Queenslander Maverick Antcliff has recorded his best finish on international soil in close to three years in a timely boost ahead of this week’s New Zealand Open in Queenstown.

Antcliff required a tournament invite to take his place in the field at Millbrook Resort starting Thursday and will feel confident about utilising it to its fullest after a top-five finish at the Asian Tour’s International Series Oman.

Matching eventual champion Carlos Ortiz for round of the day on Sunday, Antcliff played his final 13 holes in 7-under par for a closing 6-under 65 and a tie for fourth.

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Fourth at the Victorian PGA Championship last November and a three-time winner on the China Tour in 2019, it is Antcliff’s best finish outside of Australia since he was runner-up at the Canary Islands Championship on the DP World Tour back in May of 2021.

Antcliff was one of three Aussies to log top-10s in Oman with both Lucas Herbert and Travis Smyth finishing in a tie for 10th.

Antcliff was also not the only Aussie to finish inside the top five this past week.

West Australian Hayden Hopewell moved up to 13th in the Race to Mallorca standings with his third-place finish at the Challenge Tour’s NMB Championship in South Africa while Mark Hensby was the best of the strong Aussie contingent at the Trophy Hassan II on the PGA TOUR Champions.

Runner-up in the same event a year ago, Hensby finished three back of Ricardo Gonzalez to earn a share of third, Victorian Richard Green three shots further back in a tie for seventh.

Results

PGA TOUR Mexico Open at Vidanta Vidanta Vallarta, Vallarta, Mexico 1 Jake Knapp 67-64-63-71—265 $US1.458m T24 Aaron Baddeley 68-70-69-68—275 $61,695 MC Harrison Endycott 73-70—143 MC Ryan Fox (NZ) 71-73—144

DP World Tour Magical Kenya Open Muthaiga GC, Nairobi, Kenya 1 Darius Van Driel 66-69-68-67—270 €392,570.38 T42 Sam Jones (NZ) 68-70-70-72—280 €12,008.04 T64 Haydn Barron 72-69-69-74—284 €5,426.71 MC Connor McKinney 71-75—146 MC Tom Power Horan 75-71—146

Asian Tour International Series Oman Al Mouj Golf, Oman 1 Carlos Ortiz 67-69-68-65—269 $US360,000 T4 Maverick Antcliff 74-68-68-65—275 $91,000 T10 Lucas Herbert 70-69-67-72—278 $33,975 T10 Travis Smyth 69-68-68-73—278 $33,975 T14 Kevin Yuan 67-68-74-71—280 $27,100 T14 Justin Warren 70-70-68-72—280 $27,100 T22 Aaron Wilkin 73-69-71-71—284 $20,600 T27 Jed Morgan 71-73-73-68—285 $17,900 T31 Deyen Lawson 71-66-75-74—286 $15,228.57 T31 Scott Hend 69-71-71-75—286 $15,228.57 T48 Zach Murray 75-69-75-70—289 $9,200 T58 Andrew Dodt 75-69-71-76—291 $6,600 T63 Wade Ormsby 73-71-74-74—292 $5,800 MC Harrison Crowe 71-74—145 MC Jack Thompson 73-74—147 MC Marcus Fraser 75-73—148 MC Matt Jones 78-71—149 MC Danny Lee (NZ) 78-73—151 MC Todd Sinnott 75-77—152 WD Ben Campbell (NZ) 76

LPGA Tour Honda LPGA Thailand Siam Country Club (Old Cse), Chonburi, Thailand 1 Patty Tavatanakit 67-67-66-67—267 $US255,000 T31 Sarah Kemp 74-70-68-68—280 $11,388 T31 Grace Kim 69-70-68-73—280 $11,388 T41 Stephanie Kyriacou 71-70-72-68—281 $8,155 T54 Hannah Green 69-72-70-73—284 $5,456

Ladies European Tour Lalla Meryem Cup Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Blue Cse), Morocco 1 Bronte Law 73-69-64—206 €67,500 T42 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 73-76-72—221 €2,637 T59 Kirsten Rudgeley 77-73-75—225 €1,417.50

PGA TOUR Champions Trophy Hassan II Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco 1 Ricardo Gonzalez 69-70-70—209 $US320,000 T3 Mark Hensby 68-73-71—212 $131,000 T7 Richard Green 74-71-70—215 $68,000 T11 Stuart Appleby 71-75-71—217 $46,000 T13 Steve Allan 68-75-75—218 $38,067 T27 Rod Pampling 78-73-70—221 $15,886 T27 David McKenzie 74-73-74—221 $15,886 T38 Michael Wright 72-78-74—224 $10,800 T43 David Bransdon 73-81-73—227 $8,000 T43 John Senden 77-75-75—227 $8,000

Challenge Tour NMB Championship Humewood GC, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Event reduced to 54 holes due to rain 1 Björn Akesson 63-67-68—198 €51,241.98 3 Hayden Hopewell 63-69-68—200 €22,598.20