The MENA Tour’s new amateur star has his driver back under control. Watch out world

By Joe Marshall
After a frustrating summer in the UK with the big stick, Josh Hill has rediscovered his driving mojo with the help of Claude Harmon 3 Performance Golf Academy head professional Joe Marshall. To say the results have been impressive – T-6 in Abu Dhabi and a maiden MENA Tour title and world record to boot – is an understatement.

RELATED: Meet the MENA Tour’s new Boy Wonder

“Josh tends to get a little left-sided early in his backswing so the simple motion of getting wider in the takeaway, feeling more right-sided with a neutral clubface were the keys to retaining some control,” Marshall explains. “The beauty about Josh is he understands this kind of thing so quickly and just wants to go away and get it figured in his own mind, which he usually does. He uses his practice windows exceptionally well.” —with Kent Gray

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SETUP
Josh has such a strong, classic driver setup set up that looks ready to produce speed. We keep a close eye on his shoulders not being pulled forward too much creating a C-Posture.

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TAKEAWAY
The key here is that Josh gets the arms and club working in a motion that matches up with the body. His right leg provides stability for this to happen as his body weight starts to shift a little.

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BACKSWING
Here is where you can see the work Josh has done recently, keeping a wider feel and creating good pressure down through his right foot, preventing the tendency to go left too early.

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AT THE TOP
Josh is fully loaded into his right hip at the top with a huge shoulder turn that is much like Dustin Johnson. We love how stable this big coil has become!

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DOWNSWING
A fantastic movement of the hips moving down into the left side. This shift, which oozes power, causes the club to shallow nicely. Josh feels he has to stay behind a little here.

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IMPACT
Josh has done excellent leg work with our Fitness Professional, Allister Parlane, as his left leg provides a solid post for energy to be transferred into the club creating a 123mph swing speed!

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POST-IMPACT
All we look for is that his torso continues to rotate through to the target with the clubface matching the chest as it is released.  We don’t like the toe to win the race too early.

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FINISH
When Josh holds his finish high on the left side with good balance and doesn’t rock back to the right slightly, we know it’s a good one. Notice how the body has released fully round to the left.

The post Prodigy Power: The driver swing that helped Josh Hill wow the golf world 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.”

The post Hill makes fast start to British Boys Amateur Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Welcome to the first edition of The Sand Trap, where we scour the worldwide inter-web for the Middle East’s best golf news before expertly splashing it out with absolutely no (okay, sometimes a little) spin. Call it old school polishing (reporting) of today’s social media overload, a light-hearted take on everything that is great about golf in the game’s hottest destination.

We’re unapologetically Middle East centric – our colleagues at Golf Digest H.Q. in New York will continue to update you on the best global goings on via ‘The Grind’ and the ‘Dew Sweeper’ – so if it has even a tenuous link to the game here, we’ll be all over it.

If you win a title and your club does the needful online, check in here – you might just feature (remember to smile and share!) alongside the region’s more high profile players. Don’t be shy to share that viral worthy post either. A trick shot or a laughter educing whiff from one of your golfing pals perhaps? Simply tag us @GolfDigestME and we’ll do the rest. Who knows, you really could go global with the assistance of Golf Digest.

With that, enjoy this, your first escape from with the Sand Trap, which we coincidently launch just as the year’s final major is about to take the starter’s orders in St. Louis. Enjoy.

THIS WEEK IN THE INCREDIBLE RISE AND RISE OF JUNIOR PHENOM JOSH HILL

Before we head to Bellerive Country Club for the 100th staging of the U.S. PGA Championship, divert your attention, Dear Sand Trappers, to Royal Dornoch where they’ve apparently been golfing since 1616. That’s 402 years ago according the abacus at Media One Towers, or 388 years since Josh Hill was born right here in Dubai. The drawn out connection here is that Hill is set to tee it up at Dornoch on Tuesday as England opens the defence of its Boys Home Internationals title. And that’s as stunning as the fabled Scottish highlands links land hosting the matchplay event where each team faces the other over three days in five morning foursomes and 10 afternoon singles matches each day.

Hill’s selection to the U-18 England team – remember he’s 14! – continues a meteoric rise. It wasn’t that long ago he was posing with Ryder Cuppers Andy Sullivan and Rory McIlroy as a wide-eyed 12-year-old having just played the DP World Tour Championship Pro-Am at JGE, coinsidently where he trains.

