Billy Horschel targeting ‘special’ double in Scotland – Articles

The American has developed a real affinity with the DP World Tour, the United Kingdom and its fans in recent years, becoming a real favourite as he contends for titles here on Scotland’s east coast and south of the border at Wentworth Club at the BMW PGA Championship.

The latest of his two Rolex Series wins came at that event just 11 days ago, with Horschel long since revealing his fondness for DP World Tour HQ.

This week he takes on Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course at St Andrews and he would dearly love to add a win at the Home of Golf to his Wentworth triumphs.

“To win any tournament here at the Home of Golf is special,” he said. “To sit on that bridge with the trophy is something that I’ve never imagined, honestly, to tell you the truth.

“It would be a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life because there’s not many opportunities you get to play the Home of Golf, the Old Course, and there’s not many opportunities you get a chance to win a trophy and say you’ve won at the Old Course.

“That would be pretty special.”

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If he is to win he will have to conquer three true links tests, two of which are Open venues, and overcome a field including the likes of multiple Major champions Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick, former winners Tyrrell Hatton and Danny Willett and Ryder Cup stars Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Højgaard.

Horschel, however, is confident he can compete on golfing terrain like no other, fresh off finishing second at The Open.

“I’ve always enjoyed links golf,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed the natural imagination and the way the game can be played differently every day based off the conditions and based off the golf course.

“I may not have had success early in my career and I’ve understood how to play and I’ve enjoyed the challenge that links golf brings.

“So I’ve just enjoyed it and the more I’ve come over here to play, the more I want to play more links-style courses.

“I told people, if I had to play any course the rest of my career, it would be a links-style golf course, just because of the variety of shots and the way everything can be different on a day-to-day basis, that’s what I would want to do.

“I wouldn’t want to play, I’ll say boring, mundane golf. I’ll just hit it here, it stops, hit it there, it stops. I want to play along the ground and I want to play different shots and imaginations.”