Eric Larson missed out on nearly £93,000 last weekend after Harris English secured second place at The Open. Larson, who has been English’s caddie for eight years, was unable to travel to Royal Portrush because of a decades-old drug conviction.
Larson, jailed over 30 years ago for distributing cocaine to friends, was blocked from entering the UK under updated travel rules restricting former convicts. As a result, English turned to his short-game coach, Ramon Bescansa, for caddying duties during the tournament.
Despite the change, English finished 13-under-par, just four shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler, and took home £1.3 million. PGA Tour caddies usually receive around seven percent of their players’ earnings, meaning Larson missed out on roughly £93,000.
Speaking about the setback, Larson said:
“This is my second chance at life. When I got out, I wanted to caddie again, win golf tournaments, and be part of the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup—and I’ve done it all. My next goal was to win a major. But they took that away because of something I’ve already paid for. No one knows better than me how wrong I was, but I’ve done all the right things since and, 20 years later, I’m still being penalised for my past.”
