Sam Horsfield will attempt to create more history at Celtic Manor by completing a hat-trick of wins on the UK Swing of the European Tour. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SAM Horsfield is aiming to make it a hat-trick of victories in the space of four UK Swing events at Celtic Manor.

The Florida-based Englishman tees it up in the ISPS Handa Wales Open on the same Twenty Ten course upon which he triumphed just four days ago.

The 23-year-old, who hails from Manchester, became the first player in European Tour history to go win-missed cut-win when he claimed the inaugural Celtic Classic title at the Newport resort, on Sunday.

The victory matched his performance two weeks earlier in the Hero Open at Forest of Arden Marriott Golf and Country Club, near Coventry.

Horsfield, who has lived in Florida since the age of five, said: “The celebrations were good. I didn’t feel great on Monday morning.

“Me, (Sean) Crocker and Haydn (Porteous) had a few drinks and celebrated properly. It hasn’t really hit me yet about the two wins.

“I think once I have a few weeks off and some time to think about everything and reflect, it’ll set in then.

“But I’m just trying to focus on this week. One of the first people to text me was Ian (Poulter). But I’ve had a bunch of support from everybody… fellow players.

“It’s always nice when people send you messages of congratulations,” said the University of Florida graduate.

Sam Horsfield wants to win back to back at Celtic Manor in the ISPS Handa Wales Open after claiming the Celtic Classic last week at the 2010 Ryder Cup venue. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Horsfield can create more history

HORSFIELD is hoping to ride his good form for another strong showing as the European Tour plays back-to-back on the same course for the first time this week.

Sam said: “I am confident. I feel like I’m playing good golf. I think they’re going to change the course around a little bit.

“I don’t know exactly what they’ll do to it. Hopefully, I get out there today and see what they’ve done,” he said on Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m playing good golf and I just want to give myself an opportunity going into Sunday again.

“It’s going to be soft and it’s going to be playing long, and I think that helps me.

“I hit it pretty far off the tee and there isn’t so much on run-outs,” added Horsfield who ranks 12th on the Tour’s driving distance stats.

“It’s going to be plugging when it hits the fairway so I think it’s going to be a bomber’s golf course this week.

“I hit two left shots on 16 and 17 last week and I really do not like that shot.

“But it’s hard when you’ve won twice in two weeks to find any issues. You can always improve so I’m going to try eliminate that left shot slowly, but surely, and see where it gets me.”

The Twenty Ten Course will be used for a second European Tour event in a row

Sam set for trip to the land of Uncle Sam

HORSFIELD, a protégé of Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter, has already secured his place in next month’s US Open via the UK Swing’s mini-order of merit – which he currently leads.

The top 10 players in the rankings at the conclusion of this week’s event will qualify for the season’s second Major at Winged Foot, in New York, next month.

Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre and Haotong Li are making their return to European Tour action for the first time since March.

Both played in the year’s first Major, the USPGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, and made the cut.

Li is feeling particularly confident having led the field after round two before finishing in a share of 17th position.

The Chinese star said: “I see a lot of this rainy weather playing on tour around the world. So I’m kind of used to it.

“It’s pretty nice here – a traditional UK style place. So I’m just glad to be here. The course is pretty good and I think it suits my game.

“You need to hit solid shots to shoot low scores here so it’s going to be a fun week. The game is good, especially coming from the PGA Championship.

“I got a lot of confidence over there, said Haotong, who fired a superb 64 in San Francisco in the second round to lead at the halfway mark.

He added: “I felt like I can compete with those guys when I was playing there. I really enjoyed it, it was a great experience.

“Before then I hadn’t played in quite a while. I’m finding a lot of confidence now and hopefully I can go low this week.

“I think if I bring my A-game I will get a good result. Actually the bubble has been pretty good, I was surprised.

“The hotel and food and everything has been a lot better than I thought.”

Oban’s Robert MacIntyre, who won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award in 2019, tees it up for the first time at Celtic Manor. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Rookie of the Year ready to resume on European Tour

LAST year’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year was one of the eligible British players who travelled to California.

Oxfordshire’s Eddie Frilford and Ryder Cup veteran Lee Westwood both chose not to travel to the States.

MacIntyre, whose last European Tour event was in Qatar, back in March, said: “It’s good to be back.

“Good to get back to competitive golf week-in, week-out. The European Tour have done a great job getting everyone back and playing again.

“I obviously watched this place on the TV for the Ryder Cup and hopefully I can get out today to finally see it – and if not I’ll just go out and enjoy it tomorrow,” said Robert, who makes his debut at Celtic Manor this week.

“Greg my caddie has been here and seen the course twice and says it’s as you see it. So as long as I’m hitting it well, which I am doing now, then why not have a good week?

“It was good at Harding Park, probably one of the toughest tests I’ve ever played on.

“If you missed the fairway by a yard-and-a-half, you were chipping it 60 yards down the fairway if you could.

“If you hit it wider you were alright. But I felt like I was just running off fairways from time to time and that’s what cost me.

“The game is in good shape though and I’m looking forward to this week,” said the Scot, who played in the 2017 Walker Cup against the USA in Los Angeles.

