Steven Alker and Daniel Hillier were fittingly paired together on day one. Photo / Photosport
Steven Alker and Daniel Hillier were fittingly paired together on day one. Photo / Photosport
After a three-year absence from the sporting calendar due to the pandemic, the New Zealand Open made its return with a showcase of two of the top golfers in the country.
Steven Alker and Daniel Hillier were paired together in the first round, both coming off the most successful yearof their careers — albeit at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Alker, the 51-year-old who emerged from relative golfing obscurity to become player of the year at the PGA Champions Tour last season, is hoping to become the oldest NZ Open champ.
Hillier, 24, is one of New Zealand’s rising stars and became the second Kiwi on the DP World Tour last year alongside world No 33 Ryan Fox.
By the end of 18 holes, both played their part in thrilling the Queenstown crowd during what could be New Zealand’s most successful golfing era.
Here’s a close look at Alker and Hillier’s first round at the 102nd NZ Open.
Hole 1: Par Five 10th – 463m
An impressive crowd gathers at the 10th hole for the 8.13am tee time at Millbrook’s gorgeous Remarkables course.
Hillier immediately shows his length off the tee — he averages 280 metres with the driver on his DP World Tour season so far — and has Alker by about 30-40m after their first swings of the day.
It’s a reachable par five, one of many on the day, and both get on the green but can’t convert long eagle putts. Tap-in birdies to start.
“He’s going with a wedge sometimes and I might be going with an eight iron or something. The par fives, he murdered those. It’s impressive to watch,” Alker said after his round.
Alker: Birdie – one-under
Hillier: Birdie – one-under
Daniel Hillier and Steve Alker shake hands ahead of their first round. Photo / Photosport
Hole 2: Par Four 11th – 415m
Hillier is focused, and perhaps a touch reserved, while Alker shares a few laughs with Hillier’s caddie for the event, Steve Williams, who knows a thing or two about golfing prodigies.
After a solid tee shot, it’s Alker’s turn to bring out his weapon as his Ctrl-V swing on his approach gets him to within a few feet — as he has done so consistently for a while now — which he would convert for back-to-back birdies to start.
Hillier loses his driver in the rough, then goes long into the thick stuff on his approach. He then duffs his chip short of the green and can’t save his par.
Both are good off the tee and get it to about 15 feet with their second shots. Alker misses his birdie putt left, while Hillier uses the read he got from Alker and over-compensates to miss right.
Alker: Par – two-under
Hillier: Bogey – even
Hole 4: Par Three 13th – 203m
The first par three of the day and it’s a long one, with the tee — for the pros anyway — perched up a hill in front of a beautiful backdrop of Queenstown’s Crown Range.
Alker’s shot is safely on the centre of the green, but leaves his long putt short.
Hillier nails it off the tee to within 10 feet, but pulls his putt left and can only muster a frustrated grin.
Alker: Par – two-under
Hillier: Par – even
Steve Alker shares a joke with his caddie during his first round of the New Zealand Open. Photo / Photosport
Hole 5: Par Four 14th – 387m
Two perfect shots off the tee — Alker’s drive needed a shot tracer and might be the straightest I’ve ever seen, while Hillier hits his hybrid a mile.
Hillier goes pin-hunting with his wedge to get back on the birdie train. Alker’s follows suit with another good putt from about 10 feet.
Alker: Birdie – three-under
Hillier: Birdie – one-under
Hole 6: Par Four 15th – 348m
A strategically placed creek through the middle of the fairway leads both players to hit iron off the tee.
Hillier hits a nice fade on his second to avoid the right bunker protecting the green, but it’s short for a straightforward par.
Alker is also short and left, leading to his worst hole of the day with an uncharacteristic three-putt.
“I just lacked a little speed and it just dived under the hole,” Alker said of his missed par save.
Alker: Bogey – two-under
Hillier: Birdie – two-under
Hole 7: Par Four 16th – 324m
It’s a classic dogleg right par four. I’m trying to figure out if Hillier can reach the green in one when I hear a loud “FORE!”. I duck for cover and hear a ball whizz past my left ear from an errant shot at the 15th. No harm done — it is a pro-am after all.
Amid the madness, Hillier cuts his drive to within 20 feet, but he somehow manages to three-putt for par to stunned silence from the crowd.
Alker stays steady.
Alker: Par – two-under
Hillier: Par – two-under
Hole 8: Par Four 17th – 374m
Steven Alker and Daniel Hillier hit driver off the tee. Photo / Photosport
Fairway again off the tee for Alker and Hillier, leaving short approaches.
Hillier makes up for his three-putt in the last hole and nearly rolls in his pitch to within centimetres. Finally a big smile from Hillier as he fist-bumps his caddie.