That was late 2016. Fast-forward to early 2018 and Hill marked himself as the hottest prospect in UAE golf since the emergence of Rayhan Thomas, courtesy of eight wins in a magical three month stretch to April. It will be fascinating to see how Hill fares in the pressure-filled matches against Scotland, Wales and Ireland as England aim for a title three-peat. Whatever happens at Dornach, Dubai looks to have unearthed a genuine gem. Best wishes to Josh and kudos to his supportive parents Russell and Jo and Butch Harmon School of Golf Dubai instructor Joe Marshall. All can be justifiably proud of the unexpected international call-up.

JP ON THE ROAD (AGAIN) TO THE 100th PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Talking of the BHSG Dubai, the stock of the Els Club Dubai-based academy’s Director of Instruction, Justin Parsons, continues to rise. ‘JP’ has been criss-crossing the globe recently working with former major champions Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen who are now firmly ensconced in a stable that also includes Peter Uihlein, Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera and the aforementioned Rayhan Thomas. The Northern Irishman was in Akron last week and departed for the PGA Championship thoroughly encouraged by Schwartzel’s storming finish to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, a 63 at Firestone Country Club propelling the former Masters champion up to a share of 31st with, among others, Tiger Woods.

Great to watch @charlschwartzel get it going today- 63 to finish the week strong. Firestone is a great venue and will be missed, glad I saw the last one. On to the @pgachampionship

A post shared by Justin Parsons (@jparsonsgolf) on Aug 5, 2018 at 1:07pm PDT

Here’s more of JP’s recent handiwork (scroll through the Insta post to see Oosty and Schwartzel in practice at Firestone).

Great to be in Akron for the WGC!!

A post shared by Justin Parsons (@jparsonsgolf) on Jul 31, 2018 at 6:12pm PDT

Parsons was headed to Bellerive (Schwartzel, Oosthuizen, Uihlein and Lorenzo-Vera are all in the field) overnight via a road trip with International Sport Management (think Chubby Chandler’s company) player manager Louis Martin in an RV.  (FYI, Oosthuizen and Uihlein are ISM clients).

So the NFL Hall of Fame is here, flights are full. This legend and I are taking a road trip from Akron-St Louis in an RV. Story to follow- seems like a good idea ????? @ Firestone Country… https://t.co/PtJyDK0xQT

— Justin Parsons (@JParsonsGolf) August 5, 2018

It’s a pretty epic sounding trip – all 900km of it – and we do hope JP shares some footage as promised. What we can guarantee, cough, cough, splutter, splutter, is that it’s not the final destination for the UAE’s best known coach. Again, watch this space.

Related: Woods, Rory and WGC-Bridgestone champion Thomas paired for PGA

TALKING OF GLOBE-TROTTING UAE PROS

With the mercury at sizzling point and the UAE’s driving ranges relatively empty as a result, it’s an ideal time for the UAE’s hard working PGA teaching professionals to grab some well-deserved R&R. And some, like Trump International Dubai head pro Sven Nielsen, are doing it better than most as these epic pictures from Scotland highlands illustrate.

Some breathtaking views at @carnegielinks with the guys yesterday!! Great to play in 20 degrees again. #summergolf #golf #golfer #greatgolfcourse #views #unreal

A post shared by Sven Nielsen (@svennielsenpga) on Aug 3, 2018 at 11:17am PDT

The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle is a private club “offering limited tee times to non-residents”. As a former pro at Trump Turnberry, we’re guessing Nielsen didn’t have too much trouble getting on. He certainly had little trouble playing his Tiger-esque stinger:

Little 2-iron stinger here!!! ???? Amazing day at @carnegielinks with @msweenie_golf @rob.satterley.golf and @calsatterley what a phenomenal golf course and experience!! Thanks for having us!!! #golf #golfer #golflesson #golfcoach #greatcourse #greatgolfcourse

A post shared by Sven Nielsen (@svennielsenpga) on Aug 2, 2018 at 4:55pm PDT

Nice shot, Sven. But perhaps not quite as flush as your recent ace at Trump.

?HOLE IN ONE? today for me while playing with one of my clients. 145yards PW. ???? #golf #golfer #holeinone #golfcoach #golflesson @trumpgolf @trumpgolfdubai

A post shared by Sven Nielsen (@svennielsenpga) on Jul 20, 2018 at 11:52pm PDT

We’re genuinely happy for the hard-working South African but won’t be so generous if the Springboks show as much class in the upcoming Rugby Championship. Did we mention the team behind the Sand Trap are ardent supporters of the All Blacks?

