Kobori rises, Hillier maintains position at Abu Dhabi
Wellington golfer Daniel Hillier is tied for 10th place after two rounds of the DP World Tour Abu Dhabi Championship, shooting 66 and 68. His first round featured six birdies with no mistakes, while in the second round he made seven birdies but also bogeyed the 8th, 15th, and 17th holes.
At 27 years old, Hillier stands at 10-under par, four shots behind leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai, both from England.
Kazuma Kobori had a mixed tournament; after an excellent first round score of 64, his second round ended poorly. The 24-year-old Cantabrian found two fairway bunkers and then three-putted, resulting in a triple-bogey on the 18th hole. This dropped him from a share of the lead to tied for 24th at seven-under after a 73 in the second round.
"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."
Standings summary
- Daniel Hillier: Tied 10th, 10-under overall
- Kazuma Kobori: Tied 24th, 7-under overall
- Leaders: Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai, four shots ahead
Author's summary: Daniel Hillier maintains steady performance, while Kazuma Kobori's strong start was undermined by a poor finish, affecting his standings at the Abu Dhabi Championship.