Four-way Carris Trophy tie after Hill shoots 65 

England’s Josh Hill shot a seven-under 65 today to join a four-way tie for the lead in the Carris Trophy at Fulford Golf Club, York. 

It was the low score of the day and included five consecutive birdies and an eagle on the back nine. 

The 14-year-old is tied on four-under with another English player, Joe Sullivan, and two Italians, Simone Armando Colozza and Alessio Battista. 

The England/Italy theme is very strong the English U18 boys’ open championship. All but one of the 13 players in the top ten hails from one country or the other. And, of course, the defending champion is Italy’s Andrea Romano, although he’s not challenging the lead this year. 

Hill, who finished 10th in last week’s U16 McGregor Trophy, makes an annual golfing visit to England from Dubai, where he has lived all his life. He barely notices the heatwave and when he first arrived at Fulford he was wearing a sweater! 

Today, his back nine of six-under par included a bogey but there was no danger of it derailing him: “I holed from 10ft for bogey so I still had momentum with it.” 

It’s not his lowest score. He has a 62 to his credit in Dubai and over the winter he won the Emirates Golf Federation order of merit, setting two course records on the way.

His score lifted him 58 places up the order and into that tie for the lead. Sullivan (Chartham Park) held the lead on his own yesterday when he opened with 66, but found the scoring harder today as he played his way to two-over 74. He assessed his game frankly, remarking: “The pins were a bit tougher today and I didn’t hit it as well.”

But the 16-year-old signed off with a birdie on the 18th to finish positively and is looking forward to tomorrow.

Battista, 15, joined the tie with his 68, remarking: “I had a lot of luck!” A bounce off a bunker helped him to a birdie on the 13th, his drive finished close to a tree on 17th but, despite hurting his ankle on his second shot, he managed another birdie, on the 18th he drove in the trees but again walked off with a birdie! 

Colozza made his score with the help of his driver, which he favoured despite the running fairways. “I was feeling very comfortable with the driver and I was lucky to be in play most of the time.” His short game was also tip top and the combination led to 69. 

“I’m not often leading a tournament after two rounds, I usually start pretty slowly. Here I have started pretty strong which is new for me, but I feel confident and will see what the next few days hold.” 

Among the day’s other low scorers was Harrison Arnold, leader of the England Golf boys’ order of merit. He shot 66 today and is just one shot behind the leaders. 

Arnold won the Peter McEvoy Trophy earlier this season and put his form down to the environment at his club, Castle Royle in Berkshire. “There are so many good players there and we work off each other,” he said. 

Also on three-under is Yorkshire’s Barclay Brown (Hallamshire) who made ground today with his 68. 

A shot further back on two-under is a group including Seb Tannum Donaldson (Buckinghamshire) and Curtis Knipes (Abridge).

One of the big movers was Yorkshire boy champion, Ben Schmidt (Rotherham) who was runner up in the McGregor Trophy. His 67 moved him up 66 places into a tie for 10th on one-under and was his first bogey free round. 

“The McGegor was massive for my confidence, especially with my second round of five-under. Coming into this I knew I had done it and there wasn’t so much pressure trying to make the cut,” said Schmidt. 

“I’ve done my job of making the cut and now I can focus on tomorrow.” 

Fulford’s junior captain George Robson safely made the cut on three-over par – and had the distinction of scoring an eagle three on the 11th in both rounds. 

After today’s play the field was cut to the 63 players who shot five-over par and better. They will play the final two rounds, tomorrow and on Friday.

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Image of Josh Hill copyright Leaderboard Photography

‎ Lyndsey Hewison 
‎ Press Officer 
‎ England Golf 
‎ pr@englandgolf.org 
‎ 07590 878349

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