LUKE’S PRO V1 JOY

Just like the mighty All Blacks, we love golf swag at the Sand Trap, especially swag of the, well, you know, free kind. Check out the booty MENA Tour player Luke Joy has just recieved from a couple of well-known sponsors.

Huge thanks to @GOLFPRINCIPLES @callawaygolf @Callaway_Mat for all the help with getting the new X- Forged irons set up ?Awesome service and superb product come as standard! Many thanks guys?#golfprinciples #lukejoygolf #callaway #rogue #trackman pic.twitter.com/erN0cnP3Nj

— Luke Joy (@JoyBoy59) July 28, 2018

Always great to get a delivery from @titleistukireland / Africa Thanks @titleist for keeping me stocked up… I use the Pro V1 X Ball and Players glove?. #1 #1ballingolf #prov1x #golf #titleist #golfball #lukejoygolf

A post shared by Luke Joy – ‎ليوك (@lukejoygolf) on Aug 3, 2018 at 10:48am PDT

Nice. We’re guessing these shiny new spheres will travel a little further than the tee shot of Joy’s brother Ollie during a recent social round.

So bit of social golf today with my Bro @ollie_joy85 and Cousin at Queens Park GC… Both didn’t make it past the ladies tee… Rules are Rules ? #queenspark #sunshine #pantsdown #golf #keepingitfun #ladiestee #familygolf #family #priceless #bournemouth #england #funinthesun #chef #aussie #lukejoygolf

A post shared by Luke Joy – ‎ليوك (@lukejoygolf) on Aug 2, 2018 at 1:55pm PDT

Rules are rules but enough of those shenanigans. The Yas Links-attached Englishman is just back from a steady 12th place finish in last week’s Sunshine Tour stop in Kenya, an encouraging bounce-back after playing like a complete plonker – his words, not ours – in Open Championship qualifying. 

Joy still has designs on a European Tour card via Q-School ahead of a series of starts on the Sunshine and Asian Tours towards the end of 2018 “with the end goal of punching a ticket to secure European Tour status or at least have some events with a full playing category on the Challenge Tour”.

“I’m working hard with Matt Parker down at Yas so all seems to be working towards the ET for the coming years.”

Here’s hoping, although don’t be surprised if you see more off the course action on JoyBoy59’s twitter feed in the coming weeks; the 30-year-old Dorset pro is getting married at the end of the month. We’re sure fiancée Lauren-Leanne Bellows wouldn’t mind a prolonged honeymoon following hubby to some of the European Tour’s more exotic locales.

To be fair, Joy will need to keep winning to continue to afford experiences like this watching his beloved England in the World Cup.

Thanks for an amazing few weeks @England … You got a whole nation believing, dreaming and singing! Gutted yes, but the future looks very promising for this young side ???????#threeloins pic.twitter.com/BarrHQw8br

— Luke Joy (@JoyBoy59) July 11, 2018

JoyBoy indeed!

FRIENDLY REMINDER #1

It’s not long now until the climax of the European Tour season at JGE. In fact, it’s 99-days until the DP World Tour Championship. Follow the prompt for free tickets, Sand Trappers.

Only #100daystogo until the #greatestplayersonearth return to @JumeirahGolfEst for the #dpwtc. Register for free general admission now #racetodubai pic.twitter.com/MOX8le3aOw

— DP World Tour Championship (@DPWTC) August 5, 2018

DUBAI TROPHY BLAST FROM THE PAST

Former head pro Malcolm Young is clearly in a nostalgic space as he packs up after 10½ years at Arabian Ranches to take up a new posting in Hong Kong. Or perhaps he just found this picture as he was clearing out some clutter.

Either way, it’s a cool rewind to the 2010 Dubai Golf Trophy which the professionals snuck by a solitary point. The Pros will miss Young’s talents next winter as they try to avert a fourth straight loss to the EGF’s best amateurs, but not half as much as the quietly spoken Scot’s old clientele at Ranches. Dubai’s loss is the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf’s gain. Yup, that’s how highly rated Young is.

ANOTHER SAD FOND FAREWELL

There are leaving dos and then there’s the way Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club do the leaving do. Stick with us here.

