The Spanish trio of Rafa Cabrera Bello, Jorge Campillo and Adri Arnaus hope to follow in the footsteps of the late, great Seve Ballesteros when they return to The Belfry for the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.
This year’s edition of the Betfred British Masters will be the 20th DP World Tour event to be held at the four-time Ryder Cup venue, with Ballesteros winning the Lada English Golf Classic in 1979, the first tournament hosted on the world-renowned Brabazon Course.
Ballesteros became the first Spaniard to win the Betfred British Masters, first in 1986 and then again in 1991 when the tournament was hosted at Woburn, and there hasn’t been a Spanish winner of the event since Gonzalo Fdez-Castaño in 2008.
New tournament host Sir Nick Faldo played alongside Ballesteros in the Ryder Cup eight times, with Faldo playing under the Spaniard’s captaincy in 1997. Three of those appearances came at The Belfry, with the pair helping Europe win the Ryder Cup for the first time in 1985.
Four-time DP World Tour winner Cabrera Bello represented Europe at the 2016 Ryder Cup in Hazeltine and has tasted success in Britain in the past, having won the Scottish Open in 2017.
“The Belfry is such an iconic venue and there is such a rich history of DP World Tour winners on its roll of honour,” said Cabrera Bello. “I’m fortunate enough to have won on British soil in the past, but to win at The Belfry and follow in Seve’s footsteps would be very special.”
Currently 11th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, Campillo claimed his third DP World Tour victory earlier this year at the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa. In addition to his win in Kenya, he has recorded five top eight ten finishes in his last eight starts.
Arnaus is hopeful of building on a strong start to the season as the DP World Tour returns to The Belfry. The 28-year-old finished tied 13th at Hero Dubai Desert Classic, in a share of sixth at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and second at the SDC Championship.
The trio join a host of DP World Tour stars set to tee it up at The Belfry later this month, including former World Number One Justin Rose and defending champion Thorbjørn Olesen. Also bolstering the field at The Belfry are rising stars Rasmus Højgaard, Min Woo Lee and Adrian Meronk, as well as Ewen Ferguson, Robert MacIntyre and Victor Perez.
Last year, Denmark’s Olesen returned to the winner’s circle after a four-year absence with his one-stroke victory over Sebastian Söderberg. The 2018 Ryder Cup player has since won his seventh DP World Tour title after triumphing at the Thailand Classic in February.
More than 50,000 spectators attended the event week, with a sell-out 15,000-strong crowd witnessing the final round action on Sunday. Fans are urged to secure their tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Click here to purchase.
