Ryan Fox has made an encouraging start to the Genesis Championship, firing a three-under-par 68 to sit just one shot off the lead as Daniel Hillier opened with a one-over 72 in South Korea.
The New Zealand pair completed their opening rounds at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club with different tasks ahead: Fox has an early opportunity to push for the title, while Hillier will look to recover ground on Friday.
With the first round still in progress, Fox was tied fourth, and Hillier shared 52nd. Antoine Rozner and Mikael Lindberg had set the clubhouse target at four under, alongside on-course co-leader Frederic Lacroix.
Fox Finishes With A Flourish
Fox’s best work came late in his round.
Starting from the tenth, he mixed birdies at the 11th and 18th with bogeys at the 12th and 13th to complete his opening nine in level par.
He then produced a bogey-free closing nine, collecting birdies at the sixth, eighth and ninth to come home in 33. Those three gains in his final four holes turned a steady opening into a promising platform for the week.
His five-birdie round also put him comfortably ahead of playing partners Sungjae Im, who returned a level-par 71, and Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra, who signed for 72.
For Fox, the challenge now is to build on that finish. He has given himself room to attack the leaderboard on Friday, with the leaders within immediate reach.
There is a wider opportunity, too. The reigning Open champion arrived in Korea still in contention for the season-long Race to Dubai crown, adding another incentive to finish strongly as the campaign approaches its conclusion.
Hillier Has Ground To Recover
Hillier’s opening round required more patience.
Also beginning on the back nine, he bogeyed the tenth before making eight consecutive pars. On his closing nine, birdies at the fifth and eighth were offset by bogeys at the second and seventh, leaving him four strokes behind Fox.
It was a quieter start than the Wellington golfer would have wanted after his outstanding runner-up finish at last week’s DP World India Championship.
There, Hillier finished at 19 under, just two shots behind Chacarra, after a late charge applied pressure to the eventual champion. That performance offers a timely reminder of his ability to make up ground.
His pursuit of PGA Tour membership gives this closing stretch of the season particular significance. Hillier entered the week inside the Race to Dubai’s top ten, with the tour identifying him among the contenders chasing dual membership.
Friday’s immediate priority is a round under par and a move up the leaderboard. For Fox, it is a chance to turn an encouraging start into a sustained challenge.
One Kiwi has made the early move. The other has already shown how quickly he can respond.
Scores and positions at 7.20pm NZDT on Thursday 22 October, with the first round still in progress.