How about honouring New Zealand-bound course superintendent Marty Brown with his own golf tournament.

Marty Brown, our Golf Course superintendent is leaving (after 12 years service). Come down and join us on his farewell golf day on 10 August.#golf #sharjah #sharjahgolf #golfindubai #farewellgolf pic.twitter.com/KpYl2d4qRF

— Sharjah Golf & SClub (@SharjahGolf) August 2, 2018

A classy move from a club that is making a habit of doing classy things and best of all, there’s still time to farewell Brown by entering the event.  The Kiwi leaves huge steel-capped boots to fill after presenting SGSC in pristine condition for the last two Staysure Tour (formerly European Senior Tour) Sharjah Senior Golf Masters events. Go well Marty. Oh, and I’m sure you’ll join us in wishing the Mighty All Blacks all the best as well. We did warn you!

TODAY’S TEAR-JERKER

Okay, here’s the Sand Trap’s first tenuous Middle East link. Sure Justin Thomas hasn’t played in the Desert Swing yet – perhaps the American will be the star draw at January’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship or even the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic? – but we just couldn’t ignore his win in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational overnight. More to the point, we loved that JT’s grandparents were on hand to see his third win of the season at Firestone.

What a day for the family

A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34) on Aug 5, 2018 at 7:59pm PDT

What a keepsake that pic will be. And now on to Bellerive with Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy set to push Thomas all the way in his defence of the Wanamaker Trophy. Golf is deep. Really, really deep as this 72nd hole drive from JT shows. And to think McIlroy hit a 400+ yarder in the final round at Firestone.

JT’s 394 yards drive at the 18th is the second longest drive ever hit on the final hole at Firestone (396, Tiger in 2003). ・・・ #WGCBridgestone Repost #europeantour

A post shared by Golf Digest Middle East (@golfdigestme) on Aug 5, 2018 at 9:54pm PDT

GEORGIA ON OUR MINDS

The newly-minted Ricoh Women’s British Open champion has been a perennial contender at the OMEGA Dubai Ladies Classic is recent years so there’s a genuine Middle East link to this snippet.

Stunning moment @RICOHWomensBrit #champion @georgiahall96 and a crowd of very #excited youngsters just shows what a young #homegrown #talent can do for #golf #congratulations #georgiahall @ricoheurope @CallawayGolfEU @goodwood_golf #berenberg @RandA @GettySport pic.twitter.com/gw0NORULmW

— David Cannon (@Cannonball63) August 5, 2018

And these stunning pictures are from our favourite golf photographer too, UAE regular David Cannon. Enjoy.

David Cannon

David Cannon

David Cannon

David Cannon

THE GULF CLUB

How about the play of David Baldwin and Leighton Johnson in capturing the EGF’s Summer Pairs Open sponsored by Golf Superstore. Check out all the action in his post from Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club:

Looks like they were having fun in the sun (okay, blistering heat) at Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club too in annual Troon Executive Card Summer Series.

We had fantastic TEC Summer Series over the weekend at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Thank you all for your participation and congratulations to the winners! #playgolf #troongolf

A post shared by Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (@saadiyatbeachgolfclub) on Aug 5, 2018 at 4:58am PDT

We had fantastic TEC Summer Series over the weekend at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Thank you all for your participation and congratulations to the winners! #playgolf #troongolf

A post shared by Abu Dhabi Golf Club (@abudhabigolfclub) on Aug 5, 2018 at 5:01am PDT

The winners were grinners in the fourth round of the Summer BMW X5 Series Open Social at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club too.

Aurn & Vivian win. The fourth round of the Summer BMW X5 Series Open Social was hosted on the 4th August 2018. The format was Betterball medal on the front nine and a Texas Scramble Medal on the back nine. The duo returned net 35 (1 under par) in the betterball & net 30 (6 under par) in the nine hole Texas Scramble format. Giving the pair a combined score of 65, 7 under par. Congratulation to both! @bmwmiddleeast #golf #sharjahgolf #sharjah #greatprizes #summergolf #winners

A post shared by Sharjah Golf (@sharjahgolf) on Aug 5, 2018 at 5:38am PDT

WE. CAN’T. STOP. WATCHING.

Finally, if you’re not already following us on Instagram, here’s a couple of recent posts that should entice you to sign-up at golfdigestme:

Father and son weekend goals. ?‍?

