It was another barnstormer at The Belfry. A year after Thorbjorn Olesen had snatched the Betfred British Masters title with an eagle, birdie flourish, New Zealander Daniel Hillier plundered the prize yesterday with a grandstand finish of his own.
On a closing afternoon that was as tense and congested as the stooshie in the Long Room at Lord’s, Hillier hit everybody for six with a thrilling late charge which should have featured a bugle call.
With nobody able to separate themselves from the logjam on the leaderboard – six players had been sharing the lead at the start of the closing round and it remained nip-and-tuck – Hillier grabbed the tournament by the scruff of the neck with an eagle, birdie, eagle blitz at the 15th, 16th and 17th to barge his way into a commanding lead and leave the rest wheezing in his wake.
The 24-year-old, playing in the sixth from last group, surged home with a six-under 66 for a 10-under aggregate and eventually won by two shots from former Ryder Cup player, Oliver Wilson and the unheralded American, Gunner Wiebe. It was Hillier’s first victory on the DP World Tour and it also earned him one of three places up for grabs in the forthcoming Open at Hoylake. “I’m gobsmacked,” he said with a gasp.
Wiebe, the world No.1349 who had missed 14 of his last 15 cuts, also secured an Open place while Wilson’s brave birdie putt on the final green gave him the final qualifying spot. That was a sore one to stomach for Scotsman Calum Hill, who was on course to nab a tee-time for Royal Liverpool until Wilson snatched it at the death. Hill, who was left to rue a bogey on the last, shared fourth with fellow Scot, Ewen Ferguson, and Justin Rose on seven-under.
It was Hillier’s day, though, as he joined the great Bob Charles and Greg Turner as Kiwi winners of the British Masters title. And what a way to do it. The Challenge Tour graduate had been muddling on in the margins at one-under for the day and was three back with four to play until he burst into the spotlight like somebody emerging for the billowing dry ice on an episode of Stars In Their Eyes.
Hillier rolled in an eagle putt of some 40-feet on the 15th to ignite his assault before a birdie on 16 was followed by a superb second shot from 240 yards on 17 which rolled to within six-feet and spawned another eagle. “I hit a switch or something, I don’t know what happened,” he said of his stunning thrust.
From nowhere, Hillier was suddenly clear of the pack. He could just about touch the trophy. In fact, his ball almost did on the last. With the silverware oddly plonked on the back edge of the 18th green, like a tempting siren sprawled on a rocky outcrop, Hillier’s approach thudded past the flag and came to rest right next to the bounty.
Faced with a hair-raising putt, Hillier’s first dunt from distance just made it to the top of the slope and inched its way to within eight feet. His nerveless putt for a par effectively closed the door on those still left on the course.
“Early on in the day I was not feeling it at all,” added Hillier. “I was a little bit uncomfortable with the driver, didn’t have many chances but obviously knew there were some chances coming in. I just didn’t think I would take them that well. I’m not going to lie. I was looking at the leaderboard and seeing my name up there and thinking about what it would be like to finish it off. I guess in those moments you’ve just got to remind yourself that you’ve got a job to do. I’m pretty ecstatic.”
Wiebe was pretty chipper too after a lively 66 which included an eagle from the bunker on the third, a triple-bogey seven on eight and five back-nine birdies.
Hill and Ferguson, meanwhile, were both in the thick of it until Hillier’s surge. Ferguson three-putted the last in a 68 while Hill pushed his approach to the 18th and leaked a shot in a 69 which, ultimately, cost him an Open spot. It’s not all lost. There are Hoylake places on offer in Denmark this week and the following week’s Scottish Open.
