By Kent Gray
What does a golfer desire for his 14th birthday? For Josh Hill, it’s clearly a fast start to the defence of his Faldo Series Middle East Championship title.

The Dubai-based Englishman gifted himself exactly that with a one-under 69 as the 22nd season of Sir Nick Faldo’s global junior series opened at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club on Tuesday. Hill shares the overall lead with Mikkel Mathieson (Denmark) and is a shot ahead of Dubai-based Indian Arjun Gupta and Toby Bishop (Wales) in the U-16 division heading into the second round of the 54-hole event on Wednesday.

Mathieson enjoys a five stroke advantage over England’s Jay Mullane and Kenyan Bradley Mogire in the U-18s category while Emirati Abdullah Al Qubaisi shares the lead in the U-21s race with India’s Arkesh Bhatia after a four-over 74. Gupta and Bishop were the only other players in the 54-strong field to equal or better AEGSC’s par of 70 on a tough day for scoring.

Hill entered the week in impressive form. The +3 handicapper fired an historic 65 at Trump International Golf Club Dubai en-route to a third straight Emirates Golf Federation open men’s title in late Feb. and then finished runner-up in the U-16 division at the 12th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in Vietnam earlier this month.

Related: Josh Hill, just 13, fires Trump course record en-route to third successive EGF title

He qualified for the Asian finale at the Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co. courtesy of winning the U-16 Middle East and then European Grand Final Faldo titles, both also at AESGC, last year.

Kellie Gachaga (Kenya) and England’s Billie-Jo Smith, meanwhile, lead the U-21 girls event at Al Ain after 74s while Sukura Kawakami’s 72 gives the Japanese player a one shot advantage over South Korean Hyeonji Kang heading into the second round of the U-16 girls division.

Faldo created the series (open to players aged 12 to 21) in 1996 to pay back to a sport that has given him so much by nurturing the next generation of champions. It has grown to 40 tournaments in 30-plus countries. Past winners include Major champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng, plus tour winners Nick Dougherty, Oliver Fisher, Marc Warren, John Parry, Rashid Khan, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Carly Booth.

Faldo recently confirmed the series’ European Grand Final will be hosted by AESGC until 2021.

The Middle East is the epicenter of the @EuropeanTour and now junior golf with @NickFaldo006 confirming @aesgc as the host venue of the @FaldoSeries European Grand Final till 2021. Congrats to @GChappellPGA @tompro66 and all the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club team. ? https://t.co/72eDrulQLO

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) March 20, 2018

Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club (AESGC) @aesgc will host the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final for the next four years, Sir Nick Faldo has announced. https://t.co/vXKHrOU1Q8 @NickFaldo006

— Faldo Series (@FaldoSeries) March 20, 2018

The post Hill celebrates 14th birthday in style at Faldo Series opener in Al Ain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.