Staff WriterThe British Masters is back at The Belfry this week, and the timing couldn’t be sharper. At the Betfred British Masters, six-time Major Champion Sir Nick Faldo hosts as Europe’s Ryder Cup qualification window slams shut and the season tilts into its decisive stretch.
The stage: The Belfry, bigger and bolder
Traditionalists can relax—this is still The Belfry you know. Two years after embarking on an £85m+ expansion, the resort has unveiled a new events venue, a state-of-the-art fitness and leisure club, and 149 new bedrooms with sweeping views over the Brabazon. It nearly doubles the place in size and arrives a month ahead of schedule. Not bad for a venue that’s already held four Ryder Cups—the last in 2002, when Europe won 15½–12½.
A tournament with proper pedigree
This is the 47th edition since the Tour’s 1972 formation, though the event’s roots trace back to 1946. After a six-year absence, it returned to the DP World Tour in 2015 and has since passed through the capable hands of Ian Poulter (2015), Luke Donald (2016), Lee Westwood (2017, 2020), Justin Rose (2018), Tommy Fleetwood (2019), Danny Willett (2021–22) and Faldo (2023–24).
The Belfry itself has now staged 22 DP World Tour events and hosts the British Masters for the seventh time (2006–08, 2021–24). Last year, Niklas Nørgaard claimed his maiden DP World Tour title here—steadying the ship after a double at the par-5 15th to win by one on the Brabazon.
What’s at stake: the Back 9 begins
Prize fund? US$3.5 million. Points? 5,000 (835). More importantly, this week marks the start of the Back 9 on the 2025 Race to Dubai: a sprint where everything counts—cards for 2026, spots in the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs, and one of ten PGA TOUR dual memberships. Top the lot in November, and you’re Europe’s Number One.
Ryder Cup: one last shove
The automatic European Ryder Cup qualification period ends Sunday, with the top six on the European Rankings locking their places before Captain Luke Donald names six picks on Monday, September 1.
Shane Lowry currently clings to the final automatic berth. Rasmus Højgaard, eighth in the standings, can dislodge him with 13.7 points or more—which means a T29 (with one other) or better earns his ticket to join Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton.
The field: hard edges and home hopes
Donald returns to The Belfry, joined by fellow former host Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion. Home interest spikes with Marco Penge, fresh off a second DP World Tour win last week, and the Closing Swing Champion.
Penge is one of five 2025 Swing winners teeing it up alongside John Parry (Opening), Laurie Canter (International), Keita Nakajima (Asian) and Kristoffer Reitan (European).
Rasmus is not alone—Nicolai Højgaard is here too, and defending champion Niklas Nørgaard returns. Brandt Snedeker, a U.S. Vice Captain, debuts at the Masters, while Aaron Rai and Matt Fitzpatrick arrive as the two highest-ranked players in the field (OWGR 32 and 35, respectively).
Course notes: Brabazon, built for theatre
The Brabazon Course—by Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss—opened in 1977 with the small matter of Seve Ballesteros & Johnny Miller vs Tony Jacklin & Brian Barnes. It’s never been shy of drama, and the short, temptress par-4 10th will again tempt players into glory or grief.
One more subplot: the Course Record Presented by Nexo. The rolling bounty is back to $10,000 after Marco Penge set a new mark at last week’s Danish Golf Championship.
Break a record that still stands when the final putt drops and the cash is yours; tie it, and the first to set it gets paid. No record? It rolls over with another $10k added.
Sponsors, charity, and the good stuff
This is Betfred’s seventh year as title sponsor. On site, Betfred pledges £500 for every tee shot that hits the green on the par-4 10th, plus £500 for every eagle all week.
There’s £50,000 on the table for the first ace at the par-3 14th—the same hole Faldo aced in the 1993 Ryder Cup. In 2024, the Masters raised £60,000.
The Official Charity Partner Guide Dogs, a near-entirely donor-funded organisation where it costs £102,000 to raise and support a guide dog from birth to retirement.
Fans can get involved with the Long-Putt Challenge and Iconic Shots Simulator in the PGA Village, plus the Drive the Green simulator in the Brabazon Village—each for a minimum £3 donation, with collection points across the venue.
Golf for Good: real actions, not slogans
- Drive the Green: the European Tour group will plant 100 trees (via Ecologi) every time a player drives the 10th green. In 2023, that meant £13,000 raised and 2,600 trees planted.
- Golf for Hope: donate any golf equipment at the container in the public car park to support Ukrainian veterans.
- Sustainability at The Belfry: GEO-certified venue; an all-electric courtesy car fleet supplied by Genesis; a water irrigation project that returns excess water to the lakes (saving ~20,000 litres); locally sourced food; HVO biofuel cutting emissions by ~90%; zero waste to landfill.
Pathways: from juniors to elite & inclusive golf
- Faldo Futures Final runs Wednesday–Thursday, hosted by Sir Nick. Alumni include Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, Carly Booth and Mel Reid.
- GolfSixes brings 36 children to the PGA National Course on Friday morning.
- G4D Tour @ Betfred British Masters: Daniel Slabbert—a left-leg amputee—won on debut in a play-off on Tuesday to secure his spot in the G4D Tour Series Finale, staged alongside the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A on the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca.
Balls for Birdies: performance that pays forward
Launched in March 2024, DP World’s Balls for Birdies sends golf balls to grassroots programmes worldwide—1 per birdie, 2 per eagle, 100 per albatross—delivered through DP World’s global network. Projects in South Africa, Kenya, India, the UAE and the UK have already benefited. In 2024, Casey Jarvis led contributions with 498 birdies and 17 eagles—that’s 532 balls.
Zooming out: the 2025 season map
The 2025 DP World Tour features 42 tournaments in 26 countries, split into five Global Swings (Nov 2024–Aug 2025), the Back 9 (Aug–Oct), and the DP World Tour Play-Offs—two consecutive Rolex Series events in November.
Each Swing crowns a champion with US$200,000 and a pass to Back 9 events, while a separate US$1m pot rewards the top ten on the Race to Dubai (minimum eight regular events). Swing leaders also punch tickets to key Rolex Series stops: Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Genesis Scottish Open, and BMW PGA Championship. In short: play well now, and the road opens up.
Faldo, the host who’s done the miles
You could wallpaper a clubhouse with his CV: 30 European Tour wins, six Majors, World Golf Hall of Fame (1998), MBE (1988) and a knighthood (2009). He first watched Jack Nicklaus at the 1971 Masters, turned pro in 1976, rebuilt his swing in the mid-80s, and won The Open three times and the Masters three times—including that famous 1996 charge.
Beyond playing, there’s Faldo Golf Design (1991) with 40-plus courses worldwide, and the Faldo Series (1996), now serving more than 5,000 young golfers annually across 20-plus events.
Fast facts — Betfred British Masters
- Venue: The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sutton Coldfield, England
- Prize fund: US$3,500,000 ($595,000)
- Points: 5,000 (835)
- Race to Dubai: Tournament 32 of 42 | Back 9: Tournament 1 of 9
- Defending champion: Niklas Nørgaard (DEN)
- Course: Brabazon, opened 1977; designers Dave Thomas & Peter Alliss
- Title sponsor: Betfred (year 7)
Bottom line
The Betfred British Masters is no exhibition. It’s a pressure cooker with Ryder Cup places at stake, a course that punishes hubris, and a host who’s seen it all.
The Belfry’s bigger, the stakes are higher, and the Back 9 starts here. Time to step up.
