If two 49-year-olds are close to the head of the betting for this week’s Betfred British Masters at The Belfry, it doesn’t say a lot about the state of European golf right now, nor of our chances in next year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.
But looking it from a more positive viewpoint, it underlines the longevity and enduring quality of their swings that Lee Westwood and Richard Bland are still being thought of as prospective winners of the first DP World tournament on British soil in 2022.
True, Sunday’s 66th place in Catalonia wasn’t the warm-up he had in mind but the old fox will be trying like hell to cling on to his most prized golfing possession on the course where it all happened for him a year ago.
Westwood’s pedigree is much loftier with 25 victories in Europe alone, one of them coming in the 2007 British Masters on this week’s iconic Alliss/Thomas layout, now a 7238-yard par 72, where Europe finally got their hands on the Ryder Cup in 1985.
As 2020 British Masters host at Close House, racing fan and owner Westwood has close ties with this tournament and The Belfry is only an hour’s drive from his Worksop base. On his 14th at the Masters last time out, the world No. 58 must have a great each-way shout of becoming, at 49 and 14 days, the oldest British winner on tour.
Arnaus, twice a playoff loser in the past year, made it third time lucky in an extra-time marathon when South Africa’s Oliver Bekker finally succumbed with a bogey in near-darkness, clinching a Spanish home-country double following Pablo Larrazabal’s Tarragona triumph the previous Sunday.
In a 25/1-the-field competition it’s wide open and ambitious Scot Robert MacIntyre won’t be far away. Top 12 in two Majors and eighth in this tournament last year, “BobbyMac” has promised more than he’s delivered but the talent is definitely there, particularly with the flat stick. Ninth at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic is his best European effort this campaign, while on the PGA Tour a 15th at Riviera and 23rd at Augusta prove he can mix it with the best.
With the Hojgaard twins again disappointing, Thomas Detry swinging better than he scores and Laurie Canter unconvincing when a winning opportunity presented itself, the best of the rest is lofty Pole Adrian Meronk. Third on his two latest outings and third, just a shot out of the playoff that Bland won at The Belfry last time, he’s overdue.
British Masters Golf Betting Tips 2022
- 2pts each-way Hennie du Plessis at 40/1 (Betfred) 8 places
- 1.5pts each-way Lee Westwood at 28/1 (William Hill) 6 places
- 1pt each-way Robert MacIntyre at 22/1 (Bet365) 5 places
- 1pt each-way Adrian Meronk at 22/1 (Betfair) 7 places
- 0.5pt each-way Sam Horsfield at 28/1 (William Hill) 6 places
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