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Tee-to-green accuracy demanded this week
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50/151.00 Midlander Mansell is strong e/w contender
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14/115.00 Meronk may prosper on testing Brabazon
Tournament Notes
• Tournament will be staged over The Belfry's iconic Brabazon layout.
• The Belfry made its name as four-time host of the Ryder Cup (1985-89-93-2002).
• Over the next three weeks, players not already qualified for The Open Championship, can secure their spot by performing well in the British Masters, Made in HimmerLand event or Genesis Scottish Open.
• At each of these three tournaments, there will be three vacancies up for grabs for those not yet exempt for The Open at Royal Liverpool.
Course Notes
• The Belfry is a traditional British parkland venue.
• The Brabazon demands good course management skills, along with an ability to read its many undulating putting surfaces.
• Located close to the M6 Toll Road in Sutton Coldfield, and approximately eight miles from the centre of Birmingham, the Brabazon is a flat course that is well-bunkered, has narrow fairways, with water coming into play on 10 holes.
• Solid, accurate, ball-strikers, with a strong tee-to-green pedigree, are more likely to prosper this week than those who rely on hot putting streaks.
• Co-designed by two Ryder Cup stalwarts from the 1950s and 1960s (Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss), the venue returned to the DP World Tour schedule in August 2020 following an absence of 12 years.
• The club opened for business during the mid-1970s.
• The venue, which includes an on-site hotel, was bought out in 2012 by KSL Capital Partners.
• In 2021, the Challenge Tour staged a tournament at The Belfry where Hugo Leon emerged victorious. Among those who posted top-10 finishes in this event were: Oliver Bekker (2nd), Yannick Paul (T-3) and Nathan Kimsey (T-5).
Latest betting for this week's British Masters at The Belfry
Stroke Averages
Lowest 10 At The Belfry (2020-22)
Average .... (Rounds)
69.50: Calum Hill (8)
70.00: Justin Walters (10)
70.10: Andy Sullivan (10)
70.13: Min Woo Lee (8)
70.17: Guido Migliozzi (6)
70.50: Rasmus Hojgaard (10)
70.50: Jazz Janewattananond (8)
70.50: Robert MacIntyre (8)
70.50: Adrian Meronk (6)
70.63: Marcus Kinhult (8)
70.63: Sebastian Soderberg (8)
Min. No. of Rounds = 6
Only those entered this week are included in table
Latest betting for July's Open Championship
Four To Watch
Min Woo Lee 10/111.00: Travels to England on the back of two successive top-10s in the United States. These include a tie-for-fifth at the US Open. The young Australian is making his third competitive appearance at the Brabazon Course.
Richard Mansell 50/151.00: Is eighth in the Tour's Strokes Gained: Approach the Green table. The 28-year-old, who was born in nearby Cannock, tied-eighth at The Belfry a little over 12 months ago. Perhaps more of an each-way contender than outright winner.
Adrian Meronk 14/115.00: The world No 48 from Poland has previously stood on The Belfry podium and was also third at last week's BMW International Open in Munich. Currently tops the European Tour's Strokes Gained: Off the Tee category.
Justin Rose [9/1]: This week's marquee name. Rose won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this year and tees-up at The Belfry for the first time since 2003.
Note: List Contains Leading Reserves