The Cazoo Classic replaces the originally scheduled revival of the English Open (last played in 2002) after Cazoo – an online car rertailer – signed a multi-year partnership agreement with the tour that included title sponsorship of two events, the Cazoo Open and, this, the Cazoo Classic.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Inaugural event.

COURSE: The Heritage course at London Golf Club is no stranger to tour events, having hosted the 2008 and 2009 European Open as well as the PGA Seniors Championship in 2019.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the Heritage is regarded as a very good, challenging course that always presents in impeccable condition. The par-72 wanders across gently sloping topography, with visually striking bunkering and water hazards enhancing the view of the already picturesque course.

Water features prominently through The Heritage layout. PHOTO: Getty Images.

The Heritage boasts a testing set of par-3s and the player that best handles these one-shotters over the four days could find themselves in contention. The two front nine offerings feature water near the green, while it is sand that protects the downhill 11th, with six bunkers ringing the putting surface. The toughest of the quartet is the penultimate hole. At 225 yards, a precise long iron tee shot is needed to find the narrow, but deep, green that is guarded by three deep bunkers to the right, which favours the player who can work their shot into the flag from left-to-right.

RELATED: So-called expert golf tips for this week

PRIZEMONEY: EUR 1,250,000

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ireland’s Niall Kearney kept his Race To Dubai hopes alive at the Hero Open in St Andrews with weekend rounds of 66 to surge into his second top-10 for 2021. No big deal, right?

Well, it was the way he did it that makes him a player to watch this week. Ranked 509th in the world, the 33-year-old has made six cuts from 11 starts and consistency hasn’t been his strong suit from tournament-to-tournament, round-to-round. He led the BMW International Open at the halfway but faded to a T12, before missing the cut the following week for the second time in three events.

But his performance in St Andrews showed just how talented Kearney, who doesn’t have full European Tour playing privileges, really is. He made 19 birdies for the four rounds and just three bogies, two of which came in a three-hole stretch to close out the opening round.

The wider fairways of London Golf Club will assist him, but he will need little help on the greens. Kearney had just 49 putts over the weekend in St Andrews and if can maintain that form with the flatstick he will be a contender this week.

Another player looking to improve their Race to Dubai standing is India’s Shubhankar Sharma. It is only three years since the 25-year-old was knocking on the door of a World Top-50 ranking having won twice on the European Tour within a year.

He heads to London ranked No.461 in the world and is no longer the highest ranked Indian player on Tour, which is Anirban Lahiri at No.264. But he appears to be recapturing some of the form that saw him gain a reputation for shooting low numbers en route to collecting tournament wins.

Scott Hend will be hoping to improve his Race to Dubai standing at the Cazoo Classic. PHOTO: Getty Images.

At the Hero Open, he made 18 birdies and two eagles (both on the back nine Sunday) but threw too many bogies into the mix to push him out of contention. On his day, Sharma ranks as one of the straightest hitters on Tour, which should see him score well around the Nicklaus-designed Heritage layout.

Of the Aussies heading to London, Scott Hend will be hoping to improve his Race to Dubai position (No.96) with a good finish. He’s missed two cuts from his previous five starts in Europe but there were some promising signs with three sub-par rounds to finish the Hero Open in Scotland. If Hend can find a few more greens in regulation per round this week he can be a threat.

72-HOLE RECORD: Inaugural event.

AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Scott Hend, Maverick Antcliff, Jake McLeod, Dimi Papadatos, Deyen Lawson, Bryden Macpherson.

TV TIMES*

Round 1: Thursday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 10pm – 3am)
Round 2: Friday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 10pm – 3am) 
Round 3: Saturday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 10.30pm – 2am)
Round 4: Sunday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 9pm – 3am)

*AEST, check local guides