British Masters 2024: The Ryder Cup journey begins at The Belfry

Daniel Hillier won the 2023 British Masters at The Belfry

The 2024 Betfred British Masters marks the first event of the 2025 Ryder Cup qualifying series with 1,500 points on offer at the Belfry.

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald will make his first appearance at the British Masters in six years and will be keeping an eye on the potential prospects for Bethpage Black next year as the newly revamped qualification window opens.

Sir Nick Faldo will host the event once again, reprising his role from 2023. The six-time major champion was announced as the long-term host of the tournament at the start of last year, which will see the Belfry host until at least 2026.

This indicates a promising future for a tournament that was absent from the schedule between 2009 and 2014 due to a lack of a title sponsor. Upon its return to the tour in 2015, the premise was that a leading British golfer was chosen to host the event while also picking the venue. Since then, the likes of Ian Poulter, Donald, Lee Westwood and now Faldo have hosted the British Masters across a range of courses.

The 2023 edition saw Daniel Hillier win his first tournament on the DP World Tour, prevailing by two shots over Oliver Wilson and Gunner Wiebe at the Belfry. The British Masters usually tends to have close finishes, with only two editions since 2015 featuring a win by three strokes or more.

Where is the British Masters played?

Given its stature as one of the best courses in the UK & Ireland, the Belfry has only hosted the tournament on six previous occasions. It has hosted several other competitions on the tour, however, such as the Bensen and Hedges International Open (2000-2003), the English Open (1989-1992), and the State Express Classic. The Ryder Cup has been held four times on the Brabazon course – a record for one venue in the event.

The par-72, 7,253-yard course offers a stern challenge for the players this week. Featuring fast, undulating greens, narrow fairways, and water in play on several holes, accuracy is first and foremost on the Brabazon. The 18^th is perhaps one of the finest – and most daunting – in Britain. The second shot has to be played over water to reach a massive three-tier green, where a mishit iron shot may well mean a three-putt or worse.

What is the format of the British Masters?

The format of the British Masters is a standard strokeplay event played over 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes (two rounds). The player with the lowest score over four rounds will win the tournament.

Who is in the field at the British Masters?

The marquee player in the field this week is Tyrrell Hatton. The LIV golfer, who is currently third in the individual standings, makes his first DPWT appearance since joining the Saudi-back circuit in January this year. The Englishman played in the Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the year, before switching circuits. He has now completed his suspension and will be doing everything he can to find a route into Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team.

As mentioned, Donald is also in the field at The Belfry, keeping an eye on several rookies who will be hoping to make a statement in front of the captain. Danny Willett – host of the event in 2021 and 2022 – is in the field, leading the English charge, with the likes of Matt Wallace, Harry Hall, and Laurie Canter aiming to become the first home winner since Richard Bland three years ago.

Keep an eye out for 16-year-old amateur Kris Kim, who will make his first DPWT start at the British Masters. The teenager made his PGA Tour debut at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May, becoming the youngest golfer to make the cut on tour since 2015.

The full field for the 2024 British Masters can be found here.

How much will the winner of the British Masters receive?

The prize fund for the 2024 British Masters is $3.5m, representing an increase of $1m from the Danish Championship held last week. Not only will the winner take home a cheque worth over $500k and vital points in the Race to Dubai standings, but also the first handout of Ryder Cup qualification points.

Meanwhile, at the PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta, the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings will be competing for a cut of the mammoth $100 million bonus package, with the champion set to earn himself a tour-record $25 million payday.

Who has won the British Masters?

Here are the last 10 winners of the British Masters.

How to watch the British Masters?

Viewers in the UK can watch the British Masters live on Sky Sports Golf.

Thursday, August 29: Sky Sports Golf, 13.00

Friday, August 30: Sky Sports Golf, 13.00

Saturday, August 31: Sky Sports Golf, 12.30

Sunday, September 1: Sky Sports Golf, 12.00

Viewers in the US can watch all four days of the tournament on the Golf Channel.

Thursday, August 29: Golf Channel, 07.30

Friday, August 30: Golf Channel, 01,00

Saturday, August 31: Golf Channel, 01,00

Sunday, September 1: Golf Channel, 02,00

The British Masters: Tee times and groupings

Tee times and groupings for the British Masters can be found here.

About the Author

Ross Kilvington – Contributing Golf News Writer

Ross Kilvington is a freelance writer from Scotland who currently writes previews for Today’s Golfer, covering events on the DP World, PGA, and LPGA tours along with the LIV Golf Series.

Ross holds a passionate interest in golf and tries to play as often as possible, although having two daughters under the age of 6 means his quest to break 80 will have to wait a little longer.

Despite first picking up a club aged 11, highlights are few and far between on the golf course.

An Eagle on the par-4 16th at Kinghorn is one that stands out (it doesn’t matter that it was only 290 yards).