Andy Sullivan has joined his fellow Englishman Lee Westwood and Welshman Jamie Donaldson as the latest European Ryder Cup hopeful to be confirmed for this year’s D+D REAL Czech Masters, which returns to Albatross Golf Resort from August 18-21.
The tournament, which takes place just outside the Czech capital of Prague, has become hugely popular with the stars of the European Tour and enjoyed two worthy winners in its first two years – Donaldson in 2014 and Belgian Thomas Pieters last year.
Much like two years ago, when Donaldson’s victory sealed his place in Paul McGinley’s Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles – where he went on to hit the winning shot for Europe – this year’s third edition could play a big part in the make-up of Darren Clarke’s side for the upcoming showdown at Hazeltine National.
As the penultimate event of the Ryder Cup race on this side of the Atlantic, Sullivan will be hoping he is still right in the mix for qualification and he is relishing a return to Albatross, where he played in 2014 before going on to become a three-time European Tour winner in a stunning 2015 campaign.
“I’m really looking forward to going back to Albatross this year,” said the 29 year old, who is playing in this week’s US Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. “I really enjoyed my week there two years ago even if I didn’t quite perform as I’d have liked at the weekend.
“It’s a course that all the players really enjoy playing and being located right next to such a beautiful city as Prague is just an added bonus.
“With it being the second last counting event of the Ryder Cup race, it’s going to be a really exciting week too. Hopefully I’ll have secured myplace by then but if not, Jamie’s win in 2014 will provide perfect inspiration and I’ll be going there confident of competing for the title either way.”
Ryder Cup legend and 23-time European Tour winner Westwood has already confirmed he will make his debut at the D+D REAL Czech Masters and, having shared second place at this year’s Masters Tournament, he is already well on track to make a tenth appearance in golf’s biggest team event.
Donaldson, meanwhile, will be hopeful that a strong summer will improve his Ryder Cup chances and a return to a happy hunting ground such as Albatross Golf Resort, where he won by two shots over compatriot Bradley Dredge in 2014 for a third European Tour title, could once again prove crucial.
American John Daly and Rory Sabbatini of South Africa, two of the game’s more colourful characters, have also recently been announced for what is shaping up to be the strongest field in the tournament’s history.
