Kobori’s Drop and Hillier’s Steady Play at Abu Dhabi
Wellington golfer Daniel Hillier is tied for 10th place after two rounds at the DP World Tour Abu Dhabi Championship, posting scores of 66 and 68. In his first round, Hillier made six birdies without any mistakes, while his second round featured seven birdies offset by bogeys on the 8th, 15th, and 17th holes.
At 27 years old, Hillier stands 10-under overall and trails the leaders—England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai—by four shots.
Kazuma Kobori’s Struggle on Final Hole
Kazuma Kobori had a promising start with a first-round 64 but suffered a devastating 73 in the second round. The 24-year-old Cantabrian faced trouble on the 18th hole, hitting two fairway bunkers before three-putting, resulting in a triple bogey.
This mishap dropped Kobori from a shared lead to a tie for 24th place at seven-under overall.
"It was such a happy second round for Kazuma Kobori who carded a 64 in the first round but had a disastrous final hole in his second round."
Additional Notes
- Erin Routliffe is mentioned in relation to the WTA Finals without further detail.
- Henry returns for the Black Caps ODIs, though no additional context was provided.
Author’s summary: Daniel Hillier remains steady in the top 10 at Abu Dhabi, while Kazuma Kobori’s strong start falters with a costly triple bogey on the final hole of round two.