A post shared by Golf Digest Middle East (@golfdigestme) on Aug 2, 2018 at 1:38pm PDT

Talk about father-son goals.

And then there is this in the latest installment of Phil Being Phil, just in case you missed it (quite how that is possible is beyond us).

In My Philings ???

A post shared by Golf Digest Middle East (@golfdigestme) on Aug 2, 2018 at 9:35pm PDT

We don’t know what Lefty’s Dad dance is so weirdly alluring. But… We. Can’t. Stop. Watching. At least it was better than his running putt in the U.S. Open. But lets move on, maybe by watching again. Until next time…Wow Phil. Just wow.

The post Welcome to the ‘Sand Trap’, a social media take on all things Middle East golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
It’s a stat any touring professional would be proud to own – 54 under par in a scarcely believable 11 tournament run since February. Yet the record doesn’t belong to a busy European or PGA Tour star, rather a kid barely 14-years-old.

Josh Hill hasn’t so much crept up as the hottest amateur prospect in Middle East golf since Rayhan Thomas as he’s scorched a hole through that once distant glass ceiling.

The Jumeirah Golf Estates member has made winning such a habit recently it’s hard to keep up. Just know that he’d rattled off eight wins in the three months to late April. Six of those came in Open Men’s events as he ran away with the Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit title while creating course records of 65 and 68 at Trump Dubai and the Track respectively.  The two other wins? Repeat U-16 and overall titles at the Faldo Series Middle East Championship at Al Ain, an event open to golfers up to the age of 21.

Related: Hill goes unbeaten as EGF amateurs seal historic Dubai Trophy treble

Winning with such on-going regularity is unrealistic but those in the know agree Hill is the real deal, albeit with an PG14 rating/caveat; not all teen phenoms go on to be
tour stars. The giddy ride thus far is still a hugely encouraging pointer to the future but before we get there it’s fun to push rewind and discover his equally impressive start in the game.

Hill’s father Russell, who played squash to an elite level back in England, hadn’t considered playing golf himself until his son started to show promise after progressing through the UAE’s traditional development programmes and Par 3 events.

“I remember a friend going out and playing a round with him when I think Josh was eight. He shot a 99 and I thought, geez, he could be good,” Russell recalls of his Dubai-born and raised son.

“I’m not sure he ever shot over a hundred to be honest and it was just evident he was going to good so I joined the Creek and started playing myself because it’s all buggy based and I didn’t want to stick him with men on their day off, getting stuck with a seven or eight year old.

“I’ve recently given up because he doesn’t really need me driving buggies any more [laughs].”

By the age of 10, Russell was curious as to how good Josh really was so entered him in the U.S. Kids European Championship at Craigielaw in Scotland.

“That was a funny experience because he’d never played in anything other than shorts and T-shirt and suddenly he was in rain gear and Under Armour [thermals]. We set the challenge of top 50 percent of the field and I remember him first day, it was a cold, windy links course and I think he was in eighth place and I though geez, okay. Over the next few days he rose up to fifth and I though he’s never played in these conditions and he can deal with some of the best in Europe in his age group.”

Later in 2014, Hill won the Wee Wonders British Grand Final (U10) and a year after that the U.S. Kids World Championships in Malaysia as well as medalling in the next two European Championships. When he dipped under par on an 18-holer for the first time a week before his 10th birthday, Russell and wife Jo needed convincing no more – Josh really was the business.

He got down to scratch just before his 13th birthday last year and is now off a +5.1 handicap. Having ticked off his goals of winning the EGF junior and senior men’s OOM titles in successive years, he’s now looking to the next level. In fact, he’ll step up two age-groups to contest the English U-18 Carris Trophy (Fulford G.C.) and English Amateur Championship (Sherwood Forest & Coxmoor) this summer before returning to the UAE to put himself under the microscope of MENA Tour competition. It’s a similar trail to that blazed by Thomas and a chance to amass the World Amateur Golf Ranking points that have helped the Indian world amateur No. 13 earn invites to the biggest junior events around the globe.

Hill’s coach Joe Marshall certainly believes his young charge, already 6ft 1in and looking down on his father, has the goods to compete at the loftiest age-group events. A growth spurt, coupled with input from Marshall’s fitness colleague Allister Parlane, has seen Hill’s club-head increase from 103mph to 112mph since they began working last September.

