Haetten vs Hoblant "Clash in Europe"... What About 'Match King' Hoshel?

Battle of Pride at BMW PGA Championship: Higo as 'Dark Horse', Willett, Fleetwood, and Rose Join the 'England Squad'

Tyrell Hatton (left) and Viktor Hovland clash in the European premium match, the BMW PGA Championship.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] World No. 17 Tyrrell Hatton (England) is on a quest for his second European Tour victory.

The BMW PGA Championship (total prize money $8 million), which opens on the afternoon of the 9th (Korean time) at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England (par 72, 7,284 yards), is a fierce battleground. This tournament is especially significant as Hatton secured a commanding four-stroke victory here last year, making it his winning stronghold. With the conclusion of the PGA Tour Playoffs (PO), it is interesting to see a large contingent of 'PGA Champions' such as Viktor Hovland (Norway), Billy Horschel (USA), and Garrick Higgo (South Africa) entering the fray.

Hatton is a six-time European Tour champion. Since March last year, when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his first PGA Tour victory, he has been actively competing across both tours. This year, he triumphed at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, defeating Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) at the time, which brought him even more spotlight. His consistency is impressive, including a tie for second place at the Palmetto Championship on the PGA Tour in June. This time, he is additionally motivated by the goal of defending his title.

Hovland headed straight to Europe after the third leg of the PO, the Tour Championship. He secured his first PGA Tour win early at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in December last year, which counts toward the 2021 season. He also tied for second at the Farmers Insurance Open in January and the World Golf Championships (WGC) Workday Championship in March, and finished tied for third in consecutive weeks at the Valspar Championship and Wells Fargo Championship in May, but overall, he has lacked wins.

'Match King' Billy Horschel is set to compete in Europe's premier event, the BMW PGA Championship.

Horschel has joined the race for the title. On the final day of the WGC Series Dell Technologies Match Play in March, he defeated Scottie Scheffler (USA) by two holes to earn the nickname 'Match King.' Higgo is also the Palmetto Championship champion in June. On the European Tour, he already has two wins in the 2021 season and is now pushing for his third victory. Danny Willett is challenging to reclaim the top spot after two years, while Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose (both England) are also looking for opportunities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.