Former World Number One Martin Kaymer and two-time Rolex Series winner Bernd Wiesberger will look to give their respective Ryder Cup bids a significant boost at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett after confirming they will tee it up at The Belfry from May 12-15, 2021.
With just five months to go until the much-anticipated Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, the race to make Padraig Harrington’s European team gathers pace as the Betfred British Masters marks the first event of the next stage in qualification. All points earned on both the European and World Points Lists for the remainder of the campaign will be multiplied by two.
Kaymer, winner of the 2010 US PGA Championship and the U.S. Open in 2014, is bidding for a fifth appearance at The Ryder Cup and - having narrowly missed out on a first title in seven years in his last appearance at the Austrian Golf Open - he is hoping to capitalise on that form at the most opportune time.
“I’m very excited to have the chance to play at The Belfry again,” said Kaymer. “It’s a venue that has a lot of significance for the European Tour and The Ryder Cup. It’s just a great place to play golf.
“It’s a course that I have a lot of good memories of; I remember the first time I played there during one of my first years on Tour my brother caddied for me – that was a really fun week.
“I feel like my game is in great shape at the moment, so I’m hopeful that I can bring my best golf back to The Belfry and be in with a chance of winning on Sunday. There’s a lot to play for, especially with the changes to the Ryder Cup points – it’s a goal that I haven’t given up on. I’d love to represent Europe again.”
Wiesberger, a seven-time European Tour winner, is hopeful of making his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits as he looks to recapture the form which saw him become a two-time Rolex Series winner en route to a career-best finish of third on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex in 2019.
The Austrian was runner-up to Alex Noren at the 2016 edition of the British Masters, while Kaymer’s best result in this tournament was tied eighth in 2019. Both will be confident of challenging this year at The Belfry after superb performances at last year’s ISPS Handa UK Championship, which was held on the Brabazon Course.
Kaymer finished third, missing out on a play-off by just one stroke, while Wiesberger finished in a share of fifth as the Tour made its first stop at the iconic Ryder Cup venue for the first time in 12 years.
“Last year was a great experience for me,” said Wiesberger. “It was the first time I’d had the opportunity to play at The Belfry and I really enjoyed the week. It’s a course where you really have to think ahead and plot your way around.
“It’s a venue with a lot of history, so it was nice to be able to play some of the shots that we’ve seen in the history books over the years.
“As we start the next stage of Ryder Cup qualification, I think this is a great opportunity to take what I learned from last year and have another good result on this golf course.”
Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, will follow in the footsteps of some of the European Tour’s most iconic names as he assumes hosting duties at the Betfred British Masters, as the popular tournament returns to The Belfry for the first time in 13 years.
