2023 British Masters Preview, Picks & Analysis

A STAR-STUDDED field will line up for the British Masters which is being staged at the iconic Belfry for the third year in a row this week.

The tournament will be hosted by Nick Faldo. The Englishman - who received a Knighthood in 2009 for his services to golf - won the Masters Tournament three times and claimed three Claret Jugs for winning the Open Championship.

In total, he won 30 times on the European Tour and represented Europe in 11 consecutive Ryder Cups from 1977 to 1997 in addition to captaining the team in 2008.

He will now host the British Masters at a venue where he represented Europe in the Ryder Cup three times - famously making a hole-in-one on the par three 14th in 1993.

Faldo won the 18th of his 30 European Tour titles at the British Masters in 1989, triumphing by four strokes over Ronan Rafferty. His victory at Woburn followed his success at Augusta National earlier that year, where he won the first of three Green Jackets.

“It’s a real honour to be given the opportunity to host the Betfred British Masters, particularly at a venue as iconic as The Belfry,” said Faldo. “It’s a place that is synonymous with British and European golf, and we’ve been treated to some incredible moments there over the years.

“The Brabazon is a great test and it’s a course that you can have a lot of fun in terms of setting it up - particularly on the par four 10th, where you can bring the tee forward and give guys the chance to go for the green, and on the par four 18th, which is a great closing hole.”

Last year, Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen returned to the winner’s circle after a four-year absence, winning his sixth DP World Tour title by one stroke from Sebastian Söderberg. 

Victory for the 2018 Ryder Cup player looked unlikely, but a stunning eagle-birdie finish thrilled a huge crowd as he won his first title since the 2018 Italian Open.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Former world number one Justin Rose takes a break from the PGA Tour and is sure to be there or thereabouts this week. He has finally emerged from a slump that saw him tumble down the rankings, and will now hope to play his way into Luke Donald’s European team.

Ewen Ferguson, Robert MacIntyre and Victor Perez are also in the field. All three played in the Hero Cup earlier this year, with Frenchman Perez earning 3.5 points as a member of the winning Continental European side. His form carried over to the following week as he won his first Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, his third DP World Tour victory.

“I’m excited to get back to The Belfry,” said Perez. “It’s a great test of golf and you really get a sense of the history of the venue when you’re on site. There have been some great champions of the tournament and I would love the chance to add my name to the list this summer.”

Ferguson and MacIntyre have two DP World Tour victories to their names, with Ferguson securing both of his titles to date in 2022 and MacIntyre recording his second victory at the DS Automobiles Italian Open.

“The British Masters is a fantastic event and it’s a tournament I’ve played well at in the past, so I’m looking forward to the week,” said MacIntyre. “The atmosphere last year was electric and it was great to get out in front of such supportive crowds once again.”

Ferguson, who has shown some outstanding recent form, said: “The Belfry is a great venue and the British Masters is the start of a really exciting summer of golf back home.”

Rasmus Højgaard, Adrian Meronk and the hugely talented Min Woo Lee will also be playing at The Belfry.

Meronk has a point to prove. The 29-year-old has won three national opens, the Irish Open, Australian Open and Italian Open, in the space of 10 months and is riding high in the Race to Dubai.

Meronk said: “I have a bit of a score to settle with The Belfry after the last couple of years. I missed out on the play-off by one shot in 2021 and missed the cut last year, so I’m looking to make amends this time. I enjoy playing in England and the crowds last year were fantastic.”

Højgaard is returning to a venue where he has previously tasted success. The 22-year-old burst on to the scene during the 2020 season as he won twice in his rookie year, with his second victory coming during the summer at The Belfry at the ISPS HANDA UK Championship.

He beat Justin Walters in a play-off and then went on to win his third DP World Tour title the following year at the Omega European Masters.

In 2020, Lee also won his maiden DP World Tour title at the ISPS HANDA Vic Open and then, in 2021, went on to claim his first Rolex Series title in Scotland.

Lee finished third at his home ISPS HANDA Australian Open in December, and was runner-up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first Rolex Series event of the season. He also finished in a share of sixth at The Players Championship on the PGA Tour, tied for 18th at the US PGA Championship, and tied fifth at the US Open.

Tournament Winners

It was won in 2015 by Matt Fitzpatrick, in 2016 by Alex Noren, in 2017 by Paul Dunne, in 2018 by Eddie Pepperell, in 2019 by Marcus Kinhult, in 2020 by Renato Paratore, in 2021 by Richard Bland and last year by Thorbjørn Olesen.

Form Guide

Min Woo Lee is a world-class golfer who is a proven winner and has been showing some sparkling form on the PGA Tour. Adrian Meronk continues on his merry way, climbing the world rankings and looking to tie down his Ryder Cup place. And keep an eye on England’s Justin Rose, who has finally rediscovered his very best form.

The Course

The Brabazon Course at The Belfry was designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas and came to prominence when it hosted the Ryder Cup. The parkland course is a par 72 measuring 7,253 yards. It is unrecognisable from its Ryder Cup days, with the hundreds of saplings now fully grown. The two most memorable holes are the risk-and-reward par four 10th, which can be reached from the tee, and the brutal finishing hole, a par four calling from a drive over water and an approach over more water to a three-tier green.

To Win:

Justin Rose. Back to his best

Each Way:

Min Woo Lee. World-class

Each Way:

Adrian Meronk. Beautiful ball striker

Five to Follow:

Justin Rose. Would love to win here

Min Woo Lee. Has not a single weakness

Adrian Meronk. Proven winner

Ewen Ferguson. Playing some nice, consistent golf

Victor Perez. Always a player worth watching