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Walker Cup hero Josh Hill turns pro and debuts at the Dunhill Links
The Englishman who holed the winning putt for GB&I at Lahinch has turned professional and will make his first start in the paid ranks at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week.
Josh Hill, the 22-year-old Englishman who holed the putt that won the Walker Cup for Great Britain & Ireland at Lahinch, has turned pro and will make his debut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, played from 1 to 4 October, according to Golf Monthly. He is listed in the tournament field.
Hill was a captain’s pick for Dean Robertson’s side, and Golf Digest reported that he was the lowest-ranked player on either team, only just inside the world amateur top 100. Robertson picked him after a training camp in July.
GB&I trailed by three points going into the final singles session and needed a full point from Hill’s match against Tyler Watts, the world amateur No. 2. All square on the par-five 18th, Hill splashed a long bunker shot to inside four feet, Watts made par, and Hill holed for birdie, according to the Irish Examiner. GB&I won 13½–12½, the biggest comeback in the event’s history.
Hill was raised in Dubai and won the Al Ain Open on the MENA Tour in 2019 at the age of 15, which made him the youngest player at the time to win an event carrying Official World Golf Ranking points, according to Worldwide Golf. As a teenager he also made the cut at both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Dubai Desert Classic. He then spent four years at the University of Tennessee, recording seven top-10 finishes and completing his degree in June. Golf Monthly reports that he has signed with Titleist and plans to build his career on the DP World Tour.
The Dunhill Links is a pro-am over three courses, the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, with the final round back at St Andrews. The field of 168 includes Open de France winner Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton.
Sources
- Golf Monthly: Walker Cup star joins professional ranks following Lahinch heroics
- Golf Digest: 2026 Walker Cup, Josh Hill is the unlikeliest hero
- Irish Examiner: Josh Hill was Great Britain & Ireland’s Walker Cup wonderwall
- Worldwide Golf: From Dubai’s fairways to the Walker Cup, Josh Hill’s rise to the top
- The Golf News Net: 2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship field
- DP World Tour: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2026
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