British Masters Each-Way Tips: Horsfield can go bats in the Belfry

Matt Cooper
03 May 2022
4:00 min read

Sam Horsfield made a strong return to action

Join

View market

Twitter

Facebook

The DP World Tour returns to the UK this week for the British Masters and Matt Cooper has three selections with the Betfair Sportsbook paying seven places...

"On debut at the Belfry last year he ranked fourth for Approach and eighth Tee to Green with solid traditional stats."
Sam Horsfield 1pt each-way @ 25.024/1

Main Bet: Sam Horsfield 1pt each-way @ 25/1

There is little that Ian Poulter and I have in common. He is ambitious and driven; I am lazy and content. He owns lots of cars; I like the train. He loves football; I read books.

But in September 1993 we shared the same formative experience: we attended our first Ryder Cup at The Belfry.

I would imagine that the inspiration for Poulter and his friends was very similar to that of myself and my friends: we'd watched the previous matches and then re-watched them on worn, fuzzy VHS tape recordings.

I still believe that the roars which greeted every great shot in 1985 have yet to be bettered. There was a joy and exhilaration in them that comes only from the decades of defeat that came first.

The cheers have also echoed down the years and any return to the Belfry feels a little special - the place is peppered with spots that prompt memories of the greats of European golf, of Seve, Olly, Faldo and Monty and others.

But also of European stalwarts who rose to the occasions on the Brabazon Course, Fellows like Manuel Pinero, Christy O'Connor Jr., Peter Baker and Philip Price.

Twelve months ago Richard Bland put in a performance a little like those, albeit in the British Masters not the Ryder Cup.

Two years after becoming the oldest graduate from the Challenge Tour, on his 478th start on the DP World Tour, he finally found the first win.

And he did so in quite an unusual style for the course, highlighting the outrageous nature of his triumph. Because, typically, winners at the Belfry are among the bigger hitters in the field, with the capacity to hit a lot of greens in regulation and make good use of the par-5s.

Bland hit plenty of greens, but he separated himself from the field on the short holes. The man he beat in the play-off, Guido Migliozzi, was performing to the usual type and that prompts me to retain faith in that policy.

In the last two events at the Belfry, we also have Strokes Gained stats and they enhance my belief that this is a week when the long game, with a bent towards the second shot, is key.

Rasmus Hojgaard won in 2020 ranking second for Tee to Green and fourth in Approaches, Bland was first and second in those categories, Migliozzi fourth and seventh.

First up this week is Englishman Sam Horsfield whose season has been disrupted by injury, but who made a promising return to action with T18th alongside Matt Wallace in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Before the lay off he played six times either side of New Year and was in tremendous form.

Four of those starts reaped top 12 finishes, in a fifth he was on track for another before a poor final round, and in the last he was second after 18 holes before withdrawing after a second round played while hampered with the injury.

He contended in the DP World Tour Championship in that stretch and was fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic.

His stats are a little limited this season, but he's sixth for Approach and eighth Tee to Green. Last year he was second and 11th. He was also 19th for Green in Regulation, 28th for Distance and 14th on the Par-5s.

On debut at the Belfry last year he ranked fourth for Approach and eighth Tee to Green with solid traditional stats. If he can just find a bit more on the long holes he's got the game for this test.

Next Best: Nicolai Hojgaard 1pt each-way @ 28/1

Much the same can be said of second selection Nicolai Hojgaard.

The Dane ranks 14th Tee to Green and 12th with Approaches, he's also big from the tee (third for Distance, eighth Off the Tee), hits plenty of greens (15th) and eats up the long holes (fifth for Par-5 scoring).

He's been through a sticky patch in the aftermath of his second win on the circuit at the Ras al Khaimah Championship.

He missed the cut at the same course a week later and didn't late the weekend in three starts on the PGA Tour.

His first week back on the DP World Tour started promisingly with four birdies in his first nine at the ISPS Handa Championship but a deflating quadruple bogey-8 followed. He made two quick birdies afterwards, but then the air disappeared from the balloon.

He fought to make the weekend but made little headway.

Last week he kicked on from that with T13th and that's tempting. His game is another good fit and, if he gets into contention, the idea of adding to his brother's win here in 2022 would surely further spice his competitive juices.

Haotong Li at Harding Park.jpg

Final Bet: Haotong Li 1pt each-way @ 50/1

Final pick this week is less down to fitness for the test and more a case of price.

There is an absolute sea of options between 22/1 and 33/1 this week and based on scoring in the last six months or so they all make a lot of sense.

One man not in that price range, but up there in the scoring is China's Haotong Li.

Back at the Open last year I was rather startled to see him laughing and joking with his compatriot Yuxin Lin on the range having ranked 145th for Accuracy and 140th for Greens in Regulation in missing an 11th cut in a row.

A normal pro golfer would be tortured with such numbers, but I did overhear a coach say that he had "turned a corner".

I noted the observation and waited for more evidence.

He missed another three cuts before the words came back to me and I wondered if that coach had been on to something.

In his last 12 starts he's landed T14th in the Dunhill Links, second in the China Open, T12th in the Sony Open, third in the Ras al Khaimah Championship, sixth two weeks ago in Spain and T26th last week at PGA Catalunya.

A third DP World Tour win might not be too far away.

*Having difficulty working out the place returns? Fret no more - you can easily work out your returns with our new each way calculator.