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Kiwis Fox, Hillier make cut at The Open

Daniel Hillier The Open Championship golf
Daniel Hillier carded an even-par 71 to make the cut at The Open Championship. PHOTO: GOLF NZ

New Zealand golfers Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier have made the cut at The Open Championship.


On another windy day at Royal Troon in Scotland, Fox ended two strokes above the 36-hole cut-line, while Hillier snuck in by one at five-over after the second round on Friday (Saturday NZ Time).


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Hillier was one of the big movers in the field, climbing 42 places with an even-par 71, following his five-over opening round.


The 25-year-old started with a double-bogey at the par-four first after putting his tee shot out-of-bounds, but recovered with a birdie on the next by putting his second shot inside three feet, then an eagle at the par-five 16th.


After bombing his drive 409 yards and knocking his second shot to within 11 feet, Hillier rolled in the eagle putt to get back to even for the day.



Fox moved up four places into a share of 38th at four-over after a second-straight two-over 73, which included two birdies on the front-nine and a triple-bogey and bogey on the back-nine.


The 36-year-old made a great start, picking up shots at the second and seventh holes, both par-fours, to get back to even-par.


Disaster struck at the par-four 11th when he went out-of-bounds off the tee, then his third shot into an unplayable lie, needing a drop. His fifth made the green, before two-putting for triple-bogey. He also missed an eight-foot putt for par on the par-four 18th.


Hillier will tee off his third round on Saturday at 10.20am local time (9.20pm NZT), while Fox will go off at 12.25pm local time (11.25pm NZT).



Earlier in the second round, it appeared New Zealand would have three golfers make the cut, with Kazuma Kobori above the cut-line until late.


Kobori was at even-par for the day and two-over overall through 13 holes, before a four-way stretch where he dropped six strokes. He closed with a birdie at the par-four closing hole, missing the cut by one at seven-over.


The 22-year-old, in his second major, went bogey, triple-bogey, bogey, bogey from the 14th to 17th holes. He triple-bogeyed the par-four 15th after struggling to hit out of the rough on either side of the fairway.


The fourth Kiwi in the field, Michael Hendry, playing his third Open Championship after battling cancer during the last two years, carded a seven-over 78 which included three birdies and five bogeys, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey, missing the cut by four.

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