Australian Open: Daniel Hillier claims top-10 finish as Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen takes title

Daniel Hillier finished in the top 10 at the Australian Open. Photo / Getty Images

Daniel Hiller has picked up the new DP World Tour season right where he left off.

Finishing a career-best 18th on golf’s European Tour in the 2025 season, the 27-year-old Kiwi was put together back-to-back top-10 placings over two weeks in Australia.

Hiller finished in a tie for sixth at 10-under-par in the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne on Sunday with an even-par final round. Hillier bookended his round with dropped shots - carding a bogey on the par-four first and a double bogey on the par-four 18th - in a mixed round.

Those were two of the three holes Hillier dropped shots on; the double bogey undoing some of his good work from earlier in the day as he made four birdies and scrambled well for some of his pars.

“A bit of everything today,” Hillier said.

“I hit some really interesting shots out there towards the end, but I was just grinding trying to keep myself in it.

“I did it for a long time but knew I needed a couple of birdies coming in. I gave it a go on 18 and didn’t quite pull it off, but overall I’m pretty stoked with the week.”

Hillier finished five shots behind Danish winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who was the clubhouse leader after three rounds.

It came down to the final hole of the tournament to find a winner as Neergaard-Petersen and Australian Cam Smith sat level through the final five holes.

It took a quality chip from the rough over a greenside bunker and an equal putt for Neergaard-Petersen to put the pressure on Smith, who pushed his potential playoff-forcing putt for par wide.

At 10-under, Hillier was the best of the Kiwis in the field.

Ryan Fox finished seven-under-par in a tie for 14th, Nick Voke finished three-under in a tie for 35th, Tyler Hodge a shot further back in a tie for 39th, with Kerry Mountcastle finishing three-over in a tie for 61st.

Hillier, Fox and Voke, as well as Kazuma Kobori, who missed the cut in Melbourne, will now return to action on home soil as part of the annual Chasing The Fox exhibition event at Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club on Friday.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.