Billy Horschel feeling right at home ahead of BMW PGA Championship defence

Billy Horschel is back at a happy hunting ground as he returns to defend his BMW PGA Championship title - and his love affair with England looks like it is going to last.

American Horschel clinched his first Rolex Series crown at Wentworth 12 months ago when he produced a final-round 65 to finish a shot clear of Jamie Donaldson, Laurie Canter and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

The victory was a special one for Horschel, who ahead of teeing it up this week reiterated just how much he enjoys spending time on this side of the pond.

He said: "It's a great feeling. I sound like a broken record but I watched this event for many years on TV growing up. It was always the first week we got out of school. I watched early in the morning before I went to the golf course and to finally come here in 2019 and experience the event, I fell in love with the golf course, which I think I knew was going to happen.

"Seeing the way the course was on TV and watching the Match Play event here as well. And then the crowd support, it was over the moon. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

"To finally come back last year and get the victory... a lot of guys talk about dreaming about winning events, and I'm not one that dreams about winning events. I'm not one that has ever been one of those kids on the putting green, like, 'this putt is to win this event'. That's just not me.

"But I've envisioned myself winning it, and thought how cool it would be to win this event. To see that come to fruition in a very short amount of time was nice. The support I've got here over the last couple years has been tremendous and I'm so appreciative of it.

"That's why I have such an infatuation with the golf course and the tournament and everything that this event stands for."

Horschel's fondness for his surroundings extends beyond the famous Surrey layout he will take on this week.

He watched his Premier League team, West Ham, lose to London rivals Chelsea at the weekend but it has not put him off returning to the capital.

"My stats guy, Mark Horton, is English and he's been with me for ten years, and Fooch (Mark Fulcher) is my caddie. He's been with me for a couple of years," said the 35-year-old.

"Horts has been saying it for many years. He says I'm half-English because I love it over here. I do love the culture. I'm not a history buff but I love history and I've always loved English history and learning about it. And so I just think all those things factored in just makes this place so special to me.

"And it's funny, (West Ham midfielder) Declan Rice was out here with me yesterday walking around and he said, 'Billy, could you ever see yourself buying a place over here?'

"And I said, 'Actually, Dec, I would like to buy something here in the next five to seven years'.

"That's the earliest it would be because I could see my kids graduate and go off to university, and my wife and I could come over here and spend two, three, four months out of the year over here. She loves London as well and she loves this area.

"I've always loved it over here. I have always got along very well with the people. I love their sense of humour very much, and so I think it's sort of been a match made in heaven."

Horschel tees off with Rory McIlroy and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick at 8.30am on Thursday.