Englishman Marco Penge threw his name into the Ryder Cup conversation last week, chasing down home favourite Rasmus Hojgaard to win the Danish Golf Championship.
2025 DP World Tour
British Masters hosted by Nick Faldo
The Belfry, Wishaw, Warwickshire, England
21st-24th August
Englishman Marco Penge threw his name into the Ryder Cup conversation last week, chasing down home favourite Rasmus Hojgaard to win the Danish Golf Championship. It was an outstanding win that- rather incredibly- makes him the only multiple-event winner on this year’s Tour (he won the Hainan Classic in April). The tour now moves to England for the latest instalment of the British Masters (and the first leg of the so-called Back 9 Series). The British Masters dates all the way back to 1946 (where it was originally known as the Dunlop Masters). The event was stranded in no-man’s land until it was resurrected by the DP World Tour back in 2015. The tournament was previously a nomadic one, with an elite English professional hosting each new renewal. But this will be the 5th consecutive edition hosted at the Belfry. Sir Nick Faldo- who won this event back in 1989- became the new long-term host of this event in 2023 (he will host until 2026). Crucially, this week will also provide the last opportunity for players to earn their spot on Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup side.
This four-time Ryder Cup venue is one of the great theatres in British golf. It gained a bit of internet notoriety a few years back, as prominent YouTube golfer Rick Shiels imploded on the challenging layout. I think that the DP World Tour has done the right thing embracing this masterwork, essentially positioning it as the permanent host course of this event. The Brabazon Course at the Belfry is rather flat and predominantly tree-lined. This test rewards accuracy over brute power, with narrow fairways waiting to punish any errant drives. The greens offer considerable variety, ranging from genuinely minuscule to sprawling and undulating. They are protected by numerous bunkers that put a premium on accurate approach play. Scrambling could also prove pivotal, with some tricky runoff areas surrounding these Poa Annua green complexes.
Matthew Fitzpatrick missed out on East Lake and will look to impress Luke Donald at the Belfry this week (Luke Donald is teeing it up). Fitzpatrick missed out on automatic qualification but is likely a shoo-in for a captain’s pick (though he is looking to leave little to chance). In terms of automatic qualification, Rasmus Hojgaard is the only man in the field who has a chance of usurping Shane Lowry for that final automatic qualifying position. A runner-up at last week’s Danish Golf Championship, the Dane needs to finish T29 with one other player or better to overhaul Lowry in the standings. If he does, he will emulate twin brother Nicolai’s 2023 Ryder Cup appearance. Elsewhere, the likes of Marco Penge, Aaron Rai and Nicolai Hojgaard will be looking for strong performances as they aim to backdoor their way into Ryder Cup contention. Matt Wallace and Alex Noren will also be teeing it up this week (but they look like real Ryder Cup longshots). Patrick Rodgers has also decided to make the trip across the pond (I do enjoy seeing some of the regular US PGA Tour players making the odd DP World Tour appearance).
Past Winners
2024: Niklas Norgaard (-16)
2023: Daniel Hillier (-10)
2022: Thorbjorn Olesen (-10)
2021: Richard Bland (-13) *playoff
2020: Renato Paratore (-18)
2019: Marcus Kinhult (-16)
Betting Favourites (To Win): Aaron Rai (10/1), Matt Fitzpatrick (11/1), Alex Noren (16/1), Rasmus Hojgaard (16/1), Marco Penge (18/1)
Value Bets
Andy Sullivan- To Win (40/1)
Andy Sullivan is looking like a strong dark-horse pick. The four-time DP World Tour winner arrives in rejuvenated form, finishing 17th or better in six of his last eight starts (missing just one cut in the process). The 38-year-old has struggled in recent seasons but appears to have found some real late-season form. He also possesses a strong record in this event, collecting three top-9 finishes over the years. He has also shown an affinity for this course, finishing 6th here in 2021 before capitulating as the 54-hole leader in 2023.
Thriston Lawrence- To Win (40/1)
Burly South African Thriston Lawrence really struggled on this year’s US PGA Tour, missing the cut in 12 of 18 events (including six missed cuts in the middle of the season). He did make three successive cuts between June and July, finishing T12 at the US Open before a season-best T8 at the Rocket Classic. He also showed some of his skill when returning to the DP World Tour, finishing in a tie for 4th at the Soudal Open (on a course which correlates well with the Belfry). He has some terrific form on narrow, parkland layouts, finishing solo 3rd at last year’s BMW PGA Championship. He also knows what it takes to get around the Belfry, finishing solo 2nd at last year’s renewal.
The Man to Beat- Rasmus Hojgaard- To Win (16/1)
There is nobody with more to lose than Rasmus Hojgaard this week. Some people might find it hard to back him after he failed to convert last week’s opportunity (he still finished solo 2nd at the Danish Golf Championship). He has shown bouncebackability in the past, squandering a 54-hole lead at the 2021 Cazoo Classic only to win the subsequent Omega European Masters. He was sensational here last season, finishing with a 7-under-par Sunday to finish solo 3rd. He won the Irish Open last year, putting him in a brilliant position to claim this Ryder Cup spot. He played beautifully with the irons last week, gaining four strokes on the field for approach in the final round. He just needs to putt semi-decently and he should be in contention this week.
