Hillier in front at Harewood

NEW ZEALAND amateur golf champion Daniel Hillier has launched his way up the leaderboard at the Charles Tour’s Harewood Open in Christchurch.

Starting the second round two shots behind the group of five leaders, the Wellingtonian cashed in on the calm conditions, shooting a bogey-free six-under 66 to get to seven-under par and hold a two-shot lead after 36 holes.

‘‘I got off to a nice start – lately it has been just one part of my game going well so to have both aspects of my game coming together was good.’’

Winning the national amateur championship at Titirangi in April has given the 17-year-old a mountain of confidence.

In shooting a one-under par round on Thursday, Hillier struggled to hit greens in regulation and knew that it was something he needed to fix yesterday.

‘‘I felt like I was rolling the ball really well yesterday yet missed a few greens, so it was just a matter of making sure I hit more greens today and the results showed.

‘‘I have never been leading but have found myself in the top five or 10 after 36 holes a few times. From here it takes more mental toughness.’’

There were multiple four-under par rounds during the day and big hitters Daniel Pearce and Jim Cusdin made their presence felt. Their 68s got them to five-under for the tournament and a share of second place, alongside fellow professional Brad Shilton.

Riverside’s Chantelle Cassidy leads the women’s event by three shots, backing up her opening 74 with a brilliant 65. Omanu’s Alanna Campbell (70, 72) is three shots back with Rangiora’s Momoka Kobori (73, 70) third.