By Kent Gray
Arjun Gupta has probably been the least flamboyant of the MENA Tour’s “Three Musketeers”, the teen triumvirate including fellow 14-year-old phenoms Josh Hill and Toby Bishop, until now.

That’s no slight, especially not given the way Hill has become a serial winner in the past 18 months, most recently winning The Els Club Open – the Emirates Golf Federation’s penultimate order of merit event of the season – at the weekend.

But don’t be fooled. Plus-five handicapper Gupta is no supporting act in this threesome taking Middle East amateur golf by storm and proved it by clinching the 2019 Faldo Series Middle East Championship at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club late last week  – and in some style too.

Gupta compiled rounds of 73-67-67 for a three-under-par, 207 aggregate which was impressive given the gusty conditions on the first two days which made greens running at 11 on the stimp metre especially tricky to negotiate.

Gupta is flanked by Matthew Faldo and AESGC club captain Anton Van Schalkwyk.

It was good enough to see the Dubai-based Indian edge Welshman Bishop by nine shots in the under-16 division and win the overall title by two shots from Ziang Xu, the under-18 division champion.

Hill wasn’t playing at Al Ain but like the fabled fictional characters, Dubai’s Three Musketeers also play by the “All for one, one for all” motto. You can be sure Hill was right behind Bishop in offering his congratulations to his Claude Harmon 3 Performance Golf Academy pal Gupta.

For the record, Hill won the 54-hole Faldo Middle East title last year by six shots from Gupta and Bishop. Stepping up to the MENA Tour has clearly helped at age–group level too; Gupta is sixth in the regional Pro-Am circuit’s amateur OOM (Hill is second) after making the cut in each of the first five events of the season, including a best finish of 40th at the season-opening Journey to Jordan-1 event.

Gupta’s sister Natalli, meanwhile, finished runner-up in the U-16 girls’ championship at AESGC, six shots adrift of Sakura Kawakami who finished +13. Lisa Marie Schumacher won the under-21 women’s title with a +13 total, a closing 67 giving her the title over Hyeonji Kang. Schumacher and Kawakami finished sixth and seventh respectively on the combined girls and boys leaderboard.

Yaseen Le Falher won the under-21 men’s title with a +6 total. 

The winners will get to meet Sir Nick Faldo when AESGC hosts the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final in November, the first of a three-year contract extension to host the finale.

The post Gupta’s Faldo Series triumph shows he’s far from the third Musketeer appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 14-year-old Englishman came within a whisker of the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club course record as a 62 saw him stretch a two-stroke overnight lead into an emphatic six shot defence of his Faldo Series Middle East Championship title on Thursday.

Related: Justin Parsons rates Hill and the other leading lights from Al Ain

Hill won the U-16 crown by four strokes last March and was even more impressive in his defence as a bogey-free eight under loop threatened the 61 carded by Brazilian Herik Machado at the Faldo Series’ European Grand Final at Al Ain before Christmas.

It saw Hill finish an astonishing -14 for the 54 hole event and lead a Jumeirah Golf Estates sweep of the U-16 and overall podium with Arjun Gupta (India) and Toby Bishop (Wales) sharing second on -8 after closing rounds of 66. The trio’s Butch Harmon School of Golf Dubai pal Krishiv Tekchandani rounded out the top four on -1 after recovering from a three-over opening round 73 with back-to-back 68s.

There was further joy in the Gupta family with Arjun’s sister Natalii roaring to victory in the girls division with a stunning closing round of 66 to pip England’s Billie-Jo Smith by a shot.

But the spotlight was justifiably on Hill who came into the week on the back of a runner-up finish at the Faldo Series Asian Grand Final and three successive Emirates Golf Federation Open Men’s wins at JGE, Abu Dhabi and Trump Dubai, the latter sealed with a course record 65. But that, it turns out, is only half the story.

“It’s been good, I’ve won six of the last seven tournaments I’ve played,” Hill said matter-of-factly.

“I went to the Asian final, that was a great experience, a great course [the Faldo designed-Laguna Lang Co in Vietnam], so I want to get back there, hopefully qualify for that one again.”

Hill will get that chance in November when AESGC again hosts the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final, from which the winners will return to Vietnam.

“I played solid [all week],” he continued. “I played well today obviously but I didn’t hit my driver great but when I was out of position I got back into position and managed to make up and downs so my short game was on point.”

Also on point this week has been the friendly rivalry with Gupta and Bishop with whom Hill played the final 36 holes.

“Yeah, they really good friends. It was fun playing with them and it was fun seeing them playing well as well. Good fun.”

For a clear illustration of just how well Hill and his JGE mates played, know that Denmark’s Mikkel Mathieson was fifth overall and that was good enough to win the U-18 division by six strokes over Italian Sasha Sparacino.

India’s Arkesh Bhatia closed with an impressive 67 to win the U-21 men’s title with a +4 aggregate, 13 strokes ahead of UAE national team player Abdullah Al Qubaisi who slipped with a Wednesday 76.

Even Sir Nick Faldo, the six-time major champion, was impressed by Hill.

“My thanks to Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club on another successful Middle East Championship in Al Ain. Congratulations to all the winners and in particular Josh who is on an incredible run of form of late winning all over the UAE.

“Having played the course myself I know first hand how great the conditioning of the course is and such an experience AESGC has to offer. It was great to have such an international field for the event with 19 nationalities represented, such a global reach is something the Faldo Series is very proud to have. I look forward to meeting the winners in November at AESGC personally, our new European Grand Final home.”

