Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo preview picks analysis

Former Masters champion Patrick Reed will tee it up for the Husqvarna British Masters at The Belfry this week, hoping to increase his lead at the top of the Race to Dubai.

This year’s event marks the start of the Back 9, with increased ranking points on offer throughout. It runs through to the Genesis Championship at the end of October before the season-ending Dubai Championship and DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November.

And then they do it all again, with the incentive of trying to claim a place in Europe’s 2027 Ryder Cup team.

Reed, who has enjoyed a sensational campaign to date following two victories, a runner up finish, and a further two top ten results, is eyeing a return to the PGA Tour and will hope to reclaim his place on the American team.

"I’m looking forward to returning to the United Kingdom and teeing it up in the British Masters," said Reed. "It’s been a really enjoyable season and hopefully we can continue the momentum at The Belfry. It is an iconic venue, and I can’t wait for the test of the Brabazon in front of the British fans."

Luke Donald, the former world number one and two-time Ryder Cup winning captain has been a standout figure in European golf for more than two decades and will tee it up on the Brabazon Course for the third consecutive year and will no doubt be keeping a close eye on some potential 2027 Ryder Cup candidates. Unfortunately, the tournament coincides with the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake so there will be no Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood or Matthew Fitzpatrick in the field.

Donald will again lead Europe in the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor having claimed back-to-back victories at Marco Simone in 2023 and Bethpage Black in 2025. The biennial contest will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year and Donald will look to become the first captain to lead a Ryder Cup team to three consecutive victories.

Donald said: "The Belfry holds a special place in British golf and Ryder Cup history, and I’m thrilled to be competing at the Husqvarna British Masters for the third consecutive year. The support from the crowds over the past couple of years has been brilliant and the energy really lifts you. I’m looking forward to another fantastic week on home soil. Every time I come back, it feels bigger. I can’t wait to get back to The Belfry and experience it all again."

Four-time DP World Tour winner Andy Sullivan will return to The Belfry looking to continue his excellent record in the event: the 38-year-old has four top tens to his name, including a fifth place finish last year on the famed Brabazon Course.

Sullivan currently occupies eighth place in the rankings after a brilliant start to the season, including a runner-up finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January. The Englishman is looking to use home comforts to his advantage in Birmingham and win in England for the second time in his career, having triumphed at the English Championship at Hanbury Manor in 2020.

"The British Masters is a special event on the schedule and I’m excited to tee it up in front of my home fans again," Sullivan said. "I’m fortunate enough to have won on home soil in the past, but to win so close to home in front of my friends and family would be very special."

Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, has strong affinity for the Husqvarna British Masters, having hosted the event in 2021 and 2022. The eight-time DP World Tour winner will hope to add to his fond memories in 2026.

"The Husqvarna British Masters is a tournament that means a lot to me, and I can’t wait to get back to The Belfry," said Willett. "It’s obviously an iconic club that I’m proud to be attached to and local to where I’m from in England. Hosting it in 2021 and 2022 was a real honour and the support I’ve always felt from the fans has been incredible.

"Sir Nick Faldo took on hosting duties from me a few years ago and has taken it from strength to strength. I’ve seen first-hand what goes into hosting an event of this size and it is no mean feat, so credit to him and his team for all the time and effort they put in."

Tyrrell Hatton

(Image Credit: LIV Golf)

Keep an eye on Tyrrell Hatton. Interestingly, he entered this event long before LIV confirmed that its season-ending team championship would not be taking place. Rumours persist that he is looking for a way back to the PGA Tour but he may first have to spend a year on the DP World Tour if he does not fancy paying the requisite fines across the pond.

Last year's British Masters was the final counting event for European Ryder Cup Qualification, providing extra significance as the race to make Donald's team for Bethpage reached its conclusion.

Alex Noren ended a seven-year worldwide wait for victory as he claimed his 11th DP World Tour title to become a two-time winner at the British Masters.

Noren won for a second time, beating Nicolai Hojgaard to the title on the day his twin brother Rasmus secured Europe's final automatic qualification spot for the Ryder Cup.

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, in 2022 by Thorbjorn Olesen, in 2023 by Daniel Hillier, in 2024 by Niklas Norgaard and last year by Alex Noren.

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 for a drive over water and an approach over more water to a three-tier green.

Form Guide:

Tyrrell Hatton will be keen to make an impression following the conclusion of the LIV Golf season. The Englishman, a Ryder Cup stalwart, has eight victories to his name on the DP World Tour.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $3.5m, with the winner collecting 5,000 Race to Dubai points and 1,500 Ryder Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, August 27, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Friday, August 28, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Saturday, August 29, Sky Sports Golf, midday; Sunday, August 30, Sky Sports Golf, midday.