North Berwick, Scotland – Harris English will spend the next two weeks in the UK on the Scotland Open and Open Championship.
His caddy, Eric Larson, is locked up at home without being able to obtain a new e-travel visa for travel to the UK. This is the case with Americans now.
Reasons for rejection include applicants convicted of criminal offences in the UK or abroad who have served in prison for more than 12 months.
Thirty years ago, Larson pleaded guilty to sending cocaine to a friend in the Midwest. He spent 10 years and three months in prison before being released from Halfway House in June 2006.
Mark Calcavecchia hired him and stood up. Since then, Larson has worked with three players in the Ryder Cup – Anthony Kim in 2008, Jeff Overton in 2010, and most recently in English for the past eight years.
“I don’t think the UK has seen much of his past,” English told the Renaissance Club on Tuesday before his pro-am round. “And apparently it’s an ongoing work.”
English, ranked 19th in the world and 10th in the US in the Ryder Cup, said he didn’t notice Larson’s light-like shape shortly after he came fourth in the Travelers Championship three weeks ago.
English said he contacted the British ambassador, Warren Stevens, whom he had contacted with his Chief of Staff.
“They wrote a letter. The R&A wrote a letter. The PGA Tour wrote a letter. The charity event where Eric works in the US wrote a letter. “I think he’s sitting somewhere on someone else’s desk in the government.”
Joe Etter is now filled with him as his caddy. Etter, who started working in English more than a decade ago, is currently working for Davis Stompson, who is not playing at this week’s Scotland Open.
However, Thompson won his final position in the Open Championship field at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland next week.
“Joe was my plan B,” English said. “Now we need to get a new plan B.”
English wants someone to pave the way for Larson to obtain the ETA visa required to enter the UK. Larson has previously worked for Overton and Kim in the Open English Championship for the past four years.
“It’s a matter of the right person looking at it,” he said. “I didn’t know how complicated the process was. Someone could see this guy having something the last 30 years ago. He was OK at the last 20 years old. How long will this stay with him?”
