MENA Tour: Josh Hill, 15, makes history with breakthrough win
Thursday 24 October 2019 08:18, UK
English teenager Josh Hill became the youngest male winner of an Offical World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event with a two-shot victory on the MENA Tour.
Hill won the Al Ain Open on Wednesday at the age of 15 years, six months and 27 days old, eclipsing the record held by Japan's Ryo Ishikawa.
Ishikawa was 15 years and eight months old when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup in May 2007, while Phachara Khongwatmai won a Asian Development Tour event as a 15-year-old.
Hill began the final round three shots off the pace but posted an eight-under 62 to finish two ahead of Harry Ellis, who received the $13,500 first prize due to Hill's amateur status.
"If you had told me during the summer that I will be winning a MENA Tour title against professionals and become the youngest ever winner of an OWGR event, I would have laughed at the notion," Hill said. "I guess hard work pays.
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"I am actually a little disappointed with my finish because I missed so many opportunities coming in. I honestly could have broken 60 today. I knew I needed a good start, and once I got it, I just kept hitting one good shot after the other."
Hill is the second amateur winner of the MENA Tour in as many months, following Robin "Tiger" Williams' maiden professional victory at the Journey to Jordan 2 earlier in the season.
