Five things to know as the European Tour returns to The Belfry for the sixth and final event of the UK Swing – the ISPS HANDA UK Championship.
A return to The Belfry
The European Tour returns to The Belfry for the first time since Gonzalo Fdez-Castaño claimed his fourth title during the 2008 British Masters.
The Sutton Coldfield resort was designed and opened by Peter Allis and Dave Thomas in 1977, with the Brabazon course playing host to a plethora of high-profile events, which includes four Ryder Cups and 16 European Tour events.
The signature hole on the Brabazon course is undoubtedly the 311-yard par four tenth, which is best remembered for Seve Ballesteros infamously driving the green on two occasions: during the Hennessey Cup in 1978, and again during The 1985 Ryder Cup.
A rich history
The first official tournament on the Brabazon course was the Hennessy Cup, a match between Great Britain and Ireland and the Continent of Europe in 1978 that was won by the hosts.
Seven years later, The Belfry held the first of the four Ryder Cups. That year, Sam Torrance holed the winning putt, securing victory over the USA for the first time as team Europe. Three further contests were held, with the 1989 match ending in a 14-14 tie, the U.S winning in 1993, and Europe winning again in 2002.
The Belfry’s first introduction to the European Tour’s International Schedule had come a few years earlier, through Seve Ballesteros’ victory during the 1979 Lada English Golf Classic. The tournament ran for five consecutive years, before the Tour returned in 1989 for the English Open, which ran until 1992. It was then followed by the Benson & Hedges International Open - staged from 2000 – 2003, and latterly three editions of the British Masters from 2006-2008.
Over the years, winners have included Ballesteros, Greg Norman, José María Olazábal, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson – who won his first European Tour title here in 2001.
The end of the UK Swing
The UK Swing will come to an end this week at The Belfry, marking the sixth and final event of the mini-series that helped European Tour golf return following a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Horsfield tops the current UK Swing mini Order of Merit standings following victories at both the Hero Open and Celtic Classic, and holds a lead of 265.68 points over Thomas Detry.
The mini Order of Merit will conclude at this week’s ISPS Handa UK Championship, and just four players – Detry, Andy Sullivan, Rasmus Højgaard and Renato Paratore - have the ability to overtake Horsfield.
As part of the Golf for Good initiative - which underpins all events for the remainder of the 2020 season – the top ten will share an additional £250,000 to donate to charities of their choice, with the winner being given the largest share (£60,000) to donate.
Lawlor makes European Tour debut
EDGA golfer Brendan Lawlor, who is currently ranked fourth in the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), will be making his Tour debut at the ISPS Handa UK Championship this week.
Lawlor, who has a rare condition called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome - a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs – has received an invite on behalf of his sponsor and tournament title partner ISPS HANDA, as they continue to collaborate with the European Tour to raise the profile of golf as an accessible sport.
The 22-year-old Irishman, who turned professional last September, has already achieved a lot of success in the game through the disabled golfers’ circuit. In 2019, he won the 36-hole EDGA Scottish Open, which ran concurrently with the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish open and was played over the same course (including from the same tees).
Golf for Good
The European Tour's Golf for Good initiative continues this week, with the European Tour donating £50,000 to the host venue, The Belfry, to be distributed to charities of their choice including local causes.
The Heroes Initiative will once again reward a local hero, with prizes on offer for one nominated front-line worker during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Do you know a golf fan who deserves to be rewarded for their positive impact on the community? If you would like to nominate someone during the UK Swing, please visit et.golf/nominate-a-hero