The post Josh Hill flirts with Al Ain course record, settles for 62 to waltz Faldo Series event by six shots appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Related: Josh Hill fires closing 62 to waltz Faldo Series event by six shots

Josh Hill (69-65-62) CHAMPION

This tall, hard-working young English player works with Joe Marshall at the BHSG Dubai. Joe has done a great job simplifying his swing which already allows him a consistent, straight ball flight. He is a keen strategist despite his tender years and is also very competitive. Josh works diligently and rounds his skills with a good balance of short game and play. The dominant player in the set, his scores at The Faldo Series underline his serious potential.

Arjun Gupta (70-66-66) Tied second

A lean and flamboyant talent, Arjun has many of the traits that I think will take him to the top. His movement, creativity and unflappable nature have seen him succeed in recent times and as he grows and his body stabilises his incredible speed and the pressure that he puts on the ball, Arjun will continue to improve. His swing and practice habits as well as his course management have all improved this season and with continued work, expect good things.

Toby Bishop (70-66-66) Tied second

Toby Bishop

Student of Irish coach Jamie McConnell, Welsh player Toby Bishop is very committed and devoted to a process of continued improvement. His swing has become much more stable and balanced with a combination of good training and a serious approach to good, basic postural, stabilising and balanced training in the gym. Toby’s grit and work ethic single him out as someone who can go far.

Krishiv Tekchandani (73-68-68) 4th
A member of the BHSG High School Program, Krishiv trains steadily under me with guidance from the wider team. His noted improvement this season has stemmed mainly from postural improvements made possible through our medical team as well as pilates sessions that have allowed his to start swinging and playing the way he wants to. He is fully committed to the process of becoming a good player and is honest and forthright in his self assessment, all traits that also stand him out for the future.

These four train, play and compete together in various BHSG programs and their scores are testament to the bright futures they share. Congrats lads!

Justin Parsons is the Director of Instruction at The Butch Harmon School of Golf at The Els Club, Dubai. Among his pupils are PGA Tour player Peter Uihlein, former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and celebrated Dubai-based, Indian amateur No.1 Rayhan Thomas.

The post Justin Parsons: Faldo Series sweep illustrates depth of junior talent in Dubai appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Al Ain might be the home of the Faldo Series’ Middle East Championship but you can bet there will be a gaggle of proud Jumeirah Golf Estates members following Thursday’s final round action 150km away in Dubai, not to mention three very interested Butch Harmon School of Golf instructors in nearby Dubai Sports City.

That’s because JGE clubmates Josh Hill, Arjun Gupta and Toby Bishop are locked in a fascinating battle for not only the U-16 title but the overall crown at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club in the first event of the 22nd season of Sir Nick Faldo’s global junior series.

A day after shooting 69 on his 14th birthday, +3 handicapper Hill signed for a best of the week 65 Wednesday to move to -6 for the championship. The Englishman will take a two-stroke advantage into the final round over Bishop (Wales) and Gupta (India) who fired 66s in the second round of the 54-hole event.

Hill plays one of his 65 strokes at AESGC in the second round.

Denmark’s Mikkel Mathieson, the overnight co-leader with Hill, is fourth on even par after a one-over 71 but leads the U-18 division by four strokes over Italian Sasha Sparacino.

Hill’s prowess has come to the fore in recent weeks after his Emirates Golf Federation Open men’s heroics at Trump International Golf Club Dubai and a runner-up finish at the Faldo Series Asian Grand Final in Vietnam.

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

Gupta, playing off a +1 handicap, is another rising star. In fact, he was part of the “Constellation Clinic” during January’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic where he received a lesson (and a shiny new set of TaylorMade clubs) from Rory McIlroy and rubbed shoulders with boy band golfer Niall Horan and golf’s social media queen Paige Spiranac.

Related: 7 takeaways from the Desert Swing

Getty Images
Rory McIlroy watches Gupta during the Constellation Clinic.

Gupta is coached by Justin Parsons. The Butch Harmon School of Golf Director of Golf, currently in Texas working with PGA Tour rookie Peter Uihlein at the Houston Open, speaks highly of the young Indian lad, indeed all three front-runners; Bishop (+ 0.9 handicap) and Hill are coached by Parson’s BHSG Dubai colleagues Jamie McConnell and Joe Marshall respectively.

“We’ve worked with young Arjan at the golf school for three or four years now, an incredibly talented young player,” said Parsons.

Arjun Gupta’s sister Natalii is in contention in the under-16 girls division. Some family!

“He works at the golf school most days. I’ve been personally working with him coming up two years now and he shows an awful lot of promise and potential. We’ve got a great crop there with obviously Josh Hill, Spencer Goodin and young Toby Bishop. There’s Krishiv Tekchandani too who is one of the lads in our high school programme. We’re excited about all those young lads.”

Toby Bishop

Elsewhere, a second round 73 sees India’s Arkesh Bhatia lead the U-21 men’s division with a +7 aggregate, three shots clear of UAE national team player Abdullah Al Qubaisi who slipped with a Wednesday 76.

A single shot separates England’s Billie-Jo Smit (74-73) and Kenyan Kellie Gachaga (74-74) in the U-21 girls championship while South Korean Hyeonji Kang (73-73) takes a three shot buffer into the final round of the U-16 girls division over Natalii Gupta (76-74), Arjun’s sister.

The post JGE teen trio Hill, Gupta and Bishop set up epic Faldo Series finale at Al Ain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

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

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