Billy Horschel is in the mix to win a first-ever major at The Open this weekend but the 37-year-old’s bag has caught the eye as well as his golf in the appalling conditions in Scotland.
Horschel has put himself in contention to be crowned a major winner for the first time thanks to his five-under-par performance, at the time of writing with two holes to play in round three, tying the lead with Englishman Daniel Brown. The PGA Tour ace finished round one one-over-par after bogeying twice on the front nine and only finding a birdie on the 16th.
But he put himself back in contention with a strong three-under round two and birdied four holes on the front nine of round three. While his golf in the miserable conditions at Royal Troon has been unmissable, so has his claret and blue bag.
That’s because the American is a big fan of Premier League club West Ham United and shows his colors while carrying the Hammers-branded bag. Horschel spoke to the media ahead of The Open about his love for West Ham and the subsequent reaction he has received from British soccer fans.
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“Listen, whenever I try to come over here I try to get the West Ham bag out and here ‘Up the Hammers’ and ‘Come on you Irons’," Horschel said. “I’ve been very fortunate that other supporters of other clubs have been gracious enough to be nice to me compared to maybe how they may be to a fellow English person supporting a West Ham fan!”
Horschel will see his beloved Hammers visit his home state of Florida next week for pre-season. West Ham are set to play in the two-match Sunshine State Tour, which includes visits to Jacksonville and Tampa.
However, Horschel won’t be able to watch new boss Julen Lopetegui in action due to his golfing commitments, but he’s still excited to see the Europa League-winning manager at the helm. “I think Julen is going to do a good job,” he said. “I'm excited listening. David Moyes was awesome. He took the club from one spot to another and I think it was time to pass the torch and I think Julen will do a good job.”
Horschel’s best finish in a major at the time of writing is a tied 4th at the U.S. Open in 2013. The former University of Florida golfer is enjoying one of his best years on the tour, claiming a personal best T8 finish at the PGA Championship in May. He’s currently ranked No.11 in the world - his joint-highest ranking so far in his professional career.
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He acknowledged his chance of major glory is perhaps in the best place it’s ever been, reflecting on his opening two rounds, he said: “I’m very pleased. Two quality rounds of golf played and in a really good position going into the weekend – I couldn’t ask for anything more after the first two rounds.
Speaking about his desire to finally claim one of golf’s biggest prizes, he added: “The majors mean so much to me. It's a legacy thing. You can submit your legacy in the game of golf by winning a major, by winning multiple majors.
“I've always felt I've had the game to play well in majors. I just had to get out of my own way. I've always felt like I needed to be perfect. You've got to play perfect golf in majors to be able to win.
“I know that isn't the case, but it was just one of those things where in certain cases I'm probably a slow learner, and in the majors case I am a slow learner in learning how to approach the majors. I've done a better job the last couple years.”
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