Calum Hill, a former standout golfer at Western New Mexico University (WNMU), has achieved significant success on the international golf stage, becoming a two-time winner on the DP World Tour. Originally from Kinross, Scotland, Hill joined the WNMU Mustangs in 2012 as a walk-on and quickly became a key player for the team.
During his time at WNMU, Hill was recognized for his achievements both on and off the course. As a freshman, he was named to the all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) team with a 74.16 scoring average. In his sophomore year, Hill contributed to the team's qualification for the 2014 NCAA National Championships and their national ranking of seventh in NCAA Division II. His junior year saw him named RMAC Player of the Year, RMAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and to the All-South Central Region team, while maintaining a 3.91 GPA. In his senior season (2015-16), Hill qualified individually for the NCAA National Championships, finishing second at -11, earning second team All-American honors, another RMAC Player of the Year award, and winning the individual RMAC Championship.
Kent Beatty, Western New Mexico Golf Coach Emeritus, played an important role in identifying Hill's potential. Beatty said: "Calum's journey is truly a dream come true. He arrived at Silver City as a walk-on with limited tournament experience and left as the most decorated athlete in school history, all because he was a talented athlete, but more importantly because he was extremely coachable. He was a sponge that took every experience ... good or bad ... and he learned from it."
After graduating in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Hill completed his master's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems while serving as Graduate Assistant Coach for the team. During this period, he began competing professionally and found early success by winning local events such as the San Juan Open in 2017 by nine shots at -21 and later claiming victory at the Arizona Open.
Hill's career reached new heights when he advanced through two stages of US Open Qualifying to compete at Shinnecock Hills in the 118th U.S Open in 2018, making the cut after two rounds and finishing tied for 61st place.
Reflecting on his time at WNMU, Hill said: "I absolutely loved being at Western and two weeks into being in Silver, I was already asking Coach to be an assistant coach and stay for two more years!" He added: "My personal highlights were always the trips with the team as I loved spending time with my teammates as well as both of our national championship appearances, especially during the D2 Festival in my senior year."
Hill continued his rise through professional golf with three wins on the HotelPlanner Tour before earning his DP World Tour card at the end of 2019. His first DP World Tour victory came at the Cazoo Classic in England in 2021. He secured another win at the Joburg Open in South Africa this year.
Coach Beatty commented further: "Of course he (Hill) had raw talent, but his gift was the ability to have a very short term memory. Golf is an extremely taxing sport mentally because one day you can hit the ball beautifully and the next you can be awful. Calum took those ups-and-downs in stride and he never saw anything but the next shot, be it from the fairway or behind a bush, as a chance for birdie."
Beatty also noted Hill's impact beyond athletics: "He was just a good guy that was loved by everyone, from his teammates, to his professors and the cafeteria staff. People paid attention to who he was and how he was doing." Beatty added: "That continues today on tour. As a multiple Tour winner, he's a great representative of WNMU and he's never forgotten where he came from and comes back to visit when he's not competing."
On his overall experience at WNMU, Hill stated: "I really enjoyed WNMU, which is why my 6 years went by so quickly, and the environment at the school and the competitive spirit made it easy for me to keep getting better and develop as a person and a golfer."
Hill continues to represent WNMU on golf’s global stage.