Hill followed up his sizzling 65 at Trump Dubai with another course record, a 68 at The Track, Meydan Golf. Not bad for a 14-year-old.

“He’s always had a good short game, he’s fantastic with a wedge, so the main goal was to tie up his long game” said Marshall. “But to be honest, if I look back on what we did, we just set goals, whether they be technical, physical or skill based. Josh likes outcome goals, he wasn’t afraid to say he wanted to win this and win that whereas a lot of players don’t like to disclose that. He’s pretty much hit every goal and it’s just snowballed from there.

“Josh is very receptive to information, he’s a young chap who is not afraid of information. He’s a joy to deal with.”

If Russell Hill is impressed with one aspect of his son’s game, outside of that scary good short game, it’s his level-headedness under the blowtorch, not something many youngsters learn so early, if ever. “He’s very calm, almost too calm, “ Russell says. “He’s a bit scary how calm he can be.”

Justin Parsons, Marshall’s boss at the Butch Harmon School of Golf at The Els Club in Dubai, sees it too.

“He is a keen strategist despite his tender years and is also very competitive,” Parsons wrote after Hill Jnr led a JGE 1-2-3 at the Faldo Middle East Championship in March, winning by six shots from pals Arjun Gupta and Toby Bishop. “Joe has done a great job simplifying his swing which already allows him a consistent, straight ball flight and 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 [69-65-62 to finish -14] underline his serious potential.”

Photo: Rodney Oliva
Hill flanks Sir Nick Faldo during a Faldo Series event at Al Ain.

Marshall looks forward to seeing how Hill Jnr performs in the UK now his success in the UAE has raised flags offshore. While he obviously wishes no ill luck on the youngster, he knows dips in form are inevitable – this is golf after all – and reckons the odd failure will only make him hungrier.

Closer to home, the friendly rivalry with Gupta and Bishop has been pivotal too.

“Josh is very lucky to have Arjun [Gupta] and Toby Bishop pushing him,” said Hill Snr. “Unlike Ray [Thomas], there was a bit of a void, he did and is doing amazingly well [considering the relative lack of local competition during his early teens]. But this group with Max Cashmore, Arjun, Toby – they’d all do really well in Europe you know. So when you’ve got not just the Men’s Opens but the age group pushing you as well, it really helps. They’re decent players and decent kids as well. It’s a very healthy situation. We’re very grateful for that.”

So too is Hill Snr thankful for the often unrated junior pathways available in the UAE. The amazing journey continues.

“There’s always points for improvement, you just hope they keep on going.”

Dad’s not the only one.

The post Meet Josh Hill, Dubai golf’s new whiz kid appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Actually, make that good start a great one. The young Al Zorah professional opened the UAE PGA’s flagship event with a five under 67 at Arabian Ranches on Monday. It earned the tournament’s defending champion a four-stroke halfway lead over the trio of Jack Woods (Dubai Creek), Joe Marshall (Butch Harmon School of Golf) and Shane Peacock (Al Ain).

More importantly, Wears-Taylor enjoys a six-stroke buffer over Smith (The Address Montgomerie) heading into Tuesday’s final round after the newly minted UAE PGA Matchplay champion signed for a one-over 73.

It means Smith has it all to do on Tuesday although the way Wears-Taylor is playing, a fourth 2017-18 UAE PGA title looks his to lose. The real excitement could yet be lower down the leaderboard as players jockey for the last spots in the UAE PGA team for the May 12-13 Dubai Trophy.

As captain, Smith has two picks in his 14-man team for the matches at Emirates G.C. and Dubai Creek where the pros will be out to avoid a hat-trick of losses to the Emirates Golf Federation’s leading amateurs.

With defending OOM champion Cen Mills (Dubai Creek), currently third in this season’s points race, unavailable, there are spots up for grabs and Creek colleague Woods (17th) and the Monty’s Martin Robinson (18th) are well positioned after the first round to make a last gasp bid. Robinson was T-10 overnight after an opening 74.

Meanwhile, Jumeirah Golf Estates hosts the 36-hole EGF OOM Championship on May 4-5 to finalise the amateur team for the Dubai Trophy. One name guaranteed for the youngsters is JGE 14-year-old Josh Hill who has won seven EGF titles this summer, including six in an incredible three month spell.

The post Wears-Taylor makes fast start to UAE PGA Championship defence 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

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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.

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