Daniel Hillier and Josh Geary led a dramatic Kiwi charge as the New Zealand Open’s second round reached a thrilling conclusion last night.
Just when it looked like the leaderboard would again be dominated by the Australian flag heading into the weekend, the popular pair came storming home.
Not to be outdone, Geary found his best golf to card seven birdies and one bogey to match his compatriot’s 65 and join Hillier and three others at 10-under.
Michael Hendry, in 2017, has been the only New Zealand winner of the Open since Dunedin golfer Mahal Pearce’s memorable victory in 2003.
Millbrook is a stunning place, and any winner of the $2 million New Zealand Open deserves it — but nearly everyone wants to see a Kiwi hoist the Brodie Breeze Trophy tomorrow night.
Geary, who was runner-up at the 2019 New Zealand Open to go with two other top-10 finishes, was pleased to go so low and sail into the weekend with confidence.
"I just had a really good ball-striking day," he said.
"I’ve felt great the last two days, and hit the ball the best I’ve hit it for two or three years, it feels like. That’s encouraging.
"It was one of those days when it felt easier than most."
Another potential Kiwi winner, Nick Voke, has spent almost as much time surfing as whacking a ball around a fairway this year.
Auckland golfer Voke fired a flawless 6-under-par 65 on the Remarkables course to move to 9-under for the tournament, three shots off the lead and in a tie for seventh.
"I’m thrilled. I didn’t feel like I played all that well — I just scored really well," Voke said.
"There were a couple of really clinical up-and-downs there to keep momentum going, and I finished really strongly, and that was it."
Voke’s only blemish at the tournament has been a double bogey on the par-3 12th on the Coronet layout in the first round.
Yet he felt he could have shot lower had he struck the ball better off the tee.
"I really need to sharpen up the ball-striking. Off the tee wasn’t that great the last couple of days.
"I’ve got my coach down here so we’ll get some work in. I’ll have my nap and I’ll be ready to go."
He felt he had been striking the ball nicely earlier in the year.
"Really good, actually. Some of the best golf I’ve played.
"Then I had two weeks off surfing up in Muriwai the last couple of weeks. Let’s just say I may have been on the board too much."
That run started poorly when he flared his tee shot right off No 14, but he hit a stunning second shot to 3m and holed the putt.
He hit a wedge to 2m on the next hole, drove the 324m par-4 16th before two-putting, and holed a 4m putt on 17.
Queenstown golfer Ben Campbell is at 8-under after a mixed second round that included five birdies but three bogies.
The leading amateur after two rounds is up-and-coming Hawke’s Bay star Zack Swanwick.
He shot 3-under-par 68 yesterday to move to 7-under for the tournament.
Swanwick, the New Zealand and Australian junior champion who has committed to play college golf at the University of Florida, is still just 18 but appears right at home among the elite at Millbrook.
"I’m pretty happy. I just wanted to go out there and have fun again today. I hit plenty of fairways and greens, but not enough putts dropped unfortunately.
"Off the tee, I was really solid. I just need to hit my approach shots a little closer over the weekend and try to get a few more birdie putts rolled in.
"I’m really excited. I’m glad to have made the cut and I’m looking forward to playing the weekend."
NZ Open
Leading scores
-12: Scott Hend (Aus)
-10: Marcus Fraser (Aus), Sam Brazel (Aus), Daniel Hillier (NZ), Matthew Griffin (Aus), Josh Geary (NZ)
-9: Yuta Sugiura (Japan), Jonathan Wijono (Indonesia), Nick Voke (NZ), Kade McBride (Aus), Soonsang Hong (Korea)
-8: Kevin Yuan (Aus), Ben Campbell (NZ), Gunn Charoenkul (Thai), Takahiro Hataji (Japan), Han Lee (USA), Taichi Kho (Hong Kong), Brett Coletta (Aus), David Micheluzzi (Aus), Kieran Muir (NZ)
