After strong 2021 season, Sam Horsfield starts 2022 with 12th-place finish in Abu Dhabi

Joel Helm
·4 min read
Ridge Community High graduate Sam Horsfield, shown here at the PGA Championship in May, finished 12th in his first tournament of 2022.
Ridge Community High graduate Sam Horsfield, shown here at the PGA Championship in May, finished 12th in his first tournament of 2022.
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Ridge Community graduate Sam Horsfield started his 2022 season on a positive note this past weekend, posting a 5-under to finish in a tie for 12th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Horsfield, who played his college golf in Gainesville for the University of Florida, began his fifth full season as a professional with a check for more than $115,000. After forgoing his final two years as a Gator, Horsfield won the final stage of 2017 European Tour qualifying by eight shots before breaking through for his first two wins on the tour in 2020.

Despite beginning his 2021 bid late, having fought off a back injury for the first few months of the season, Horsfield posted five top 10’s, including a season best finish at the Kenya Savannah Classic. Perhaps even more impressive was Horsfield’s play during the 2021 majors.

In his first appearance at the PGA Championship, held at the windy Kiawah Island Ocean Course in South Carolina, a Pete Dye masterpiece, Horsfield put himself on the first page of the leaderboard with an impressive opening round 69. Despite falling out of contention after a second round 80, brutally difficult conditions kept the then 24-year-old under the cut line for the first time in a major. An even par tally over the weekend, bolstered by a 1-under 71 in the final round pushed Horsfield into the top 50 for the event, and improved his world golf ranking.

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Two months later, with COVID protocols flagging a number of players with direct admittance into the 149th British Open field, Horsfield managed to earn late entrance into the event. In his first opportunity to play his birth country’s only major, held at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, Horsfield again played well enough to advance to the weekend. After posting even par totals on Thursday and Friday, Horsfield played his best golf on Saturday with a 1-under 69. Despite a 74 on Sunday, Horsfield again earned World Golf Ranking points with his tie for 67th.

In total, Horsfield finished 2021 with an impressive stroke average of 69.80 in 21 tournaments, majors included. Despite playing far fewer tournaments, Horsfield won more than $600,000 in prize money and began the year ranked 104th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

At the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Horsfield got off to a slow start in tough conditions, posting a 2-over 74 in his opening round. With much of the field struggling on a course that received criticism from a number of players because of the course setup, Horsfield posted a 2-under 70 in the second round to make the weekend. Horsfield’s best round came on Saturday, his 68 vaulting him onto the second page of the leaderboard, just behind Australian Adam Scott and two strokes ahead of Rory McIlroy.

A final round 71 was good for a tie with McIlroy at 5-under, and a tie for 12th. Horsfield is back in the field this week at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai.

Joel Helm
Joel Helm

Carson Nance Memorial Golf Tournament

The second annual Carson Nance Memorial Golf Tournament, benefitting the YMCA Par 3 of the First Tee of Lakeland, is set for Feb. 19 at Cleveland Heights Golf Course. Play begins with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.

Nance, a friendly face to the golf community in Lakeland, grew up playing golf at both the YMCA par-3 and Cleveland Heights, and played high school golf at McKeel. Golf was Nance’s passion, and he frequently gave back to the game he loved, working at Golf Etc. and teaching kids at junior camps at the First tee.

He died in a traffic crash in July 2020 at the age of 21.

Sponsorship levels are still available and range from $100 to $50,000. The title sponsor of $50,000 receives three foursomes into the event, signs with name and logo, a prime location banner and acknowledgement at the event’s banquet, on the website and on social media.

Entry into the event is $400 per team, or $100 per player.

All proceeds from the event are donated back to the First Tee in honor of Nance.

Joel Helm can be reached at helmjoeld@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk's Sam Horsfield starts 2022 European Tour strong