New Zealand golfer Daniel Hillier has given his chances of retaining DP World Tour playing status for 2025 a big boost.
After just making the 36-hole cut at the BMW PGA Championship, Hillier went nine-under over the final two rounds over the weekend at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, to finish in a share of 18th at 11-under.
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Hillier's rise up the leaderboard has resulted in him moving up 14 places in the DP World Tour's Race To Dubai Rankings, from 109th to 95th, leapfrogging Ryan Fox to be the highest-ranked Kiwi.
The provisional cut-off to retain DP World Tour membership is currently at No 114, with five events remaining before the two-tournament playoffs in November.
Hillier shot a bogey-free five-under 67 in the third round on Saturday (Sunday NZ Time), then made six birdies and a double-bogey in a four-under 68 to close out the week on Sunday (Monday NZT).
Unlike Hillier, Fox could only manage rounds of even-par and one-over over the weekend, finishing tied for 61st at two-under overall.
Fox dropped one spot to 98th in the Race to Dubai Rankings as he juggles trying to keep his DP World Tour and PGA Tour cards for 2025 in the final months of the year.
Both Kiwi golfers will need strong finishes to climb into the top-70 to qualify for the Abu Dhabi Championship, the first playoff tournament, while rookie Sam Jones, who did not play at Wentworth, will have to do likewise to rise from 148th to retain his card.
On the PGA Tour Champions, Steven Alker recorded his 13th top-10 finish of the 2024 season at the Pure Insurance Championship.
Alker's final-round charge on Sunday (Monday NZT) came undone on the back-nine as he carded a two-under 70 at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, ending at nine-under, five behind the winner, England's Paul Broadhurst.
The 53-year-old made birdies at the second and fifth holes, before an eagle at the par-five sixth, getting him to 11-under and into contention. However, he bogeyed the ninth, 13th and 14th to drop back, salvaging something with a birdie at the last.
Alker remains third in the Charles Schwab Cup standings but made up some ground on Ernie Els and Stephen Ames, with four tournaments before the Schwab Cup Championship in November.
Meanwhile, Danny Lee's Iron Heads GC have finished third at LIV Golf's Team Championship season finale at the Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas.
Lee carded a two-under 70 in the Finals round on Sunday (Monday NZT) as the Iron Heads finished at eight-under, tied with Dustin Johnson's Aces GC and three behind Cameron Smith's Ripper GC.
Earlier, during the matchplay knockout phase of the tournament, Lee defeated Taylor Gooch 1up in a singles match as the Iron Heads beat the Smash 2-1 in the Quarterfinals, then upset British Open winner Bryson DeChambeau 2up in a 3-0 shutout of the Crushers in the Semifinal stage.
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