New Zealand golfers Harry Hillier and Ryan Fox experienced contrasting final days on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) at tournaments in North and South America.
Hillier went five-under to win the PGA Tour Americas' Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship by eight strokes in Bogota, Colombia, while Fox continued to slide down the leaderboard at golf's second major, the PGA Championship, with a three-over 74 in the final round in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Hillier maintained his 54-hole lead to claim his first PGA Tour-sanctioned victory and win by eight strokes.
With this being the final event of the Latin America Swing, Hillier moved to No 2 in the Fortinet Cup to secure conditional status on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour, and lock in exemptions to the Korn Ferry Tour’s first four Latin America events next season (Panama, Bogota, Argentina, Chile).
Additionally, he will continue to compete in the season-long race for the Fortinet Cup, as the top-10 players at the end of the season will earn fully exempt status on Korn Ferry Tour in 2025.
After shooting a record-breaking 13-under 59 on Friday (Saturday NZT), Hillier took the solo lead for the first time this season and maintained a five-stroke lead over James Swash throughout the third round.
A two-under front-nine followed by a bogey-free, three-under back-nine cemented Hillier’s dominance of the leaderboard. He extended his lead to eight strokes with a birdie on the 17th hole and finished with a par on No 18 to finish at 26-under for the tournament.
“I'm stoked, I'm over the moon," said Hillier said. "I cannot wait to get back to Kansas City and celebrate with my friend, my brother. I'm sure I'll get a FaceTime from Mom and Dad here soon."
"This isn't just me, this is my team, the guys that have helped me out, Mom, Dad, sponsors. I'm just the one hitting the golf ball, they're the ones doing the most help. Yeah, I'm over the moon and I'm glad I get to share this one with them. It means a lot."
Hillier moved up 18 spots in the Fortinet Cup standings with the victory. The New Zealand native started the week at No 20 and was one of 28 players who had the chance to finish in the top-two of the Fortinet Cup to earn conditional Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2025 season.
Prior to Sunday’s win, Hillier tied his best career performance at the Kia Open two weeks ago with a T3 finish. His other top-three finish came at the 2023 PGA Tour Latinoamérica Diners Club Peru Open.
Prior to turning professional in 2022, he played collegiately at the University of Kansas for five seasons. He joined his brother, Charlie Hillier, for two seasons as a Jayhawk before Charlie turned professional following his senior season in 2019.
Now a Kansas local, Hillier and his brother Charlie teach golf at a performance academy called The Golf Stable located in Kansas City during their time off from tournaments.
Fox carded three birdies and six bogeys on the last day at the Valhalla Golf Club, dropping six places to 75th.
The world No 57, who shot a three-under 68 in the second round to make the cut by one stroke, finished at two-over for the week, 23 strokes behind the first-time major winner, American Xander Schauffele, who birdied the 18th for victory.
Fox started his round with back-to-back bogeys, before a birdie at the fourth, making the turn at even-par overall. His back-nine began bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie, before two more bogeys at the 17th and 18th.
Meanwhile, Momoka Kobori also went in the wrong direction at the Ladies European Tour's German Masters on Sunday (Monday NZT).
Kobori carded a two-over 74, featuring three birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey in the final round, finishing the tournament at two-over, six shots behind the leader.
The 25-year-old was in a position to challenge for the title after birdies at the second and sixth holes, moving to two-under. However, he dropped four shots in the four holes from the ninth, culminating with a double-bogey at the par-four 12th.
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