The 16-year-old Dubai-based England Boys’ international notched up another EGF title at the weekend, overcoming a “lacklustre” opening round 72 on Friday with a stunning nine-under 63 on Saturday to win the Arabian Ranches Men’s Open.

With lift, clean and place in operation, the 63 (which included a bogey on the par-3 7th!) doesn’t count as an official course record but it mattered little as Hill overturned a two-shot deficit to triumph with a -9 total, two strokes clear of pal Arjun Gupta. Toby Bishop made it a Trump International Golf Club, Dubai one-two-three after sharing third place with James Nash (Ormskirk G.C.) on -2.

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The coronavirus pandemic has impacted elite amateur golf even more profoundly than the professional circuits which makes the EGF Order of Merit series a vital source of competition for the region’s top ams, especially with the planned resumption of the MENA Tour’s postponed season in Jordan apparently canned.

Hill’s father Russell underlined that in an Instagram post celebrating yet more silverware for his world-record-setting son in the third event of the 2020-21 EGF OOM Championship:

 

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A post shared by Russell Hill (@golf_osteo_path_dxb)

Russell Hill, an osteopath who recently went out on his own in a business actively looking to help golfers avoid common injuries and improve their own games, has been on hand to capture his son’s hard work in the gym recently.

“I tried to convince Josh (because it was weekend) that we should have a bit of a sleep in and start later (7am),” Russell Hill said in a recent social media post. “He totally refused and insisted we start at 5.30. I don’t have the inclination to put a dampener on desire, enthusiasm, momentum, dreams, dedication, drive, grind, progress etc, etc. I love supporting it and love being part of it.”

 

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A post shared by Russell Hill (@golf_osteo_path_dxb)

There has also clearly been some tidy work on the Trump Dubai range in conjunction with his England-based coach Rob Watts. Just check out that divot patten:

 

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A post shared by Russell Hill (@golf_osteo_path_dxb)

Hill’s latest victory comes after he captured the Trump Dubai club championship last month with a pair of course record-equalling rounds of 65 to comfortably edge Craig Vance by four strokes.

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It will be interesting to see whether Hill has the opportunity to qualify for the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Desert Swing events early next year or will be handed invites. He became the youngest player to qualify for two European Tour starts earlier this year, the opportunity at the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic courtesy of his victory in the MENA Tour’s 2019 amateur OOM race.

Hill entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest winner, at 15 years, six months and 27 days, of an Official World Golf Ranking event at the MENA Tour’s Al Ain Open in October 2019.

The next EFG OOM event is the Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club Men’s Open on Dec 4-5.

The post Josh Hill fires closing 63 to enhance EGF legacy with Arabian Ranches victory appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
After shutting down the professional game globally almost overnight, the coronavirus pandemic is now starting to impact golf at the club level across the UAE.

The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) on Monday announced the postponement of its season-ending EGF Order of Merit (OOM) Championship at Al AIn Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club next month. The 54-hole event, which carries official World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, was scheduled for April 9-11 and the EGF hope it can be rescheduled later this year.

RELATED: Can You Play Golf Amid Coronavirus Concerns? With Proper Precautions, Yes

The EGF has also advised clubs, on the directive of the UAE’s General Authority of Sports, to postpone the remaining regular-season EGF OOM events; ladies tournaments at The Els Club Dubai (March 20) and Jumeirah Golf Estates (March 21) have postponement notices on the EGF website already while men’s opens at Yas Links Abu Dhabi (March 20-21) and Al Ain are likely to follow suit. With the General Authority of Sports prohibiting golf for under 18s UAE wide, the Dubai Creek Junior Open on March 27 has also been postponed indefinitely.

Club events and casual rounds for golfers over 18 continue but Golf Digest Middle East has learned clubs have been tasked with regular sterilising of carts, locker rooms, wellness areas and sporting/gym equipment. Given the global move towards social distancing, more restrictions seem inevitable.

The EGF decision comes hot on the heels of the postponement of this week’s scheduled Aramco Saudi Ladies International due to the temporary ban on international flights into the Kingdom. As early as March 5, the Middle East’s tightening travel restrictions prompted the MENA Tour to delay the second half of the regional men’s Pro-Am development circuit until Sept.-Dec. 

Due to the ongoing CoVid 19 precautionary measures the EGF Order of Merit Championship scheduled for 9th-11th April has been postponed until further notice. pic.twitter.com/hNQnv7AZez

— Emirates Golf Fed. (@EGFuaegolf) March 16, 2020

The EGF is working in tandem with the General Authority of Sports as the UAE ramps up efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19.

“It’s always a tough decision to postpone an event and especially an event that gives players of all ages and genders the opportunity to collect World Amatur Golf Ranking points and showcase their achievements throughout the golf season,” the EGF said in a statement.

“With the ongoing precautionary measures for the CoVid-19 virus, we feel that it is best to postpone the event for all players health and safety. We hope that in due time, things will get back to normal and we can finish the 2019 – 2020 golf season on a positive note.”

This is a breaking story. More to follow…

The post EGF Championship postponed as COVID-19 pandemic begins impacting Middle East club scene appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.