By Kent Gray
A week after teaming up to help England to R&A Girls’ and Boys’ Home Internationals glory, Dubai-based Josh Hill and Jack Bigham are back to being very friendly rivals.

So far at the (British) Boys’ Amateur Championship, Bigham has the upper hand, having secured medallist honours after the strokeplay phase of the U-18 event at Royal Cinque Ports on the Kent coast.

The Harpenden member fired rounds of 69-67 for a 136, eight-under-par aggregate, three clear of Scot Jamie Mann. Hill wasn’t too far behind, finishing tied 6th on one-under143 following rounds of 71-72.

The top qualifiers from the stroke play rounds at The #BoysAmateur ?️

For the final results follow the link here ? https://t.co/hmMnwPfIGY pic.twitter.com/0fYmheTLDZ

— The R&A (@RandA) August 11, 2021

The Trump Dubai International Golf Club member was eventually seeded 9th for the matchplay phase and will meet another Englishman, Sam Johnson (Astbury) in today’s round of 64.

Bigham, who faces German Morris Schiefner, last week partnered Hill to three foursome wins at the Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa.

Barrington Coombs/R&A via Getty Images
Jack Bigham and Josh Hill during the R&A Girls’ and Boys’ Home Internationals at the Bracken Course, Woodhall Spa Golf Course on August 6, 2021, in Woodhall Spa, United Kingdom.

“I am happy, I just tried to carry on the form I had from the back nine yesterday and it worked. I holed a few nice putts on the front nine and just played solidly to be honest,’’ Bigham told randa.org.

Bigham now knows he’s got a target on his back.

“Obviously I have played well, and I will just try to forget about where I have finished. Matchplay is just completely different to strokeplay, but yes hopefully I will just carry on the good golf that I have played and see how I go.’’

The post Hill comfortably qualifies for matchplay phase at Boys’ Amateur Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 14-year-old Jumeriah Golf Estates star signed for an even par 72 at Portstewart G.C. on Tuesday to earn a share of 11th place in the 252-strong field after the opening round of the U-18 event, rivalled only by the U.S. Junior Am in terms of age-group prestige.

Hill, five shots off the pace set Joesph Pagdin after the Englishman produced a 67 at Portstewart, tees it up in his second round at nearby Royal Portrush at 12.56am (3.56pm UAE time) on Wednesday. He’s well positioned to make the top 64 and matchplay phase which will also be held at Portrush, next year’s Open Championship venue.

Picture courtesy The R&A.

It’s the last event of Hill’s UK summer campaign highlighted by his three from a possible four point contribution as England secured a rare Boys Home Internationals three-peat at Royal Dornoch last week.

Hills only loss came in a foursomes match with teammate Max Hopkins although he more than made amends by finishing five under and two under respectively as he overpowered Welshman Dylan Thomas 5&4 and Ireland’s Charlie Denvir 3&2 for critical singles points.

It’s all over! England sneaked home with a win 8-7! Josh won his match 4&2 (I know it officially said 3&2 but as one can see the last hole was conceded). He was deadly focused and pretty clinical and only produced one mistake! I would consider this a fairly successful week with 3 out of four points won. What a great experience thanks to @england.golf for showing faith in a pretty unknown and untried player and thanks to the whole england management team and players for making @j.hill_golf feel so at home and creating such a memorable experience! @bhsgdubai @jgegolf @jmarshallgolf @faldoseries

A post shared by Russell (@russellhill19) on Aug 9, 2018 at 9:49pm PDT

“It is such a great feeling to win with all the team. Afterwards we had dinner and walked around town [Dornoch] a long time, you know having a laugh and having fun and it was such a good event to win,” Hill told Golf Digest Middle East.

“It was a great event, one of the best events I’ve ever played, so well set up. They treated you amazingly, it was as if you were playing a pro event. To me the people on the England team, they were so nice, so fun to be around and really funny.

“I felt like we should have won that match [foursomes v Wales] easily but other than that I felt like I played fairly well. It was great to win, especially on my debut.”

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