A 66-year-old golf caddie who spent more than a decade in federal prison for a cocaine case has received a presidential pardon, but it remains unclear whether the action will by itself clear his way back into Britain for golf tournaments. Eric Larson, who caddies for American golfer Harris English, was denied entry to the United Kingdom last year because of a drug conviction from three decades ago — a decision that cost him a trip to the 2025 Open Championship and, by one estimate, roughly $126,000 in potential earnings.
President Donald Trump issued the pardon on September 3, according to the New York Post, which first reported that Trump called Larson and English directly to deliver the news. Larson pleaded guilty in 1995 to federal charges of acting as a middleman shipping cocaine from South Florida to friends in the Midwest, a case that stemmed from his activity obtaining and shipping the drug across state lines during the 1980s and early 1990s, according to the Post. He ultimately served 10 years and three months in federal prison, along with a $25,000 fine and two years of probation, according to Golf Channel, which reported he received a longer sentence after a supplier turned him in.
A Career Built From a Halfway House
Larson, a native of Appleton, Wisconsin, went straight from prison into a caddying career, according to the Post's reporting. After his 2006 release, 1989 Open champion Mark Calcavecchia hired him almost immediately out of a halfway house, according to the Associated Press. Larson went on to caddie in three Ryder Cups, working the bag for Anthony Kim in 2008, Jeff Overton in 2010, and Harris English in 2021, the AP reported.
Larson had traveled to the United Kingdom without incident for more than a decade before the trouble started, caddying for English in at least four Open Championships, according to The Daily Drive. That changed when Britain rolled out its digital Electronic Travel Authorisation system in early 2025. Under the ETA rules, an application is automatically refused if the applicant has ever received a custodial prison sentence of 12 months or more anywhere in the world, according to guidance published by the United Kingdom's GOV.UK. The system requires travelers to self-declare any past sentence exceeding a year, making Larson's decades-old conviction central to the entry decision despite his subsequent caddying career.
A Costly Missed Major
The denial meant Larson could not work the bag when English finished second at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, earning $1.8 million, according to the Post's reporting on the tournament. Caddies typically earn a 7% commission when their golfer finishes in the top 10, meaning Larson missed out on roughly $126,000 he would have earned for that finish, per the Post. Short-game coach Ramon Bescansa filled in on the bag instead, according to the Daily Express.
Before turning to a presidential pardon, Larson tried the legal route. He hired London law firm Bates Wells and applied through VSF Global in Miami for a standard visa, while U.S. Ambassador Warren Stephens, the PGA Tour, and The R&A submitted letters of support to UK immigration officials, according to the Associated Press. None of it was enough to overcome the ETA's sentencing threshold.
From a Prison Garden to the White House
During his time at Taft Federal Correctional Institution in California, Larson befriended high-profile inmates including Jordan Belfort, the so-called Wolf of Wall Street, and comedian Tommy Chong, sharing vegetarian meals made from produce he grew in a prison garden, according to Vice. Chong and Belfort later publicly credited him with helping maintain morale during their confinement, per the outlet.
Larson's connection to Trump traces back to golfer Anthony Kim, according to the Post. Larson and English golfed with Trump at Trump National Golf Course in West Palm Beach, where Larson told the president about his situation. Larson then submitted a formal pardon application through the Justice Department's pardon office, providing prison-work documents and letters supporting his request; the department reviewed his paperwork and prison records before the pardon was granted, the Post reported. Trump traveled to Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, on September 12, according to the same reporting. The White House did not announce the pardon.
Larson has said he never used cocaine and wanted the pardon to rest on his merits rather than his acquaintance with the president, according to the Post. “I got a chance now,” Larson told the outlet. He has said he plans to keep caddying as long as he can walk and English still wants him on the bag.
An Industry-Wide Fight Over Border Rules
Larson's ordeal became a flashpoint beyond golf. Major U.S. sports organizations — including the PGA Tour, NFL, and NBA — lobbied the UK Home Office in August 2025 to create sporting exemptions under the ETA rules for players and essential support staff, according to The Guardian. The NFL and NBA both stage annual international games in London that could be affected by the strict entry rules, the paper noted. The European Union is also planning to roll out its own European Travel Information and Authorisation System in late 2026, which will likewise require automated criminal-background screening for non-EU travelers entering Schengen zone countries, according to law firm Hickman & Rose.
English said Larson can now regain his rights and travel to work the Scottish Open and British Open, according to the Post. Trump's pardon follows a pattern established earlier this year, when he pardoned five former NFL players — including Super Bowl champion Jamal Lewis and Hall of Famer Joe Klecko — as part of an ongoing clemency initiative for professional athletes, a move Hoodline previously covered. Whether a U.S. presidential pardon alone satisfies UK Home Office requirements, or whether Larson will still need separate British clearance to work the Scottish and British Opens, remains unresolved.
