New Zealander Daniel Hillier turned professional in 2019 after an impressive amateur career, with his crowning achievement arguably being the qualification for the 2024 Olympic men’s golf tournament.
Here we get to know more about the DP World Tour pros.
1. Daniel Hillier was born on July 26, 1998 in Porirua, near Wellington, New Zealand.
2. According to Hillier's official website, when he was a toddler, he often enjoyed playing with toy clubs, so his father bought him a small club, which he used to practice cutting the ball while attending his father's cricket matches.
3. Hillier had a love of sports from a young age but started focusing more on golf at the age of 13 before joining Judgeford Golf Club.
4. He had a very successful amateur career, including wins at the New Zealand U19 Championships in 2015 and 2016, and the Australian Junior Championships a year later.
5. In 2015, he won the Harwood Open on the Charles Tour in New Zealand as an amateur.
6. Hillier represented his country at the 2018 Eisenhower Cup and finished third in the individual competition.
7. While still an amateur, he made it through the final qualifying round at Walton Heath to the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, his major debut, but missed the cut.
Hillier made his Grand Slam debut at the 2019 U.S. Open
(Image source: Getty Images)
8. He turned professional later that year and qualified for the Australian PGA Tour in early 2020, but his progress was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, so he mostly played on the Charles Tour, where he won two tournaments.
9. Hillier's career really took off in 2021 when he left New Zealand to play on the Challenge Tour, despite receiving only seven invites and dealing with ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. His hard work paid off as he won his first Challenge Tour title at the 2021 Costa Brava Challenge. This allowed him to advance to the season finale and ultimately earn a full card for the 2022 season.
10. The win also qualified him for the DP World Tour category 18, where he competed in four events in 2022, but made his biggest impact on the Challenge Tour, including another win, this time at the Swiss Challenge. This helped him qualify for the DP World Tour category 14 for the 2023 season.
11. In 2023, he won his first DP World Tour title, coming from three shots behind with four shots left to win the prestigious Betfred British Masters.
Daniel Hillier wins the Betfred British Masters in 2023 – his first victory on the DP World Tour
(Image source: Getty Images)
12. He is one of two New Zealanders to qualify for the men's golf event at the Paris Olympics, the other being Ryan Fox.
13. His best major finish to date came at the 2024 Royal Troon Open, where he finished T19.
14. Hillier was in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend Siobhan Weaver. Siobhan Weaver began following Hillier on Instagram, so Hillier sent her a Snapchat message asking if she knew her, and the rest is history.
Daniel's girlfriend Siobhan Weaver used to caddy for him
(Image source: Getty Images)
15. Siobhan has caddied for Daniel in the past, including on the DP World Tour and during his triumph at the 2021 Challenge Costa Brava on the Challenge Tour.
