Hill fails to hit peak form in Phoenix event
SPORT may have all but ground to a halt across the planet but Scottish prospect Calum Hill is keeping his game in shape on one of the few golf tours still offering competitive action. The Kirkcaldy-born European Tour star, currently ranked No 136 in the world, has been staying active on the mini-tour circuit in the US and is currently competing in the Scottsdale AZ Open in Phoenix.
A winner on the Arizona-based Outlaw Tour last month, Hill is the fourth highest-ranked player in the field behind PGA Tour regulars Joel Dahmen, Kevin Streelman and Nate Lashley. However, the three-time Challenge Tour winner failed to live up to his billing in the opening round as a level-par opening 70 left him in 50th place, eight shots adrift of American Lashley, winner of last year’s PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour have confirmed that all international players currently residing outside America will face a 14-day quarantine period on arrival before they are allowed a return to action in the US.
That means any player wishing to play in the first event back in Texas on June 12 would have to leave their homeland in late May. All players and caddies have been given a lengthy document detailing the rigorous testing and social distancing procedures that will be in place for the foreseeable future, and which will give tournament golf a completely different look.