NZ Open victory dream for Hillier and Jones
Two players returning home from a year in Europe are heading to Queenstown next month aiming to lift the Brodie Breeze trophy and set the record straight on a long overdue Kiwi winner.
The New Zealand Open will be held at Millbrook Resort between 27 February and 2 March, and both Daniel Hillier and Sam Jones are the latest homegrown talents to stake their claim.
Wellington-born Hillier is a familiar name at the NZ Open having played six times between 2016 and 2024. He has also racked up seven professional wins overseas, most recently, a stunning two-stroke victory at the 2023 Betfred British Masters.
He believes he is ready to make a charge for the title.
“The New Zealand Open is always such an incredible week,” he says. “Millbrook is such a special place and I feel like my game's at a point now where I can actually go and compete, so it'd be nice to try to have a little shot at the trophy.
“I think it’s most golfers dream to win their national and it's been a few years since we've had a Kiwi name on it, so to be the next one would be incredible.”
Hillier joins Steven Alker and Ben Campbell in bidding to restore a Kiwi name to the Brodie Breeze trophy, acknowledging that current champion Takahiro Hataji and 2023 champion Brendan Jones will be strong contenders.
“I’ve got a job to do and hopefully I’ll be as ready as I can be,” Hillier says.
Taranaki’s Sam Jones has also confirmed his entry in next month’s event, saying he believes it is “one of the best tournaments in the world.”
Jones has spent the past year playing on the DP World Tour, and while he acknowledges not everything went to plan he says his game is improving and he’s positive about the future.
“I’ll be playing maybe four or five tournaments on the main tour in 2025 and a full season on the Challenge Tour but it would be awesome to come to my home tournament and see if I could get my name on the trophy.”
“I’m pretty sure that the New Zealand Open has been won more times by Australians than New Zealanders so hopefully one of us gets to win our national Open. That would be awesome.”
The 104th New Zealand Open will tee off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown between 27 February and 2 March 2025. For more information, visit nzopen.com.
