Monday 8 October 2018 20:23, UK
This year's Sky Sports British Masters will be the fourth year the event has been staged since its resurrection to the European Tour in 2015.
Having been founded in 1946, the event was a regular fixture on the calendar until 2009, but returned after a six-year absence as the British Masters supported by Sky Sports in 2015 and has since produced some thrilling golf.
Ahead of this year's Sky Sports British Masters at Walton Heath, we take a look back at the tournament over the last three years.
Ian Poulter was the host for the returning tournament in 2015 as young Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick secured his maiden professional title in style with a two-shot win at Woburn.
Fitzpatrick capped a hugely successful week with a composed back-nine on the Marquess Course, holding off late charges from Shane Lowry and Fabrizio Zanotti to complete a wire-to-wire victory.
In a week where Sky Sports joined forces with the European Tour and focused heavily on driving young engagement for golf, it was fitting that the youngest player in the field should be crowned champion.
The 21-year-old, who led outright after an opening 64 and held a share of the lead after the second and third rounds, trailed for much of the final day until birdies at 11 and 12 lifted him back into the lead.
Fitzpatrick then displayed composure beyond his years as he opened up a two-shot lead with further birdies at the 15th and 17th holes either side of a brilliant par save from a greenside bunker.
He then had the luxury of three putts for the title, and he two-putted for only his third bogey of the weekend as he closed with a 68 to post a winning score of 15 under par.
Alex Noren survived a testing final day to clinch his third European Tour victory of the 2016 season with a two-shot win at The Grove.
After the start of the final round was delayed by torrential rain which flooded the greens and forced early scores to be scrapped, Noren overcame a mid-round stutter with birdies at two of the last four holes to fire a 69 for an impressive winning score of 18 under par.
Bernd Wiesberger briefly drew level with the Swede after following an outward 33 with more birdies at 10 and 15 as Noren faltered.
But Noren recovered from another missed fairway at the long 15th with an unlikely birdie which took him back into the outright lead, advancing a three-wood from the right rough up the fairway before pitching to 10 feet and getting the slippery putt to drop in the side of the cup.
Wiesberger then missed a great chance for birdie at 16 and had one last chance to apply the pressure at the par-five last, but he paid the price for putting his ambitious second in the deep bunker short of the green, from where he was unable to salvage a birdie as he signed for a 67.
Noren was 30 yards short of the final green in two and facing a testing pitch to the flag on the top tier, but he held his nerve to play a sublime pitch to within 18 inches of the cup, leaving him the simplest of tap-ins and Weisberger to settle for outright second, while Lee Westwood's closing 67 earned him a podium finish.
The following year was Westwood's turn to host at Close House and saw Paul Dunne produce the round of his life as he upstaged Rory McIlroy to clinch his maiden European Tour title.
Dunne raced to the turn in 30 and held his nerve down the stretch to hold off McIlroy's impressive late charge to complete a sensational nine-under 61 which earned him a three-shot victory in front of record crowds at the Northumberland course.
McIlroy piled the pressure on the Irish youngster when he responded to a bogey at the 11th with five birdies over the next six holes, but Dunne refused to buckle and displayed immense composure over the closing holes to get over the line.
He rifled his drive down the 17th and pitched to six feet before holing yet another clutch putt to give himself a two-shot buffer for the tricky final hole.
The 24-year-old pushed his final tee shot to the right of the 72nd green, but he finished in thrilling style as he chipped in for his seventh birdie of a highly-accomplished round to celebrate victory on 20-under par.
The next stop on the European Tour is the Sky Sports British Masters and there will be live coverage throughout the week beginning with the Hero Challenge from 6.30pm on Tuesday.
