Australian PGA Championship: Kazuma Kobori takes lead; Daniel Hillier plays his way into contention at Royal Queensland

Kazuma Kobori continued his strong form in the second round of the Australian PGA Championship. Photo / Getty Images

Kazuma Kobori’s charge continues.

After carding a hole-in-one on the opening day of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in Brisbane, the Kiwi has surged into the lead at the tournament.

Kobori carded an eight-under 63 in his second round of the event to hold a one-shot lead over the chasing pack that included Australian trio Min Woo Lee, Brett Rankin and Anthony Quayle, as well as China’s Wenyi Ding.

Kobori carded nine birdies and one bogey in his second round, which included him picking up shots on each of his last four holes.

He held the clubhouse lead late in the day on Friday, with only a few groups left on the course, and was likely to hold that lead into the third round.

He was one of a number of Kiwis to see their current strong form continue, with Daniel Hillier also making moves on the second day of the tournament.

The 27-year-old came within two spots on the DP World Tour standings of clinching a PGA Tour card for 2026 this season. With the top 10 players not already exempt for the PGA Tour next year earning a card, Hillier fell fewer than 200 points shy of that mark but finished a career-best 18th in the standings.

The Wellingtonian has quickly moved on with the new DP World Tour season, starting with its Australian swing at the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in Brisbane this week. He followed up a strong first round with a four-under 67 second round to sit in contention at seven-under heading into the weekend.

Hillier had a hot finish to his round after being even at the turn. Starting his day on the back nine, it was on the front where he shone with birdies on the first, second, seventh and ninth holes.

Ryan Fox, who was among the afternoon tee times, also remained in contention after an opening round four-under, carding a few birdies early in his second round, but undoing some of that work with two bogeys and a double bogey through the back nine. Finished at one-under for his second round, Fox sat at five-under for the tournament alongside fellow Kiwi Nick Voke and seven others in a tie for 22nd.

Like Hillier, Fox comes into the tournament following a career-best year in which he won two PGA Tour titles and finished 43rd in the FedEx Cup standings.