BILLY HORSCHEL

‘WE PLAY THIS GAME TO BE REMEMBERED’

BILLY HORSCHEL WILL JOIN EXALTED COMPANY IF HE CAN SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AT WENTWORTH THIS MONTH.

Billy Horschel, ever passionate and increasingly out-spoken defender of tradition in the face of rebel forces, reiterated his primary measure of golf success as recently as July’s Scottish Open.

“This is what we play for. We want to compete against the best players and see where we stand with our game and what better place than to do it here at The Renaissance Club at the Scottish Open.”

The 35-year-old American doubled down on legacy over ludicrous sums argument just before the recent FedEx Cup playoffs when he spoke of his desperation to make Davis Love III’s Presidents Cup team for Quail Hollow later this month. Horschel has three times represented the red, white and blue in amateur team events but has never quite been able to nail automatic qualification or even a Captain’s Pick for a Presidents or Ryder Cup despite been so tantalisingly close in recent years.

“I think [this is] probably the best situation I’ve been in my entire career to make a team right now, so I’ve just got to go out there and play really solid golf and I think if I do that, then hopefully I can make my first team, which would be really cool,” he said.

“I think the guys know me very well, I’ve been out here for 13 years and I think Davis and Zach [Johnson, next year’s Ryder Cup Captain] and other assistant captains know the type of person I am, know my game very well, know what I can bring to a team and so now it’s just, it’s my job to play well enough so I can be picked or make the team automatically.”

With Love III confirming his line-up for the September 22-25 matches against Trevor Immelman’s Internationals shortly after the PGA Tour Championship, Horschel’s fate will be known before he wings his way to England for the $8 million BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Whatever transpires, rest assured the Floridian will be motivated to enhance his legacy in the important, heritage events on this side of the Atlantic Ocean when he touches down. Indeed, he will tee it up on the West Course in the Rolex Series event with a chance to join exalted company if he can defend the DP World Tour’s flagship championship.

Only six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo, eight-time DP World Tour Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie and new European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald have successfully defended the BMW PGA Championship.

Interestingly, only the last of Faldo’s record four wins in 1989 came on the West Course at Wentworth, the consistent home of the what was originally the British ‘PGA Close Championship’ since 1984.

Montgomerie, meanwhile, owns the distinction of having won the Tour’s preeminent title three times in succession (1998, 1999 and 2000), joining the late, great professional turned commentator Peter Alliss as a three-time winner.

The Scot’s combined income from the hat-trick of wins - €998,480 – pales in significance to the €1,125,952 Horschel collected for his one stroke victory of Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Laurie Canter and Jamie Donaldson 12 months ago.

Horschel would join Tony Jacklin, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Anders Hansen and Donald as a two-time winner if he can conjure something similar to the 19-under par total that took him to victory last year.

“I think as golfers, junior golfers, growing up, we play this game to be remembered,” Horschel said.

“We play this game to say we’ve won on the PGA TOUR, we’ve won the same tournaments as Tiger Woods and same as Arnold Palmer, same thing over here on the DP World Tour, thinking about winning the BMW PGA and the national opens.

“My goal was to be considered hopefully one of the greatest players of my generation or one of the greatest players in the game and hopefully be remembered.”

By winning Jack Nicklaus’ event, the Memorial Tournament, in June, Horschel has already ensured 2022 is a productive year in terms of his long-term legacy. But he’s far from done, keen to add to a CV that includes seven PGA Tour titles including winning the 2014 FedEx Cup with victory in two of the playoff series events.

“It’s been a really good year,” Horschel told PGA Tour.com.

“I repeat myself a lot but sometimes all the hard work and practice we put in, we don’t get results out of it, so it’s nice for this year, we start to see more results, what my team and I have done over the last couple of years, the changes we have made to try and be more consistent, try and win the bigger events, it’s been nice to finally see.

“It’s been a solid year.”

That, in an otherwise tumultuous year for the game, is all Horschel could hope for. Other than repeating as BMW PGA Championship winner that is. ■