Sir Nick Faldo resumes internet hosting duties on the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry this week the place each he and former event host Luke Donald can have a eager eye on the beginning of the qualification marketing campaign for the 2025 European Ryder Cup workforce.
Faldo returns to the event internet hosting position for the second consecutive yr because the DP World Tour’s 2024 season enters its ‘Again 9’ on the famend venue the place Faldo made three of his 11 appearances for Europe within the biennial contest, in 1985, 1989 and 1993.
The six-time Main champion is eager to see a few of the European gamers get off to a superb begin because the marketing campaign to make Captain Donald’s 12-man European workforce for Bethpage Black subsequent September begins in earnest.
LIV GOLF
Amongst these hoping to do this can be Tyrrell Hatton, one in every of his workforce members in Rome in 2023, who’s focusing on a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup look.
Regardless of having joined LIV Golf in January, Hatton has not given up his DP World Tour card and is awaiting a courtroom resolution on whether or not he should pay fines for the LIV Golf tournaments that he has performed in that clashed with DP World Tour occasions.
Sir Nick Faldo mentioned: “We’ve an excellent area this week. I’ve received 16 of my Faldo Collection alumni as properly, a few Englishmen. The course seems nice.
Appears to be like prefer it had a pleasant drop of rain – I assumed it is perhaps burnt in August after a baking summer season, however we didn’t have that. I feel we’ll have good pleasure with the followers and it needs to be a enjoyable week.
“It’s week one in every of Ryder Cup factors, and I do know with me, I might have been on the market. It’s an amazing likelihood for anyone. I hope a European man wins this week, and he’s like, good begin. Get in there early.
Get your factors. I’m certain this can be a objective, particularly after Rome, an enormous objective of all of the gamers that wish to make the subsequent workforce.”
RYDER CUP POINTS UP FOR GRABS
Luke Donald, who it teeing up this week, added: “I’ve watched many Ryder Cups and occasions at this place, however by no means truly performed an occasion or performed the course. I’m excited to be right here and enjoying a British Masters.
“It’s thrilling for me to see the factors race beginning. As a participant, I bear in mind when that began and I used to be very enthusiastic about getting going once more, and sort of gave me an additional enhance.
“And really having a chat with Sir Nick, he was saying in Ryder Cup years, when the factors began, even when I used to be thirtieth, I might grind to the previous couple of holes to see if I might get 20 extra factors.
You consider this stuff now and I feel that’s thrilling for the gamers.”
Extremely, Tyrrell Hatton admitted that he has by no means performed The Belfry earlier than. He mentioned: “This truly my first time right here enjoying the golf course.
After we stroll previous the tenth, I’ve hit that tee shot on my dad’s simulator over time, so it’s thrilling to lastly be right here. It’s an historic venue in British golf and European golf. So I’m very a lot wanting ahead to it.
“The Ryder Cup is actually one of many the explanation why I wished to play this week. The Ryder Cup is basically vital to me and I’d like to be on that workforce subsequent yr, and that is the right week to try to get off to a superb begin.
“I feel any time you’re enjoying in entrance of dwelling followers is all the time going to be a particular week and for me personally, I’d like to go on the market and play rather well.
Make a great deal of birdies and provides the group one thing to cheer about as will all the opposite English guys enjoying this week.”