New Zealander Daniel Hillier secured a hole-in-one on the 17th hole at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid during the opening round of the Open de España, winning an all-electric BMW iX5 SUV valued at 140,338 euros and carding a 4-under 67 to sit tied for fourth place.
BMW iX5 Adds Material Upside to Prize Structure
- The physical prize—a luxury 140,338-euro BMW iX5—adds unique material upside to an opening-round par-3 incentive structure.
The Mishit That Secured a Luxury SUV
Daniel Hillier admitted he was dissatisfied with the strike of his 8-iron on the 187-yard par-3 17th hole during Thursday’s action at the Open de España presented by Madrid. The 28-year-old New Zealander noted that he “toed it quite a bit” and that the ball “hung in the air for a little bit longer than I thought.” The ball pitched pin-high, took one hop to the left, and rolled into the cup.
Because the bottom of the hole was obscured from the tee box, Hillier did not immediately realize he had scored what he thinks was his fifth career hole-in-one. He confirmed the successful shot only after observing spectators erupt in cheers at the back of the grandstand. The ace yielded an all-electric BMW iX5 SUV valued at 140,338 euros, equivalent to approximately $157,000, as reported by the DP World Tour. The vehicle’s valuation was noted differently by another source at 140,000 euros, designated specifically as a prize for the first player to record an ace on that particular hole during the week.
First-Round Leaderboard Context in Madrid
The hole-in-one propelled Hillier to a 4-under 67 on Thursday, placing him in a tie for fourth place on the leaderboard. Grant Forrest, Connor Syme, and Eugenio Chacarra shared the tournament lead after opening with rounds of 5-under 66. Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia opened one shot back among the group chasing the leaders at the Madrid venue.
Further down the leaderboard, the Australian contingent was spearheaded by Jason Scrivener, who carded a 1-under 70 to tie for 21st place. David Micheluzzi followed with a 73, and Elvis Smylie signed for a 74 during the opening 18 holes.
| Player | Round 1 Score | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Forrest | 66 (-5) | Tied 1st |
| Connor Syme | 66 (-5) | Tied 1st |
| Eugenio Chacarra | 66 (-5) | Tied 1st |
| Daniel Hillier | 67 (-4) | Tied 4th |
| Jason Scrivener | 70 (-1) | Tied 21st |
Building on a Memorable Season
The successful stroke in Madrid adds to an already notable stretch for Hillier, who won his national open in March just days after getting married. Reflecting on his strong run of form and the unexpected vehicular prize, Hillier remarked that the year “just keeps getting better” and expressed hope that he can maintain the momentum for another couple of months.
Addressing the logistical reality of his prize, Hillier acknowledged the unique challenge accompanying the luxury vehicle. “I’ve locked it up pretty early, but absolutely stoked and very grateful,” Hillier said, adding, “It’s going to be a long drive though to New Zealand, I know that much.”
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