While the PGA Tour has been learning to speak Italian between pilates sessions, hilarious Zoom quizzes and online shopping, the European Tour has had to scrap through this pandemic like the parent of a five-year-old whose class keeps getting sent home because of sniffling Simon. Translated, this means new events in new territories, no sign of its biggest stars, and an acceptance that the standard of the course cannot really be a factor in selecting where to play.
But there have been small mercies, and one of them is how much golf has taken place in the United Kingdom. At a time when collaboration with the PGA Tour has been necessary to stay afloat, and to fend off oil-rich competition from the Middle East, it's perhaps all the more important that the European Tour remembers where it came from. The cold, wet midlands will take care of that when the British Masters gets under way at The Belfry on Wednesday morning.
The Brabazon course is iconic because of what has happened here: Christy O'Connor Jnr, Paul McGinley, four Ryder Cups and plenty more drama besides. You'll still do well to remember many holes bar the 10th and 18th, and that's fine — as I was reminded when one Sky Sports commentator labelled Quail Hollow one of the very best courses in America, sometimes memories are enough to kid us along. Any tournament at The Belfry has them as its bedrock, and a return to this penal, parkland layout, complemented by a pretty miserable forecast, is most welcome.
The one occasion he failed to actually came on home soil, but stats from the Austrian Open are likely way off and there can be absolutely no doubt that his long-game is purring once more. Seventh place there was one of three top-10 finishes in succession and there wasn't much wrong with 33rd on his sole subsequent start in Tenerife, either.
One week earlier, Schwab was admittedly disappointing in contention in the Gran Canaria Open, firing a final-round 70 which ensured he was left behind. Still, the lights-out scoring of that event, and the only one he's played in since, was never likely to bring out the very best in this fairways-and-greens type who can struggle with putter in hand.
While Horsfield might prefer an easier assignment, Hojgaard defied breezy conditions to win in Mauritius early on last season before doubling up here courtesy of a dazzling weekend and is better equipped to avoid mistakes, which is what he did over the closing 36 holes to deny Walters.
Just two bogeys during the final two rounds, both at the difficult 12th, helped Hojgaard recover from a slow start which saw him lie in 67th and trail the South African by fully nine strokes. From Friday onwards he was sensational, shooting 15-under, fully six shots better than anyone else, and all thanks to an imperious display of ball-striking.
It's of course tempting to side with a back-to-form Thorbjorn Olesen, who would've been favourite or thereabouts for this back in 2018 and may be returning to that sort of level, but he might have been just a little flattered by his form in those Canary Islands shootouts.
By contrast, Hansen played well in a couple of them while suggesting that he can improve for a stiffer tee-to-green test. That's what he did when 25th on his debut here last year, when 11th through 54 holes, and he was in the mix in Qatar earlier this year where Antoine Rozner won in eight-under par.
Also seventh at Wentworth and a runner-up in the Open de France back in 2019, Hansen's quality long-game should ensure that something less than a total shootout is best form him and that's why I take a really positive view of seventh and 22nd on his latest two starts, during which he ranked 13th and 12th with his approaches.
Back in Qatar he was fourth in the same department, leading the field in greens hit, and if his iron play continues to fire then this prolific Challenge Tour winner can add to his European Tour breakthrough, which came at Wilco Nienaber's expense in South Africa and showcased his improved short-game and temperament.
He looks to be in similar form now and having been third in a Scottish Open, second elsewhere in Scotland, won in Denmark and been second in Sweden, as well as that effort in Paris during a cold and wet October, Hansen looks to have plenty in his favour.
That's also true of his form close to home. Pepperell once lost an Irish Open play-off at Royal County Down, was sixth at Wentworth as a rookie, finished sixth there again last year, and took fourth place in one of just three starts in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor.
Better yet is his form in Scotland, where he was runner-up at Gullane and then placed in the Open Championship at Carnoustie, so returning home from the Canary Islands ought to be a big positive for a player who was in contention against the best in the world at Sawgrass just a couple of seasons ago.
That's what makes three top-30 finishes read like really strong form and Ramsay, who defied a slow start to finish a decent 31st here last year despite putting poorly, can step up markedly now back in the UK.
"It does feel close because I feel like I’m playing really well and I believe fully in the process I’m going through, the process of doing the right gym work, the stretching in the morning, making sure I’m getting enough rest, making sure I eat well," he said last Friday, as he sat in third place.
"My whole thing is just trying to stay in contention on Sunday because I love that. That’s where you get the buzz and the adrenaline, and that’s where you feel like ‘this is my chance to open the door and get number four’."
The obvious negative is that he's missed the cut on both starts here, but the first was in 2008, when he was missing cuts everywhere, and he was actually on course to make the weekend before a 6-6 finish last August. Had he done so, perhaps he'd have been a little shorter in the market having hit the ball really, really well the last fortnight, finishing 28th and 45th because of some terrible putting stats.
He'll have to leave those behind, but ranking 14th and fourth from tee-to-green tells us his long-game has clicked and that makes him somewhat dangerous, just as was the case when he built on an eye-catching Indian Open display to win the Trophee Hassan in 2017.
With plenty in his favour and on a course which will properly reward his accuracy, Molinari senior might just play his way into the mix. If the putter behaves, he can stick around.
Posted at 1700 BST on 10/05/21
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