West Ham United fans Billy Horschel and Francesco Molinari will be swinging Irons at The Open Championship at St Andrews this week.
The Scottish town of St Andrews, known as 'The Home of Golf' and thought to be the oldest golf course in the world, will host the 150th edition of the historic tournament from Thursday-Sunday.
St Andrews has hosted West Ham's first-team squad in pre-season in each of the last three summers, while manager David Moyes, first-team coach Mark Warburton and players Aaron Cresswell and Craig Dawson are all keen golfers. Moyes has made it an annual event to have him and his staff pose on the famous 700-year-old Swilcan Bridge on the Old Course.
American Horschel is again set to carry his special Claret and Blue golf bag, complete with the West Ham United crest. Italian Molinari, who won The Open at Carnoustie in Scotland in 2018, will be hoping to lift the famous Claret Jug for the second time in his own illustrious career.
Horschel, 35, is ranked 15th in the world after an impressive 2022 season to date, capped by a four-shot victory at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio in June, and a tie for second at The Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida in March.
After getting in contact with then-West Ham captain and keen golfer Mark Noble, the Floridian was given permission by the Club to have the Hammers’ crest embroidered onto his Claret and Blue golf bag, which also features the logo of his college team, the University of Florida Gators.
The American will hope his eye-catching kit, a recent round of golf with Noble, and the support of the Claret and Blue Army at St Andrews will help him improve on his career-best finish of 30th at The Open Championship back in 2015.
He tees off his first round with fellow American Zach Johnson and Canadian Corey Connors at 8.36am on Thursday.
Molinari, of course, already has a strong and successful history at the world’s oldest golf tournament, having held off the challenge of Tiger Woods to win in stunning circumstances at Carnoustie in 2018.
The 39-year-old, who was born in Turin but now lives in London, began his love affair with the Hammers when compatriot Gianfranco Zola was appointed manager in 2008.
He too has been in contact with Noble and the pair played a round together at the 2018 British Masters at Walton Heath in Surrey, just a few days after Molinari had helped Team Europe defeat the United States to win the Ryder Cup.
Molinari joins Englishmen and fellow 2018 Ryder Cup winners Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood in an all-star three-ball teeing off at 8.14am on Thursday.
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports.
Everyone at West Ham United wishes Billy and Francesco all the very best for The Open Championship.
