Josh Hill, front and centre as he has often been in 2018, during the Faldo Series’ Middle East Championship at Al Ain in March. Photo courtesy AESGC.
By Kent Gray
Josh Hill has made golf look ridiculously easy at times in 2018 but proved yesterday he knows how to scrap too when the chips are down.
The 14-year-old came back from three down after seven holes in his first match at the British Boys Amateur Championship in Ireland to beat Scot Lewis Irvine 2 up.
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It sees the Jumeirah Golf Estates member and MENA Tour player in waiting through to the final 32 at Royal Dornoch. Hill faces Jose Luis Ballaster at 9.41am (12.41pm UAE time) and a second match on a busy Friday at the 2019 Open Championship venue if he can overcome the Spaniard. Ballaster edged Belgian James Meyer de Beco 3&1 in his opening match.
The performance comes after Hill finished a highly credible T-5 in the strokeplay phase of the Junior Amateur which is matched only by the U.S. Junior Am in terms of U-18 prestige globally.
Hill’s parents were following their son’s progress on the R&A website and it was clearly nailbiting stuff for father Russell.
“By all accounts it was a hell of a match from sunshine to rain to driving wind, having to play 3 woods on par 3s and apparently (which doesn’t happen very often) he utilised a fist pump,” Russell said
“But happy to get through and to add another experience to the growing list. This one sounded as though it took real balls. Well done Josh… good luck tomorrow [Friday]!”
Sentiments shared by many in UAE golfing community.
UPDATED: Hill’s encouraging summer campaign in the U.K. has come to an end after he was beaten 5&3 by Spaniard Jose Luis Ballaster in their round of 16 clash.
Here’s some more commentary from Hill’s father via Instagram.