Scottish Open star's caddie denied UK entry over past drug conviction
Harris English admits it's a work in progress as he attempts to get his full-time caddie Eric Larson into the UK for The Open.
The American star's bagman is absent from the Genesis Scottish Open having been refused a visa to travel from the United States due to a past drug conviction.
Associated Press reports Larson was unable to able to obtain a new Electronic Travel Authority visa for travel to the UK and has hired a legal firm to help.
Grounds for refusal include an applicant who has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas for which they served 12 months or more in prison.
Three decades ago, Larson pleaded guilty to sending cocaine to friends and spent 10 years and three months in prison.
Larson has worked at three Ryder Cup 's against Europe assisting Anthony Kim in 2008, Jeff Overton in 2010 and English four years ago at Whistling Straits. He has, in total, caddied for his current boss for the past eight years.
English starts his Renaissance bid on Thursday and told AP: 'I guess the United Kingdom doesn't look highly on his past. And, apparently, it's a work in progress.'
The player has contacted has contacted Warren Stephens, the United States ambassador to the UK, and he added: 'They wrote a letter.
"The R&A wrote a letter. The PGA Tour wrote a letter. A charity event Eric works for in the States wrote a letter. It's not for a lack of effort. I think it could be sitting on someone's desk at the government somewhere. It's just a matter of the right people seeing it.
'I didn't understand how complicated the process was. Someone could see this guy had something in his past 30 years ago, he's been fine the last 20. How long does this stay with him?'
English has enlisted the help of David Thompson's caddie Joe Etter for the week at Renaissance, but he's not available for Portrush with his main man secured one of the last available slots for The Open.
He said: 'Joe was my Plan B. Now we're going to have to get a new Plan B.'
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