“I’m not too sure what I want from the rest of the season. I’m just going to play here and next week and then I have the US Open.

“We’re just trying to win every week we’re out here. Sam is making a good effort at that, so I’m just going to go out and enjoy my golf again and try be up there come Sunday.”

•Follow live scoring in the first round of the ISPS Handa Wales Open at Celtic Manor by clicking here.

The post Horsfield goes for hat-trick of wins by avoiding ‘bad shot to the left’ at Celtic Manor appeared first on Golf North.

Wales’ Jamie Donaldson has finally found form and fitness in the build-up to the new Celtic Championship – the UK Swing’s fourth event – at Celtic Manor. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

WELSHMAN Jamie Donaldson is relishing the opportunity to tee it up on home soil as Celtic Manor hosts the European Tour for the next two weeks, starting with the Celtic Classic.

Taking place on the Twenty Ten Course, where Europe won back the Ryder Cup in dramatic fashion ten years ago, the Celtic Classic is the fourth event of the six-tournament UK Swing.

The 44-year-old – who was born in Pontypridd, 25 miles from Newport’s Celtic Manor  – was the hero of the 2014 Ryder Cup, holeing the winning putt at Gleneagles.

Donaldson said: “I love coming back down here. It’s a great venue and the course is looking really good, and the sun is shining.

“I do love playing here. Normally you get great crowds, which is a shame, given the current circumstances that won’t be happening.

“It’s a special place, beautiful setting and beautiful weather,” Jamie said of the old Wentwood Hills Course which was redesigned to create the Twenty Ten course, which runs through the picturesque Usk valley.

Donaldson added: “I’ve been playing nicely. After the wrist operation things take time and I’ve been working hard to get that right.

“I’m fit as a fiddle. Sometimes things take longer than you think they would.

“I came back last year but never really felt 100 per cent. But now I feel fit, ready to go and look forward to playing this week.

Jamie, who briefly challenged the leaders at Hanbury Manor last weekend, added: “This is more of a ball-strikers golf course. It’ll help the longer hitter.

“It’s good that I can shoot low scores like that still. I’ve been playing well in practice, things are starting to come together.”

Celtic Manor hosted the Wales Open on the Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course from 2008 until 2014. Next week’s Wales Open will be played on the Roman Road course.

Ryder Cup heroes return to Newport

DONALDSON is one of a number of players, who have represented Europe in the biennial contest who will tee it up this week.

Ross Fisher and Edoardo Molinari, teammates in South Wales in 2010 are returning to the site of that famous victory.

Colin Montgomerie’s team’s victory was sealed by Graeme McDowell on the 16^th hole in the anchor match. The event had run into a fourth day because of torrential rain.

Italian Molinari said: “It’s a golf course that I love. I have great memories from the Ryder Cup and the Wales Open – I played here a couple of times.

“It brings back a lot of fantastic memories, playing with Francesco and the whole team, and managing to win that cup by half a point.

“It was a fantastic week. The weather, so far, looks good. Let’s see what the next few days bring us. It’s always a very enjoyable week here.

“I have two memories – the first tee with Francesco on the first day, which still gives me goosebumps 10 years on.

“Then the last few holes in the singles against Rickie Fowler. I remember how busy it was – how many people were watching. I’ve never seen that many people be so loud on a golf course.”

Next week the Wales Open will be played on Celtic Manor’s Roman Road Course, which also hosted the European Tour event from 2005-7 while the old Wentwood Hills was transformed into the new Ryder Cup course.

Nuneaton’s Andy Sullivan notched his first win in nearly five years in the English Championship at Hanbury Manor last week.

Sullivan seeks more success after ending run

LAST week’s English Championship winner Andy Sullivan, who played in Darren Clarke’s team beaten at Hazeltine in 2016, will hope to consolidate his place at the summit of the UK Swing Order of Merit.

Sullivan, who won for the first time in nearly five years in Hertfordshire on Sunday, said: “It’s a long time waiting for that fourth win. I couldn’t be happier.

“Nice to do it in my own country and get back home with the family and celebrate. I’m still on cloud nine, it’s not quite sunk in yet.

“Florence was elated, bless her, it was my first win with her,” Andy said about his fiancé. “She was over the moon and it was good to see a proper smile on her face.

“Before lockdown I felt I was playing really, really well. I just felt that my attitude wasn’t there. My head wasn’t in the space to win a golf tournament, or compete in a tournament.

“There was a lot of self-reflection over lockdown. I opened up to my team about a lot of hings personally and golf-wise.

“Talked through it and came out with a plan to get my way to being happy and smiley on the golf course – and being competitive.

“I didn’t think it would happen so quickly. To come out and be competitive at the British Masters and then win the third event. It’s amazing and reinforces what we’re doing as a team.”

The top 10 not already exempt after next week’s ISPS Handa Wales Open will earn a place at the US Open, at Winged Foot.

Those finishing inside the top 10 after the sixth and final event – the ISPS Handa UK Championship – will also earn a share of £250,000 to donate to charities of their choice.

•To follow live scoring in the first round of the Celtic Championship click here.

The post Jamie Donaldson happy to be home at Celtic Manor for UK Swing’s Celtic Championshi appeared first on Golf North.