Alker’s decent birdie opportunity leaks right.
Alker: Par – two-under
Hillier: Birdie – three-under
Hole 9: Par Three 18th – 153m
Safely on the green for both on the iconic 18th, which is a short hole but surrounded by water left, right and long.
Alker has about 12 feet for birdie and nails it in the centre of the cup to finish the first nine strong. Hillier misses his putt for a tap-in par.
Alker: Birdie – three-under
Hillier: Par – three-under
The view from the Par 3 18th at Millbrook's Remarkables course. Photo / Photosport
Hole 10: Par Five 1st – 494m
Alker is surrounded by patrons as he heads to the first tee, and stops to sign a painting by a fan. Hillier seems relaxed after a solid front nine.
After another good drive, Alker goes for the green and loses it way right in the rough. His chip isn’t his best and he ends up with par.
Hillier’s length off the tee helps as he is on the green in two, but he can’t quite sink the eagle.
Alker: Par – three-under
Hillier: Birdie – four-under
Hole 11: Par Three 2nd – 186m
Hillier gets to about pin high left, while Alker is on line but perhaps a half-club short.
Alker gets the loudest cheer of the day as he nails his 15-footer for a bird. Hillier lips out for par.
The par threes were a great chance to analyse their swings: Alker’s is simple and functional, or as he said before his round, “nothing fancy”; he doesn’t try to shape the ball too much and is regularly in line of the target.
Hillier has a great move, a typical athletic swing you commonly see in the modern era, and is almost always pin high.
“He’s got a lot of game; just length and he’s got a nice move with the ball, which is important,” Alker later said of Hillier. “But he plays with a lot of freedom ... I love the way he swings it and plays the game.”
Alker: Birdie – four-under
Hillier: Par – four-under
Hole 12: Par Four 3rd – 360m
Alker nails his tee shot down the middle then rushes off to pee in the bushes. He’s starting to feel it as he sends a smooth short iron to within five feet, leading to another birdie.
Hillier struggles as he is well short and three putts again for bogey.
“It’s frustrating,” Hillier said of his two three-putts. “But they were lengthy putts and you’re not always going to hit them the way you want. I’ll probably just end up doing a little bit of short game, try and tidy that up.”
Alker: Birdie – five-under
Hillier: Bogey – three-under
Daniel Hillier didn't have his best day with the short stick. Photo / Photosport
Hole 13: Par Four 4th – 402m
Alker remains accurate as Hillier finds tree trouble and has a long chat with Williams.
Hillier hooks it around the tree, leading to a big par save. Alker grimaces after missing a makeable birdie putt.
Alker: Par – five-under
Hillier: Par – three-under
Hole 14: Par Five 5th – 504m
The first poor drive for Alker as he finds the bunker, and can’t take advantage of the par five.
Hillier attacks the green again on his second shot and strikes his long iron beautifully to within 18 feet — that’s a tap-in birdie after leaving his eagle putt short.
Alker: Par – five-under
Hillier: Birdie – four-under
Hole 15: Par Three 6th – 172m
Steve Alker hits an iron shot off the tee. Photo / Photosport
Hillier hits one of his best off the tee, which gets a rare “nice shot” from Williams. Alker follows suit and gets inside Hillier once again, as he did with his irons for most of the round. Both can’t convert.
Alker: Par – five-under
Hillier: Par – four-under
Hole 16: Par Four 7th – 312m
Irons off the tee for both, and solid pars for the pair. Alker, again closest from the approach, can’t sink it from four feet.
Alker: Par – five-under
Hillier: Par – four-under
Hole 17: Par Four 8th – 384m
Hillier finally gets one over his elder with the approach after both find the middle of the fairway with drivers.
Alker can only keep the par train going, while Hillier sinks his six-footer to tie it up going to the last.
Alker: Par – five-under
Hillier: Birdie – five-under
Hole 18: Par Four 9th – 408m
Steven Alker shared the lead for most of the day until Christopher Wood stole the show. Photo / Photosport
Hillier fades his trusted hybrid off the tee a tad too much and he’s in the bunker — he slams his club on the turf in frustration. Alker splits the bunkers nicely.
Hillier can’t find the green as he’s well short, leading to a difficult par save that he misses to finish on a low.
Alker, on the other hand, hits his best approach of the day and nearly holes it from about 100m.
“The one on 18 is going to make lunch taste a bit better,” Alker said.
A tap-in birdie to finish on a strong round which gives him a share of the lead for most of the day — until Aussie Christopher Wood’s stunning 10-under round is completed deep into dinner time.
Wood leads by four shots, with Alker in a share of second alongside five others including fellow Kiwi Kit Bittle. Hillier lurks in a share of 13th.
