By Matt Smith
Whitney Hillier is going places, and quickly.
The Australian maintained a blistering season on the Ladies European Tour with fifth place at the Aramco Team Series — London, five shots behind eventual winner Bronte Law at Centurion Club.
This adds to a whirlwind month or so for the Australian, as it follows on from her team victory at the inaugural ATS event and 2022 series opener in Bangkok in May and an agonising play-off defeat to Tiia Koivisto of Finland at the Jabra Ladies Open in France.
“It has been an incredible few weeks,” Whitney told Golf Digest Middle East as she prepares for the Big Green Egg Open in the Netherlands, the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at the challenging Dundonald Links in Ayrshire before the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield at the start of August.
Whitney Hillier has had a tremendous 2022 season so far. Whitney Hillier Twitter
“The ATS team win was special for me because my mum was born in Bangkok and to win in her homeland meant a lot. My game has been trending in a good direction for a few years now, so it’s nice to see the hard work and patience paying off.
“It’s been a big goal of mine to be comfortable being in contention and getting into the playoff at Jabra really solidified the belief I have in my ability under pressure.
“To then keep pushing forwards and play well in London at the Aramco Team Series has given me more belief and confidence to go out and push on for more success.”
The Aramco series has certainly been a happy hunting ground for Hillier, who admits she is enjoying a bit of variety on tour.
“It’s a great concept to give what is usually an individual sport a team element, something we don’t usually get to experience, while also showcasing the level of golf on the Ladies European Tour in a format that is innovative and exciting,” she said, while also acknowledging the boost the ladies game has received from the extra funding coming in from Aramco and Golf Saudi.
“It’s huge for women’s golf. To have the support and funding provided by Aramco and Golf Saudi shows their belief in what we do and is beginning to bring the differences between prize funds in men’s and women’s golf closer together. Increasing our playing and earning opportunities is something we are all really grateful for.”
Whitney Hillier of Australia celebrates her hole in one at Jabra Ladies Tour. Tristan Jones/LET
Whitney also claimed her fifth career hole in one at Evian-les-Bains, the 31-year-old acing the eighth hole on the Day 2 of the Jabra Ladies Open.
“I’ve had a few now,” she laughed. “Unfortunately none of them have come on holes where there’s been a car or a watch on offer so I guess I need to pick and choose a little more carefully!”
Like fellow players Bronte Law, Olivia Jackson and Olivia Cowan, Whitney is happy to see the growth of mixed events on tour, such as the Scandinavian Mixed, where Linn Grant recently defeated the DP World Tour guys to claim the title.
“Playing alongside the guys is always fun, it’s something I’ve had the opportunity to do down in Australia at the Vic Open, so having the chance to do it around the world is exciting,” Hillier said. “Playing for the same prize fund sometimes brings about some complications, and often gets unfairly critiqued as the women’s course needs to be much shorter to make for a fair competition, but it’s definitely always something I enjoy. It was great to see Linn win in Sweden, showing that us girls can really compete against the guys.
“The standard of golf in the ladies’ game is really good and is improving each and every year. To get the recognition it deserves it needs to be showcased in ways that is comparable to how people are able to interact with men’s golf. I think a great way to promote it is to ensure we get as much TV time as possible. Having the mixed events has certainly done that, but whenever people have the access to watch women’s golf and see how good we are, it certainly helps to create bigger fan bases and grow the game for females around the world.”
MORE: LET now a tour de force for Olivia Cowan
Whitney also enjoyed the chance to play at the Centurion Club once again, which is fast making a name for itself with the ATS, and also the money-spinning LIV Golf Invitational Series for the men.
“It’s an awesome golf course,” she said. “Last year we played there for the first time, and it was really wet so played really long. This year it was much firmer and played as it was designed to be played, with the par 5s reachable and the run-offs around the greens being more in play. It’s great that the club has been so accommodating of both the men’s and women’s events.”
Hillier is glad that travel restrictions have been lifted following the COVID-19 lockdown, allowing her to see more of her family back in Australia, while also getting to play more events around the world.
“Throughout Covid, I literally didn’t get a chance to go home to Australia for two years.” she said. “With travel restrictions and other things, it meant I chose to base myself with my fiancé and his family in Lincoln, England.
“It was a perfect opportunity to do some really good work on my swing with my coach Stuart Brewer and helped me to get prepared to come back on tour ready to compete.
“I finally got back to Perth to see my parents at the start of this year and it was amazing to recharge, get my fix of home and ready myself even more for 2022. I’m looking forward to the next few months and hopefully tick off a couple more of my goals for the season.”
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