David Cannon/Getty Images
Hill in action during the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last week. 

By Kent Gray
Josh Hill hopes an equipment tweak will help him quickly forget recent history. Jayden Schaper just wants to let the good times roll.

Together the teens have been cast in an intriguing amateur subplot at this week’s 31st Omega Dubai Desert Classic. The key takeaway from their joint media conference on Monday? Neither might be eligible for a share of the $3.25 million purse, but don’t think they are at Emirates Golf Club to make up the numbers.

“Basically, everyone wants to come out and go for the win,” said Schaper after the South African 18-year-old took the honour to answer a question about their targets for the week on the Majlis. “Obviously that’s what you want to do. I’m just going to take it one step at a time, one shot at a time and one hole at a time and I’m just going to take it as it comes and enjoy the experience overall.”

Hill followed with an equally emphatic answer. “I agree. I think if you don’t aim to win, you’re preparing to fail. Aim for the win and just go out there and have fun and see where that leaves you.”

On the evidence of their respective European Tour debuts, Schaper at the South African a week before Hill’s bow in Abu Dhabi, the South African will take the not insignificant advantage of confidence onto the tee Thursday.

Jayden Schaper.

Fresh from a share of sixth at Randpark G.C., Schaper can also draw on a 1½ (from a possible three) point debut for the Internationals at the Junior Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne before Christmas. Before that he captured the Junior Players Championship on the same course, TPC Sawgrass, that the world’s best compete on for the big boys’ version.

But Hill isn’t about to let a missed cut in Abu Dhabi define his recent body of work, highlighted by his maiden MENA Tour win at the Al Ain Open win in October to become the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking event.

A wayward driver contributed to the Dubai-domiciled English Boys’ representative missing the weekend by seven shots on The National but he hopes to have sorted a on-going problem with his big stick over the intervening four days.

“I just put a new shaft in the driver, so hopefully that will improve it,” said Hill who will again have Trump Dubai clubmate Steven Kelbrick, a survivor of the cut at The Senior Open last season, on his bag this week. “I played nine holes yesterday and it did, so hopefully keeps going that way.

Hill is also much more comfortable on the Majlis than he was The National.

“A lot of tee shots, like 8, for example, such a great view, it always makes you smile before you hit the tee shot, which I think helps you a bit.”

So too do all the doglegs. “Yeah, I think so, because when I try to hit it hard I like to hit a massive hook. I find it fun doing that. So yeah, there’s a lot of holes which are doglegs right-to-left, so it suits my eye a bit.”

Like Hill who savoured a partial practice round with world No.1 Brooks Koepka in Abu Dhabi, Schaper enjoyed playing with 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen at their national championship a fortnight ago.

“Playing with Louis two weeks ago, he basically said, you know, just keep doing the same and have fun… he said it’s the same 14 clubs in the bag, same golf course, just different field,” Schaper said. “That’s the way I’m looking at it. Nothing should change how you approach the game because how you’ve been playing to that point is what got you there, so nothing should change.”

Why would you change a game that has helped Schaper win 11 times in the past 104 weeks. It’s been a giddy ride that earned a doff of Rory McIlroy’s cap after the teen’s win at TPC Sawgrass.

Like Hill’’s experience with Koepka in Abu Dhabi, the acknowledge from his idol was a huge fillip for Schaper.

“Obviously South Africa, we have so many great golfers. Obviously Louis Oosthuizen being one of them, I look up to him. He’s an unbelievable player. He is definitely one of the best from tee-to-green that I’ve seen, and yeah, I was just fortunate to play with him.

“But Rory is just something special. It’s pretty special to watch him off the golf course and on the golf course he’s just magical, his swing, the way he approaches the game. There’s so many people to look up to, and I see Rory as a guy that I want to go up and kind of compare my game to his and just work towards that. “

The journey for Schaper and Hill continues with another steep learning curve in Dubai. It will be fascinating to see if either can emerge from the amateur subplot and become part of the main narrative in Dubai this week.