Josh Hill made golf history when he won on the MENA Golf Tour at just 15 years old. Now, after representing Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup, the Dubai-raised golfer is preparing to take the next major step in his career.

Long before Josh Hill established himself among the leading names in elite amateur golf, he announced his potential on the MENA Golf Tour.

Growing up in Dubai, Hill became the youngest player at the time to win an Official World Golf Ranking event when he claimed victory at Al Ain aged just 15.

It was a breakthrough that gave the talented youngster an early indication that he could compete alongside professionals – and that golf could become his career.

Since then, Hill’s journey has taken him from the UAE to DP World Tour events, NCAA Division I golf in America and ultimately the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team.

We caught up with Josh to look back at his MENA Golf Tour breakthrough, the influence of growing up in Dubai and the experiences that have prepared him for professional golf.

You grew up playing golf in Dubai. How important was the UAE in shaping the golfer you are today?

Looking back at my junior days in the UAE and how they’ve got me to here now, it’s been a huge part of my life. I don’t think I’d be where I am without it.

Everything the UAE offers from a golf perspective is amazing, and it’s helped me get to where I am now through the facilities and the tournaments they put on.

It’s a huge part of why I’m here, and I’ll always look back at those junior days with gratitude for how much they helped me.

How important was the competitive junior golf environment in the UAE?

Playing against Toby Bishop, Arjun and all the other juniors growing up was huge for me, especially when I was younger, around 10 to 12.

Looking up to the older guys really helped me develop as a golfer and become better on the competitive side. You have to be competitive to get better, and those guys really made me the person and competitor I am today.

You were just 15 when you won on the MENA Golf Tour at Al Ain. Looking back, how significant was that victory?

Competing in professional events that young was really important. It convinces you that professional golf can actually be a thing.

When you’re that age and competing with professional guys and holding your own, you think, “I can do this, I just need to keep working hard.”

It was definitely a convincing factor in shaping my career path. Looking back, it was such a great time and such an awesome achievement.

You also had opportunities to compete alongside some of the biggest names in golf at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai Desert Classic. Did you feel you belonged at that level?

There’s always an element of awe at that age because you’re right there with people you’ve looked up to since you were young and always wanted to play alongside.

But I also had a genuine belief that I belonged there, and that one day I’d be there consistently with them. Those weeks were another great stepping stone towards that goal.

You then moved from Dubai to the University of Tennessee. How big an adjustment was that?

There were a lot of big shocks. The way people live their life over there is completely different, and having been homeschooled, stepping into a school environment meant adjusting on a lot of different levels.

Then, very early in college, I broke my foot and was out for a good while. When I came back, I really struggled with my game.

It wasn’t fun at the time, but fighting through it taught me a lot of valuable lessons that I think will keep putting me in good positions in the future.

What did NCAA Division I golf add to your game?

One big thing it taught me was consistency, having to be prepared for tournaments that came thick and fast, much like professional golf.

If you played a bad tournament, you didn’t have time to go home and fix things; you had to figure it out before the next one.

That’s a really valuable lesson for professional golf – being consistent in what you do and learning, week by week, how to play good golf.

Of everything you’ve experienced so far, where have you learned the most about yourself?

Each environment brings its own specific pressure, and you learn how to deal with each one. You have to be mentally tough.

I’d say Division I golf taught me the most because of what I went through, especially early on after coming back from injury.

There were a lot of hard times where I had to dig deep, and I did a good job of that, coming out the other side much stronger.

When did playing in the Walker Cup become a serious goal?

It became serious around 2022, when I first got into the practice squad and was leaving for college.

I couldn’t play much golf that summer because I had to focus on my grades, so I missed out on selection, which was disappointing but understandable.

Then I went through the injury and wasn’t playing well enough to be considered. I’ve fought my way back into position to compete, and I’m proud of how I got here despite missing out a couple of times along the way.

What was it like finally receiving confirmation that you’d made the Great Britain & Ireland team?

It was awesome hearing from Dean Robertson, the Great Britain & Ireland captain, that I’d made the squad.

I’d actually had a message from him about three weeks earlier, after the South of Ireland, but I misread it. I thought it meant I hadn’t made it!

When he called, I told him that, and he said the message had been about direct qualification from the tournament.

I was out on the golf course and was ecstatic. I think I called my parents first. It was a great feeling, especially after thinking I’d missed out.

You’ve played golf in Dubai, America and the UK. How valuable has learning to adapt to different conditions been?

I think it’s been a great advantage. My whole life I’ve had to adapt to different scenarios, whether in America, Dubai or the UK.

Everyone has to adapt at some point, but I feel it’s an edge for me because I’ve had to do it constantly. That’s another thing Dubai taught me early on.

Professional golf is the next step. Do you feel ready?

I do feel ready for it. What comes next is becoming the professional golfer I dreamed about as a kid.

My time in America feels like it’s done, but it gave me a great learning experience to carry into this next step.

As for what success looks like over the next five years, it’s easy to get trapped in results, but if I keep getting better day by day, the results will come.

Success for me is being consistent with my daily routines and habits and letting the results follow from that, rather than chasing them directly.

The next chapter

Hill’s route into the professional game has already come full circle.

From junior golf in Dubai to becoming a MENA Golf Tour winner at 15, competing on the DP World Tour, testing himself in NCAA golf and earning Walker Cup honours, each stage has helped prepare him for what comes next.

Now, as he embarks on his professional career, the player who first showed he could compete with the professionals on the MENA Golf Tour is ready to become one himself.