Wonderkid Hill putts one over world No1 Koepka
GOLF
JOSH HILL can count Brooks Koepka among his growing number of fans after the English teenager got the better of the world No1 during practice for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Hill created history in October by becoming the youngest male to win an official world ranking event.
He carded a final-round 62 to claim the Al Ain Open on the MENA Tour circuit that takes in tournaments in the Middle East and North Africa.
At 15 years, six months and 27 days, Hill eclipsed the record held by Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, who was 15 years and eight months when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup in May 2007.
His MENA Tour victory also earned Hill, right, a place in next week’s Dubai Desert Classic.
The teenager secured his European Tour debut this week by winning the Abu
Dhabi Amateur Championship in December.
Four-time Major winner Koepka said: “He beat me in an eight-hole match yesterday, which I’m sure he enjoyed.
“It’s always fun to get to play with these young kids, and you will see in 10 years – when I’m close to being on my way out – all these kids winning a bunch of tournaments. It will be cool to see in the next five, 10 years how much he progresses.
“He asked good questions. I thought that was important. I think being so young, if I was in his shoes, I would have been afraid to ask.
“He wasn’t afraid to ask, which I think is very important and very mature for his age. He’s a good player. Putts really well. His short game’s really good.” Hill described it as “a great experience” to play alongside American Koepka.
“I asked him for a little match,” the 15-year-old told BBC Sport. “I was nervous, but he’s a nice guy.
“We weren’t going full out, but it’s always nice to say you’ve beaten the world No1. “Learning from him and watching him hit the ball was a great experience.”
Hill said he does not simply want to enjoy mixing with the world’s elite this week.
“You can’t just aim to make the cut, you have to aim high,” he added.
OLLIE POPE is out to join the best of the best when it comes to Test-match batting, with Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Joe Root in his sights.
It might be a bold ambition for a 22-year-old without a Test hundred to his name. But there was not even a murmur of disagreement from those listening, those who can see the potential of Pope to rise to the very top.
After recovering from illness there was a glimpse of what Pope has to offer in Cape Town, as he marshalled the tail in the first innings to make 61 not out.
At no stage did he look in any bother as he registered his second successive Test fifty following his 75 in Hamilton, suggesting he will be keeping rarified company soon enough.
“Ask any young batsman coming into the game who they want to compare themselves to and 100 per centVirat Kohli and Steve Smith are the guys and Rooty,” said Pope.
“When I was growing up, they were the guys you want to be like. They have been the main run-scorers in international cricket over the last however many years. Hopefully I’ve got a game that I can start building towards that and getting some big scores and follow in some of their footsteps.
“It’s something I’ve known I’ve had over the last year or so. I feel I have a lot of confidence and the technique and the mindset is there.
“I look about how go about building innings and I wouldn’t say
I tried to copy their techniques, but the one thing they’ve all got in common is those solid foundations.
“That is what I’m trying to do, just nailing those basics, nailing the technique and then hopefully if I keep doing the right things the big scores will follow.” The expectations on they their
Pope’s shoulders are not too dissimilar to those placed on Ian Bell when he came through as a talented youngster and then delivered as a high-quality batsman with 22 Test tons. Their styles have drawn favourable comparisons as two of the more pleasing strokemakers on the eye. He added: “Andrew Strauss asked me, ‘Who’s your favourite player growing up?’ He said he expected me to say Belly, but I said Adam Gilchrist and Alec Stewart as keeper-batters.
“Bell is an amazing player and I used to love watching him bat but it’s not been anything that I’ve tried to emulate. It’s a big compliment because he is a pretty class player to watch.” THE MCC have given the proposals for four-day Test cricket the thumbs down. A statement read: “The MCC Cricket Committee and MCC World Cricket Committee have discussed the issue and although they can see some benefits that four-day Test cricket could bring, both committees believe that Test cricket should continue to be played over five days.”
NICK TOMPKINS is set to be handed a shock Wales call-up, which has even come as a surprise to his boss at Saracens.
A midfield crisis in the Dragons’ set-up is expected to result in new Wales head coach Wayne Pivac picking a player who has not only played for England’s second team, but also won a World Cup with their Under-20s. Tompkins, 24, qualifies for Wales through his Wrexham-born gran Enid. But he has still needed a loophole to be eligible, which is provided by the fact his England Saxons appearance against South Africa in 2016 was not deemed to be a full ‘A’ international.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall revealed: “I think Nick is on Wales’ radar, though I