Why Was Harris English's Caddie Banned From the 2025 Open Championship?

Golf star Harris English was enjoying a promising 2025 season when an unfortunate development changed the landscape for the American at the Open Championship. A caddie is an essential ally for any professional golf player, with the companion always knowing what the athlete needs at any given point of a tournament. Eric Larson had worked as Harris's caddie for nine years by the time that it was announced that he wouldn't be attending the Open Championship, according to Golf Digest.

It could have been hard for Harris to compete in the United Kingdom without the help of his long-time friend, Eric. Thankfully, putting coach Ramon Bescansa was willing to help the American with his 2025 campaign in the United Kingdom. Harris stated that Ramon made his way from Spain to help him, according to Golf Monthly. But why was Harris English's long-time caddie banned? Here's what we know about what kept Eric Larson from supporting his friend at The Open Championship.

According to Golf Monthly, Eric Larson was banned from the 2025 Open Championship because he was denied a United Kingdom visa. The country reserves the right not to provide visas to Americans with a criminal record, and Eric served 10 years in prison for dealing drugs. By turning his life around, Eric found a way to become a part of the PGA Tour, thriving in one of the biggest sports leagues in the world after his complicated past.

The Open Championship wasn't the only event Eric missed due to his unfortunate visa situation. The caddie was also unable to attend the Genesis Scottish Open, where Chris Gotterup walked away with the win. With the 2025 PGA Tour moving away from the United Kingdom for subsequent events, Eric could have the opportunity to be reunited with Harris English after the unfortunate ban that prevented him from attending one of the biggest events of the year.

The Open Championship is one of the most prestigious events in the entire PGA Tour. While Harris English has demonstrated to be a talented golf player in other events, the American has never had the opportunity to emerge victorious at the iconic United Kingdom tournament. Harris won the Farmers Insurance Open earlier in 2025, after conquering the 2021 Travelers Championship and the 2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

With the Open Championship in the rearview mirror, several events remained in the 2025 PGA Tour for Harris to take advantage of. The prestigious United Kingdom event is the last major tournament on the calendar, but the FedEx Cup playoffs pick up steam at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship later in the summer. All of these tournaments were announced to take place in the United States.

The 2025 PGA Tour had been dominated by Scottie Scheffler through July 2025. The player from Ridgewood, N.J., conquered the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the PGA Championship, and the Memorial Tournament before heading to the United Kingdom for the summer events. Harris English will have the chance to pick up the pace during the rest of the 2025 season with his loyal caddie by his side.