Al Hamra Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
Fox’s lead has stretched to six shots after a third round of 65 and he heads Spain’s Adri Arnaus and Pablo Larrazabal, Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and Poland’s Adrian Meronk in the US$2 million event.
In George in South Africa, the highly promising Daniel Hillier finds himself just one behind Germany’s Alexander Knappe at the Dimension Data Pro-Am, a European Challenge Tour event, having led after round one and following a relatively disappointing second round of 72, charging back into contention with round of 63 overnight.
Fox is chasing a second European Tour title, having won in Perth nearly three years ago while Hillier is seeking a second Challenge Tour title having won during his rookie Challenge Tour season in 2021.
Fox, who missed the cut last week due in the main to a back injury he was suffering at the time, has highlighted his fitness with his impressive play over the opening 54 holes and while a six shot lead can be a tricky one he is delighted with what his play has created ahead of tomorrow’s final round.
“My head is in a pretty good place,” he replied when asked where is head was given the lead he has. “Ask me that on the first tee tomorrow and I might have a slightly different answer but I felt like I had really good control over the ball today, only hit a couple of bad shots and holed some putts as well.
“So I’ve put myself exactly where I want to be and it’s all on me tomorrow, someone’s going to have to do something really low or I’m going to have to play poorly so hopefully I can keep playing how I’ve played in the past few days and put it out of reach.
“I think I’ve made six bogeys all week and bounced back every time, so I don’t know why. It’s just felt like one of those weeks where every part of my game has just worked and when I’ve hit a bad shot I haven’t let it get to me too much.
“I’ve probably been lucky enough for the most part, I’ve had an easier hole after I’ve made a bogey most of the week. I’ve also seen a couple of putts go in like the one I had on ten after bogeying nine so everything’s been going pretty well.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been perfect. I hit two terrible drives on nine and 12 and missed a short one for par on nine. I let a couple slip yesterday, obviously I bogeyed the last which was playing downwind, but for the most part everything has worked which is kind of rare for me to be honest.
“I’ve always had something for the week that hasn’t worked, whether it’s the putter or I haven’t done everything else very well. But everything has seemed to click and hopefully I can keep that going for one more day.”
Hillier’s win last year in his first season on the Challenge Tour was impressive but was not enough to earn him a European Tour card and so he will continue to build on his growing experience at this level and a win tomorrow would give him a great start in pursuit of a DP World (European) Tour card for 2023.
Hillier made the cut and performed with distinction in the Asian Tour event in Saudi Arabia last week and earned US$17,000 which at this stage was no doubt a boost to his bank balance and his confidence given the strength of that field.
The 23 year old former Australian and New Zealander junior champion and twice the New Zealand Amateur Champion, is expected to rise to significant heights in the game and tomorrow presents a good opportunity to build on an already impressive start to his professional career.
SCORES FOX
SCORES HILLIER
Ryan Fox extends lead in UAE
Ryan Fox – file photo Getty images / European Tour
35-year-old New Zealander, Ryan Fox, has extended his opening round lead of two to three at the halfway stage of the US$2 million DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic at the Al Hamra Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
Fox added a second round of 69 to his opening 63 to move clear of West Australian Jason Scrivener, Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal, South African’s Justin Harding, Zander Lombard and Oliver Bekker and Italy’s Francesco Laporta.
After missing the cut at last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship, when plagued by back issues, Fox has bounced back in the best of styles to enjoy a cushion heading into the weekend.
“I struggled with my back last week and I was fighting, everything was crossed over and I didn’t know where I was aiming. I was just pretty much trying to hit the ball to be honest and I was probably quite glad I had a weekend off.
“Had a lot of physio work over the weekend with the tour physios and then with my physio from Tuesday onwards. That loosened everything up and I felt like I could turn through it again, I felt like I could start the ball where I wanted to and from that point it was kind of easy. I felt like I could hit my shot where I wanted to which was a nice place to be.
“It was a bit scrappier than yesterday, I didn’t drive it quite as well, a little sloppy hitting in the water on the last – that doesn’t help – but hit my irons really good and gave myself plenty of chances. I made seven birdies today so hopefully I can just keep it going the next couple of days, but it’s been a lot of fun out there.
“It’s been lovely the last couple of days, I think it was four hours and five minutes on Thursday and four hours and ten this morning so hopefully the pace of play continues like that over the weekend. I played normally and we had two quick guys in our group, it was just nice being one of the first couple of groups out – we just had great conditions this morning as well – and it’s just been an enjoyable couple of days really.”
Fox has made a slow start to the year with a best of 26th in three starts to date but when he finds form, he typically goes on with it so this weekend could well see him contending for his second European Tour title.
Queensland’s Maverick Antcliff and South Australian, Wade Ormsby, are the next best of the Australians after Scrivener at 7 under and five shots from Fox’s lead.
SCORES
Fox’s Thursday interview