By Kent Gray
Another tournament, another course record and another title for teen phenom Josh Hill.
This time the 14-year-old Jumeirah Goilf Estates +3 handicapper has waltzed to a four-stroke victory over Emirates Golf Club’s Mike Mezel in the 36-hole AGMC Men’s Open at The Track, Meydan Golf. His rounds of 68-68 for a 136, -8 aggregate saw Hill swipe the Track course record from Michael Harradine who carded a 69 in the same event last year.
It was the English teen’s sixth Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit (OOM) event win in his last eight starts and the second time this season he’s established a course record after his heroics at the Trump International Men’s Open in late February.
Related: Josh Hill, then just 13, shots 65 to win Trump title
Mezei (70-70) was second at The Track on 140, a shot clear of Hill’s JGE club-mate Arjun Gupta (72-69) who is a distant second on the OOM standings – no slight given Hill’s purple patch.
HILL SETS A NEW COURSE RECORD AND WINS THE AGMC MEN’S OPEN AT MEYDAN – @MeydanGolf – https://t.co/DBJjNsthgA pic.twitter.com/7xHOu5eypc
— Emirates Golf Fed. (@EGFuaegolf) April 16, 2018
Hill will enjoy home course advantage when JGE hosts the EGF OOM Championship on May 4-5 but has one more qualifying event to extend his superb run before then at the Yas Links Men’s Open on April 20-21. He’ll then lead the EGF amateurs in their defence of the Dubai Golf Trophy against the best UAE PGA teaching professionals on May 12-13.
Related: Hill flirts with Al Ain course record, waltzes to Faldo Series title by six shots
For the record, Hill has won the JGE Amateur Men’s Open, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club Men’s Open, The Trump International Men’s Open, the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Men’s Open, the Al Ain Men’s Open and the AGMC Men’s Open. Chuck the successful defence of his U-16 Faldo Series Middle East title into the mix, and there is no hotter golfer in the Middle East right now.
It’s an incredible run for a 14-year-old whose performances in this summer’s major U.K. amateur events will be watched closely.