Billy Horschel ‘Disappointed’ More US Players Aren’t At BMW PGA Championship

Billy Horschel thinks the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, ought to attract more players from the US.

The 2021 champion is one of only five Americans in the field for this week’s event at Wentworth, but he thinks that’s a shame, particularly as the Ryder Cup gets underway just two weeks later at Marco Simone in Italy.

In an interview with Golf Digest, the 36-year-old said: “I’m disappointed that more of my compatriots have not come. I understand some guys want some time off after the FedEx Cup.

“The US Ryder Cup team was in Italy over the weekend. I wouldn’t expect them all to come and play here, but I thought some would welcome the chance to play an event in European conditions before the Ryder Cup. They could still go home next week and prepare.”

Aside from the convenience of playing in England so soon after Team USA arrived at Marco Simone for its scouting trip, Horschel also suggested the lack of action beyond US borders could be a factor in why the Americans haven’t won the Ryder Cup in Europe for three decades.

He continued: “I hear people asking why America hasn’t won a Ryder Cup over here in 30 years. Maybe some of it is the financial stranglehold the PGA Tour has over the game.

“We just don’t have to travel the world in order to make a lot of money, which is a pity. It’s not as if our top players aren’t good enough or smart enough to adjust to the courses. But add it up and the end result is that we have been losing on courses the Europeans are a lot more familiar with.”

As well as the opportunity to hone their skills at a tournament beyond US shores, Horschel sees Wentworth’s proximity to London and the support Americans would receive there as huge incentives to play in the tournament. He explained: “I preach every year to guys on the PGA Tour that this is a great course for them. There are guys whose games are made for Wentworth.

“And I know if they did come, they would love everything about this place. I mean, London is right there, a city that offers everything in entertainment. Plus, given the support I get from the crowds here, I have to think guys like Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas would get an even bigger reception, because of where they are in the world of golf.”

Despite that, Horschel admitted that an influx of Americans, perhaps via the event becoming co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour, could affect its identity. “I would love to see more Americans playing here,” he continued. “But that worries me, too. Would this event be diminished in a historic sense? It’s been a staple of the European scene for so long, I’d hate to see a lot of the guys over here not get to play.

“Would something be lost if that was to happen? It’s a fine balance. And I can’t quite decide. I certainly don’t want the European guys to lose this special event. But to get the recognition this event deserves that might have to happen.”

‘I Do Have Something Of A Love Affair With This Tournament’

For now, though, Horschel will be looking to continue an excellent record in the tournament that, including his victory two years ago, which saw him create history as the only American to win the tournament aside from Arnold Palmer, has seen him finish in the top 10 in each of his three appearances. 

He said: “I do have something of a love affair with this tournament. This is only my fourth time actually playing here at Wentworth, but it feels like I’ve been coming to the BMW PGA Championship for a lot longer than that.

“I grew up watching this event from afar on television and always wanted to be a part of it. I didn’t do a great job early in my career when it came to making it over here, but when I did back in 2019, my already high expectations were exceeded. Everything about it impressed me. Only this morning I told someone if I could play this tournament 25 times a year, I’d be a very happy man.”