The American Harris English faces the Genesis Scottish Open without his usual caddie, Eric Larson, who has been denied entry to the country by the British authorities due to a drug conviction from more than three decades ago. Larson, who served over ten years in prison in the nineties for sending cocaine to some friends (although he has always claimed not to be a dealer or user), was unable to obtain the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) visa, mandatory this year for US citizens.
Larson, who has worked with English for eight seasons and has been part of three editions of the Ryder Cup, hoped to accompany his boss next week at the Open Championship as well. To this end, he hired the London firm Bates Wells in an attempt to reverse the situation, but the criminal record remains an insurmountable obstacle: the United Kingdom prohibits entry to people who have served more than 12 months in prison. “I just want to get to the British and help Harris,” Larson explained to the Associated Press.
English himself lamented the absence of his trusted caddie and expressed his frustration at the bureaucratic complexity of the process. “I guess the United Kingdom doesn’t look favourably on his past,” he assumed from the Renaissance Club, the venue of the Scottish tournament. “Someone could see that this guy had a problem 30 years ago, but he’s been fine for the last 20. How long is this going to haunt him?” the player wondered, still hoping for a last-minute solution.
Meanwhile, English will compete this week with Joe Etter, regular caddie for Davis Thompson, as a temporary substitute. The 35-year-old golfer arrives at the tournament in great form, following a victory at the Farmers Insurance Open and several standout performances in recent events he has participated in. He is currently 19th in the world ranking and occupies the 10th position in the Ryder Cup standings, so the coming weeks will be crucial in his attempt to secure a spot on the US team competing in September at Bethpage Black.
