The Emirati golf icon recalls the emotional moment that brought back memories of a lifelong friendship with the Spanish great
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Despite not being at his best Dubai’s Josh Hill found a way to win his first-round match in The Amateur Championship at Ballylifin, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
The Amateur Championship is one of the biggest and most prestigious amateur golf championships around the world and is administered by The R&A.
Hill, 20 years old, who represents Trump International Golf Club, Dubai when in the UAE, qualified through the 36-hole stroke play as seed number 24 and beat Nicklaus Mason (US) by one hole on the final green over the 7,314 yards, par 72 Glashedy Course that held the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation on the DP World Tour won by Russell Knox (Scotland).
“The weather was so much better today, compared to the start of the week,” Hill said on completing his round. “It was even sunny and, what can only be described as warm (ish) at times. I struggled with my golf game today – my approximate scoring was around one under par – so I suppose it was not that bad.
“I have played a fair bit of match play in my amateur career – and found a way to win. That is what this format is all about,” he added.
Hill will now play James Ashfield in the round of 32 this morning (Thursday). Ashfield is at Columbus State University, represents Wales at the international level and played in the 2023 Walker Cup at St Andrews.
The winner then plays again this afternoon in the round of 16.
The number one seed 17 17-year-old Connor Graham (Scotland), another Walker Cup player, continues his fine form with a one-hole victory to progress.
Hill, is currently on a golf scholarship in the US at the University of Tennessee, and represents England, with other players in this round from the following countries, Germany, Scotland, Chinese Taipei, Wales, Ireland, Ukraine, South Africa, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands and US.
The champion come Saturday night will have played nine rounds of golf over six days, and will secure exemptions into The Open and the US Open and by tradition, an invitation to play in The Masters.
The Championship continues throughout the week with quarter-finals and semi-finals being played tomorrow (Friday) and the 36-hole final on Saturday.
Dubai resident Garrick Porteous (Eng), won the Amateur Championship in 2013 at Royal Cinque Ports, England. He is now professional and plays on both the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour. This week he is competing at the KLM Open in the Netherlands.
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