New Zealand golfer Harry Hillier has graduated to the USA's second-tier tour for 2025.
Despite missing the cut at last week's Fortinet Cup Championship in Canada, Hillier finished high enough in the season-long standings to earn one of 10 fully-exempt cards to the Korn Ferry Tour (KFT).
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A strong performance during the season’s first half on the six-tournament Latin America Swing, where he finished second (earning him provisional KFT status), allowed some breathing space during the 10-tournament North American Swing.
And the 25-year-old from Te Puke needed it as he ended seventh in the Fortinet Cup standings after a T74 result at the season finale, missing the cut by two strokes.
Hillier had a horror first round TPC Toronto on Thursday (Friday NZT), stumbling his way to an eight-over 78, which included two birdies, six bogeys and two double-bogeys. After back-to-back bogeys to start his second round, he recovered with five birdies for a three-under 67.
Hillier’s breakthrough moment came in May4, when he posted the first sub-60 round in PGA Tour Americas history at the Inter Rapidísimo Golf Championship in Bogotá, Colombia.
His remarkable 13-under-par 59 in the second round propelled him to a 26-under total and an eight-stroke victory, the largest margin on the tour this season.
"Breaking 60 was pretty special, and to do it in a win makes it even better. I've been building towards this all year, so to secure a Korn Ferry spot feels amazing," Hillier said.
The third-year pro has been steadily climbing the ranks since turning professional, following an impressive collegiate career at the University of Kansas. While with the Jayhawks, he played alongside older brother, Charlie Hillier, who was a Korn Ferry Tour member this season.
Hillier will also have a shot at earning a PGA Tour card later this year, with the top-10 also advancing directly to PGA Tour Q-School's Final Stage, after which the top-five and ties will earn 2025 PGA Tour membership.
The 2025 KFT schedule is set to be confirmed in October and is likely to start in February.
Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour Champions, Steven Alker recovered from a poor start to finish tied for 20th at the Ascension Charity Classic in Missouri.
Alker fired a six-under 65 in the third and final round on Sunday (Monday NZT) at the Norwood Hills Country Club, rising 34 spots to four-under for the week, nine strokes behind winner, YE Yang.
The 52-year-old opened the tournament with a three-over 74, followed by a one-under 70 in the second round, before catching fire on the front-nine on Sunday.
He put together back-to-back birdies at the first and second, and fifth and sixth holes, to move rapidly up the leaderboard. He also made birdies at the 11th, 15th and 16th holes, with one bogey at the 13th.
The result allowed Alker to remain third in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings, behind Ernie Els and Stephen Ames, with seven tournaments remaining.
Fiona Xu has slipped further in the Epson Tour's Race for the Card standings after finished in a share of 41st at the Guardian Championship in Alabama.
Xu carded three straight one-under 71s at the RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill to finish at three-under, 11 shots behind the winner, dropping from third to fifth in the season-long points rankings.
In an uneventful first round, Xu made two birdies and a bogey, a constrast to her second round, which included seven birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey. Three straight birdies got her to five-under before two back-nine bogeys.
The 19-year-old remains in a good position, with three tournaments remaining, to finish the season in the top-15 to earn an LPGA Tour card for 2025.
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