Scottish golfer Callum Hill’s winning season ended on a disappointing note with the lingering effects of two mosquito bites five weeks ago coupled with the extreme heat forcing him out after just one round of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Hill looked far from well after ending his round posting three bogeys in a three-over par 75 that sent him to near the bottom of the board in sauna-like conditions on the Earth course at Jumeirah Estates.
The 27-year old Crook of Devon golfer headed to the on-course medical centre following his round with his management company early evening UAE time advising Hill had officially withdrawn.
Hill had been bitten by a mosquito both on the right index finger and also his bottom five weeks ago during the Spanish Open in Madrid; however we believe by scratching the bite on his backside it became seriously infected. Though in teeing-up on day one of the DP World there was no sign of anything untoward on his finger but then he did look uncomfortable walking.
According to his manager, Hill also struggled in battling the extreme Dubai heat.
Following the mosquito bite on his rear becoming infected, Hill was put on a 10-day course of antibiotics but found himself side-lined for a month and had returned to competition this week in Dubai admitting ahead of tee-off that he felt 90% fit but that clearly was not the case as the 27-year-old Scot battled in the draining Dubai heat.
Hill spoke exclusively to Irish Golfer Mag before visiting the on-site medical unit and before word of his withdrawal saying: “It was a disappointing day. Three bogeys but I’m just not feeling well, so heading straight to see the ‘doc’.
“It’s all came about from just a simple mosquito bites when I was playing in Madrid. I ‘popped’ the spot and that’s caused the problem as it allowed bacteria to get into my finger and it became an abscess and got badly infected.
“I was off for a month and then went out to Portugal and only played the one round and while I was due to play out here in Dubai last week, I decided to take the week off and tee-up this week. I’d only started hitting balls again two days before coming out here, so it means my practice has been limited.
“I’m just not feeling right so we’ll see what the doctors have to say and take it from there.”
The European Tour cited ‘health reasons’ as the nature of his withdrawal with Hill’s absence reducing the field to 52.
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