Calum Hill What's In The Bag And Player Profile

Scotland's Calum Hill secured his second DP World Tour title after a sensational final round of 62 and a playoff victory to claim the Joburg Open, defeating home favourites Jacques Kruyswijk and Shaun Norris.

Hill, who began the day eight shots adrift, said: "It's awesome. I'm delighted. It was a fantastic day and this is the cherry on top.

"Getting the birdie on the 18th was the only way I was going to have a chance. I got lucky with the bounce up the slope and made a nice five-footer and then it gave me a chance to have a go in this playoff.

"You never know how a playoff is going to go. I think that might be my first play-off ever so it's nice to have a 1-0 record on that."

• Player Profile
• Last 10 Events
• Key Stats
• What's In The Bag

After all three players parred the first playoff hole, a par was good enough for Hill to win it at the second just as lightning arrived in the area, after Norris found the water and Kruyswijk missed his five-foot putt.

The win ends Hill's wait for a second DP World Tour title, having secured his first at the 2021 Cazoo Classic.

Hill turned in 31 in his final round after carding five birdies and a bogey on the front nine before following up another birdie at the 11th with a hat-trick from the 13th to storm into contention and join the lead for the first time.

The lead had changed hands throughout the afternoon as favourable scoring conditions and runaway third-round leader Norris' struggles at the 12th opened things up on the back nine.

After a bogey on the 16th saw him lose his lead, Hill birdied the last from five feet, thanks in no small part to a fortunate bounce off the bank, to sign for a 62 and set the clubhouse target at 14 under par.

That saw him share the lead with Kruyswijk, who had four holes left to complete, while Norris and others were also still in with a chance of winning.

A bogey from Kruyswijk at the 15th boosted Hill's chances but Norris birdied the 16th to join the group just one shot behind Hill.

Kruyswijk joined Hill at the top once more with a five-foot birdie on the 17th before a monster birdie putt from Norris at the last sparked wild celebrations from the crowd and made it a three-man playoff.

There was nothing to separate the three at the first extra hole but after watching his 20-foot birdie putt come up agonisingly short at the second, a par proved enough for Hill to clinch victory.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Player Profile

Hill was born in Kirkcaldy on November 3, 1994.

He attended Western New Mexico University from 2012 to 2016. In May 2016, he played in the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship, finishing second in the individual competition. After graduating with a degree in accounting he stayed on for a further two years, completing a Masters in Business Administration. 

He turned professional in April 2017.

Hill played a limited number of events while studying for his MBA. In 2017 he won the San Juan Open and the Arizona Open. In 2018 he came through sectional qualifying to qualify for the US Open, going on to finish 61st.

From mid-2018, Hill played on the Challenge Tour. In August, making just his fifth start, he won the Galgorm Resort & Spa Northern Ireland Open, making four birdies in the final five holes. He had three other top-10 finishes and ended the season 35th in the Order of Merit.

In July 2019, Hill played in the Scottish Open, finishing tied for 26th place. The following week he had his second Challenge Tour success, winning the Euram Bank Open by four strokes and then won the Made in Denmark Challenge. He finished the season in second place in the Challenge Tour Order of Merit to gain a place on the DP World Tour for 2020, going on to  finish 101st in the Order of Merit with two top-10 finishes.

In August 2021, he won his first DP World Tour event at the Cazoo Classic, a win that took him into the top 100 in the world rankings.

He began the Joburg Open ranked 286th in the world. The win takes him to 11th place in the Race to Dubai.

He has made 112 starts, made 75 cuts and won twice, with one runner-up finish, two thirds and 10 other top-10 finishes.

Last 10 Events

Joburg Open - 1st

South African Open Championship - CUT

Magical Kenya Open - CUT

Ras Al Khaimah Championship - CUT

Hero Dubai Desert Classic - T17th

Alfred Dunhill Championship - WD

Nedbank Golf Challenge - T55th

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - 67th

Genesis Championship - CUT

Andalucia Masters - T28th

Key Stats

Driving Distance - 318.69 Yards

Driving Accuracy - 54.00%

Greens in Regulation - 61.11%

Sand Saves - 56.10%

Putts Per Round - 28.00

Scoring Average - 71.06

What's In Calum Hill's Golf Bag

Driver: Titleist GT2

3 Wood & 5 Wood: Ping G440 Max

4 to 9 Irons: Titleist T100

46, 50, 54 & 60 Degree Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10

Putter: L.A.B Golf Link 1

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 X (2021)