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The DP World Tour reaches the UK for its only event until the Scottish Open in July. That will feature a stellar field given its Rolex Series status, whereas this event has a venue to rival that event but neither the purse nor the scheduling slot. Lee Westwood, Robert Macintyre and the host, Danny Willett, compete this week, but most of the Tour’s top players are not making this trip while they focus on the PGA Championship in two weeks’ time. For anyone who remembers the years of European Ryder Cup losses and then the successes, first under Tony Jacklin, the Brabazon course at The Belfry will always evoke great memories. It hosted four Ryder Cups between 1985 and 2002, but the course was also a regular venue on the European Tour between 1979 and 2008, including the Benson and Hedges International between 2000 and 2003 and the British Masters between 2006 and 2008. After a 12-year absence, it returned to the European Tour in 2020 with the UK Championship and has now hosted the British Masters since 2021. For all its history, that means that there is only two years’ experience here for all but a few players. The Brabazon is a relatively flat, tree-lined parkland course that features water on some rather famous holes: the driveable par-4 10th hole, the reachable par-5 17th hole and the challenging par-4 18th hole. The rest of the course is rather mild in comparison, but it should make for a very interesting finale with risk-reward a strong feature, as in most Ryder Cup venues. Over the last two years, the course has typically played tough with narrow fairways and smaller-than-average greens. This was by design. As the General Manager said, there have been “ a number of enhancements to bring it up to date with new technologies and to make it more challenging”. “The 160-acre course has been lengthened to 7,310 yards from 7,255 yards, and has received updates to the eight, tenth and 18th holes which bring the prominent hazards back into play. The update also introduces new additional fourth tees to greatly improve the golfing experience while remaining a par 72 course.” Given the lack of course history, two angles are offered to identify players who should contend. Angles to consider: 1. Fairways and greens In terms of the 2020 UK Championship here, Rasmus Hojgaard (1st), Justin Walters (2nd) and Martin Kaymer (3rd) all ranked in the top-6 for greens in regulation that week. Benjamin Hebert also finished 3rd alongside Kaymer and ranked 1st in strokes gained: approach the green. Kaymer ranked 2nd and Hojgaard 4th in that stat. In terms of last year’s British Masters, Richard Bland (1st), Guido Migliozzi (2nd) and Mikko Korhonen (3rd) all ranked in the top-8 for both greens in regulation and strokes gained: approach the green. It is a very strong feature of European Ryder Cup venues that they are very strong tests of tee-to-green play as well as providing a strong risk-reward element. 2. Course form now matter The first angle is by far the stronger of these two angles, but now that this is the third consecutive year that this course has hosted a Tour event, course form should start to matter. It is notable that Richard Bland has secured a top-20 finish here in the 2020 UK Championship prior to winning last year, while Andy Sullivan and Calum Hill recorded top-10 finishes in both events played here. Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players has been selected. Richard Bland
Backing Bland to win back-to-back titles after waiting so long for his first one. He has been in such impressive form since last win, it is now underwhelming that he hasn’t really been in contention since losing a playoff for the Dubai Desert Classic. He has the perfect game for this course, ranking inside the top-15 for strokes: gained approach the green and greens in regulation last year. Oliver Bekker
By contrast, there is nothing underwhelming about Bekker’s form. He has finished 11th or better in seven of his last eight starts. There may be a hangover from losing out in a playoff last week, but he is a seven-time winner in South Africa and he should have positive memories of this venue as he finished 2nd around the PGA National course here in last year’s British Challenge, on the European Challenge Tour. Currently ranked inside the top-25 for strokes gained: approach the green on this Tour, he has the game profile to play just as well around the Brabazon course. Rasmus Hojgaard
The winner of the 2020 UK Championship when he was a player in very good form – his win came after finishes of 2nd, 6th and 3rd in his previous three starts. His incoming is not is the same league, and so neither are his odds, but he secured top-20 finishes in both PGA Tour starts in March and April and was inside the top-5 at the cut in the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain two weeks ago. In terms of course fit, to complement his previous form on this course, he ranked inside the top-25 for both strokes: gained approach the green and greens in regulation last year. Tips 0-3; -6.00pts 1pt e.w. Richard Bland 28/1 (Betfred 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) mc 1pt e.w. Oliver Bekker 30/1 (Betfred 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) 27th 1pt e.w. Rasmus Hojgaard 25/1 (Betfred 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) 16th
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