American golfer Harris English expressed his frustration after his caddie, Eric Larson, was denied entry into the United Kingdom for the second consecutive year. Larson's attempt to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) visa was rejected, preventing him from accompanying English to the Scottish Open and the upcoming Open Championship.
The UK's immigration rules state that individuals convicted of a criminal offense for which they served 12 months or more in prison can be refused entry. Larson pleaded guilty to drug charges over 30 years ago and served over 10 years in prison. He was released from a halfway house in June 2006.
English, a five-time PGA Tour winner, stated that Larson has been a vital part of his team for nine years and has become an "outstanding citizen." He questioned why Larson is still being penalized for a past offense, emphasizing that Larson has "gotten his life turned around."
"He's an integral part of my team, and he's helped me out tremendously over the last nine years, and it's just disappointing that he can't come over and be on the bag," English told Today's Golfer. "It just seems that he's still being punished for something he did a long time ago, and to me, he paid his price spending 10 years in prison, and he's still being hurt for that."
Larson had reportedly hired a lawyer and paid for an expedited visa application, only to discover the denial the day before his scheduled flight. English noted that Larson had previously caddied for him in the Scottish Open and The Open for four years without issue before last year's denial.
This marks the second year in a row Larson has been barred from entering the UK for the consecutive tournaments. Last year, he was unaware of the ETA visa requirement until shortly before the U.S. Open, and his application was ultimately rejected. English secured his best Open finish, second place, last year with his putting coach, Ramon Bescansa, caddying for him. Bescansa is reportedly expected to caddie for English again at this year's Open. For the Scottish Open, Geno Bonnalie, former caddie for Joel Dahmen, has stepped in.
Larson's caddying career includes work for Ryder Cup players Anthony Kim and Jeff Overton, as well as Mark Calcavecchia, who helped Larson get back on his feet after his release from prison.