Calum Hill wins again on Challenge Tour with sizzling Danish display

In-form Calum Hill closed in on promotion to the European Tour after landing his second title triumph in three starts on the Challenge Tour with an impressive victory in the Made in Denmark Challenge.

The 24-year-old signed off with a five-under-par 66 at Silkeborg Golf Club to finish with a 23-under 266 total, winning by a shot from Swede Joel Sjoholm following a tight tussle in the closing circuit.

The win came a fortnight after Hill, who is attached to Gleneagles Hotel, had also landed the Euram Bank Open in Austria, having finished third in the Finnish Challenge in between his two winning starts.

The brilliant burst of form has lifted him to second in the Challenge Tour rankings and, with only 11 events to go, he is now virtually guaranteed the top-15 finish needed to secure a main tour card next season.

Hill, who has only been playing on the second-tier circuit for just over a year after returning home following a spell at Western New Mexico University, will secure automatic promotion before then if he can record a third win in this campaign.

His next event is the new ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle, where he recorded a maiden Challenge Tour win in the Northern Ireland Open last year, and Massereene.

“I had a fantastic week in the Scottish Open,” he said of trying for 26th following a closing 66 on his European Tour debut at The Renaissance Club last month. “It was great fun playing in that.

“It was my first taste of a Rolex Series event in my home country and it was great having a nice finish. It just put a little cherry on the top of the week and gave me a bit of confidence going forward.

“Austria was a big kick on and, while I wasn’t quite able to do it again last week, I am very happy to have another good week here. Good weeks like this make a big difference.”

Hill, who had started the day in a five-way tie for the lead, bagged four birdies in the first eight holes before dropping a shot at the ninth.

In a round that was puncuated by suspensions due to bad weather, he then started for him with three birdies before the closing stretch turned into a straight battle against former European Tour player Sjoholm.

Both players dropped shots at the 17th and, though Hill then missed the green at the last, a par 3, he produced a lovely chip to make a title-winning par.

The victory earned Hill a cheque for just under £30,000, taking his season’s earnings on the Challenge Tour to £88,000. Adding to the numbers game, he is now an incredible 67-under-par for his last four events.

“I’m content with where my game is at the moment and the results I am producing,” said the Kirkcaldy-born player.

“There is obviously room for improvement. If there wasn’t this would probably be the peak of my career and hopefully I can carry on how I am playing and, at the same time, tighten up little bits and keep improving.”

Following Connor Syme’s success in the Turkish Airlines Challenge at the start of the campaign, three Challenge Tour titles have now fallen to Scots this season and seven in total on the circuit over the last two campaigns.

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