ABU DHABI, DUBAI, JEDDAH: Josh Hill鈥檚 journey through golf鈥檚 major tournaments in the GCC continues this week at the Saudi International, which tees off at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City on Thursday morning.

And although the Dubai-based 17-year-old is coming off yet another excellent performance at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, he continues to set his sights ever higher. Simply taking part and making the cut, as he did in the two UAE-based events, is not enough.

鈥淭he Desert Classic was a good week, it was fun,鈥� the young Briton said. 鈥淭he setup was amazing and Slync did really well with how they got the atmosphere to be so great.鈥�

Hill finished joint 53rd, having at one point hit 23 on the leaderboard.

鈥淚 made another cut which isn鈥檛 always the goal but it鈥檚 a good achievement. I had a good third round, got right up the leaderboard and then had a bad final day,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 many reasons why, but the overall experience of playing the Desert Classic was unreal, and playing in Abu Dhabi has taught me a lot going into this week. I feel I can keep pushing, keep playing good golf and keep climbing the leaderboards in these top events. So it was a good week and I learned a lot.鈥�

A week earlier Hill excelled in his first ever appearance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. And teeing off alongside some of the world鈥檚 best players did not seem to faze him.

鈥淚t was good fun, the whole week,鈥� he said. 鈥淧layed a practice round with Lee (Westwood) and Bernd (Wiesberger) and then with (Emirati golfer) Ahmad Skaik, a good friend. And then playing some good golf on the Thursday, I was quite happy with it and then it was a struggle on Friday.

鈥淏ut to bounce back the way I did on Saturday was such a good feeling. And then I had a disappointing Sunday, but the whole week in general was a great experience and I learned a lot from it.鈥�

While all golfers are always pleased to make the cut, Hill said he was thinking about more than that.

鈥淚 mean, my goal wasn鈥檛 really to make the cut,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y goal was to stick to the process of each shot and see what the outcome was. I feel I鈥檓 good enough, not just to make the cut but to push on a bit further. But if I concentrate on results, that鈥檚 when the results won鈥檛 come. So my goal was never result-based.鈥�

Asked if his experience at Yas Links was one of the highlights of his young career, Hill said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely up there. Especially in the way that I made the cut. That was pretty special. And it was a great week.鈥�

Hill was born and raised in Dubai and by the age of two was swinging plastic clubs, before moving on to the real thing at just six. While neither of his parents are golfers, his family played a major part in him picking up the game at such a young age.

鈥淢y grandparents live in Spain, and when you walk outside the house it鈥檚 on a golf course. So that鈥檚 pretty much how I got into it,鈥� he said.

It wasn鈥檛 long before he was entering junior events in Dubai.

鈥淚 was between six and eight, just playing the Creek par three tournaments. That was the first time I鈥檝e ever really competed as a golfer.鈥�

A decade later he is heading to Jeddah for the Saudi International alongside the likes of reigning champion Dustin Johnson, US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, and past major champions Louis Oosthuizen, Phil Mickelson, Shane Lowry and Bubba Watson.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big honor to get the invite, with such big names going in such a big tournament,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淚 can only thank everyone that helped me get into it and got me the invite. And I鈥檓 really looking forward to getting over there. I鈥檝e heard great things about the place.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 very lucky to be in the position I am, and I鈥檓 very grateful for it. To play with some of the best players in the world and be competing with them is great experience. It鈥檚 an opportunity that people my age rarely get, but I鈥檓 lucky enough to get them and take full advantage of them.鈥�

While playing alongside the professionals in recent weeks has been an education, Hill continues to draw inspiration from arguably golf鈥檚 greatest ever player.

鈥淭he main man is Tiger, isn鈥檛 he?鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou look at Tiger and you鈥檝e learned so much from him. And he鈥檚 just a guy that鈥檚 done a lot in golf and I think I speak for everyone when I say it, he鈥檚 most people鈥檚 role model.鈥�

Hill trains at the Trump International Golf Club in Dubai and had a special message for all the staff there.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e been so helpful for me and so supportive of me, so I can鈥檛 thank them enough,鈥� he said.

Hill is guided by one of golf鈥檚 leading coaches, but it is not without challenges as he does not reside in the UAE.

鈥淢y coach lives in England actually, Rob Watts,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the England coach as well and since I met him we got on really well, and I like his philosophies of swing and the game in general. So we work really well together.鈥�

鈥淚 see him every summer but when I鈥檓 in Dubai and the UAE, I just FaceTime him, call him on the phone and we talk stuff through,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 send through some videos, and even though we鈥檙e many miles away, it still works pretty well.鈥�

Beyond the Saudi International, Hill, not surprisingly given his level-headed approach to his career, is not setting any specific targets for 2022.

鈥淧laying a lot of the amateur stuff, hopefully be able to get over to the US as well to play there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e still got a decision to make on my future in general, but I鈥檓 going to try to relish these few weeks and then make the decision after.鈥�

And the big decision whether to 鈥済o pro or go to college鈥� will have to wait, he said.