St Andrews Magazine 2017 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Daily: Thursday 5 October

Preview

Thursday 5 October 2017

A Celebration of Links Golf unlike any other

A greenkeeper tends to the second green at the Old Course prior to the start of play at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Image: ŠMatt Hooper/St Andrews Magazine

The Madras College Pipe Band at the traditional closing ceremony of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Image: ŠMatt Hooper/St Andrews Magazine

Sunrise at the Old Course Image: ŠMatt Hooper/St Andrews Magazine

RORY RETURNS Story – Matt Hooper

Getty Images

The 2017 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has been given a huge boost by the announcement that Rory McIlroy will play in this year’s championship.

Rory last played in the championship in 2014 and has finished as runner-up on three occasions. McIlroy, a 4time major champion, first played in The Dunhill in 2007 where he sensationally secured his European Tour card with a third-place finish, behind Justin Rose and champion Nick Dougherty.

The Northern Irishman has had a stop-start season hampered by a rib injury, and is yet to win a tournament around the world. Following the championship, he will take three months out of the game to rest and improve his body, getting himself ready for the 2018 season.

Rory will play alongside his father Gerry, as they look to win the team championship for the first time.

In addition to his injury problems, the former world number one also split from his long-term caddie, JP Fitzgerald following The Open Championship in July.

Rory spoke to Matt Hooper about his affinity with St Andrews, playing the Old Course and his desire to win at the home of golf.

(Interview May 2015)

Getty Images

When did you first play golf in St Andrews and on the Old Course?

moment for McIlroy and give him something positive to hold onto from a frustrating 2017 season.

“I first played the Old Course in 2005. I was 16, and playing in the St. Andrews Links Trophy. I certainly didn’t think then that it was the best course I’d ever played.

You tend to play well on the Old, how can you explain this and how does the course suit you?

What are the keys to playing well around there?

I just stood up on every tee and wondered what all the fascination was about. But the more you play it and the more you learn about the golf course - the little nuances and subtleties – you definitely come to appreciate it all the more. Now, it's right up there with my favourite courses in the world.”

The 2005 St Andrews Links Trophy featured many of the ‘golden generation’ of British and Irish amateur golfers, which Rory was a part of, and the tournament was won by Lloyd Saltman. Saltman was tipped for success as a professional, as were others, but it is McIlroy who has stood head and shoulders above his peers.

His record on the Old Course shows that he is comfortable playing at the most historic venue in the game. He finished third at the 2010 Open, and has finished in the top ten of every Dunhill Links he has played in.

To finally win the tournament which essentially launched his professional career would be a sweet

“Yes, I do tend to play well on the Old Course. I think the best way I can explain that is to say that many of the holes suit my game. It’s one of the courses where I find it quite easy to see shots.

That makes standing over the ball so much more comfortable, and I’m then confident that the result will be what I want. And, for me, the only way to play the Old Course is to do so patiently.”

It’s easy to become a little over-confident because you’ve got an early score going, but that can be dangerous. I’d say to take your chances when they present themselves but be aware that the closing holes, if treated too casually, can completely ruin any scorecard.”

In 2011 McIlroy finished runner-up to fellow Northern Irishman Michael Hoey, despite getting off to a stunning start in the final round. The winner of 22 tournaments worldwide was in a vein of form which perhaps only he can be, making a birdie at the 2nd before pitching his second to the 3rd in for an eagle.

Four more birdies ensued and he was 7-under-par

through the first 12 holes, and chasing his fellow countryman home for the title. However he would miss further opportunities on the homeward stretch and came up two shots shy of Hoey.

Injury denied him the chance to claim a second Claret Jug when The Open returned to St Andrews in 2015, and a win in St Andrews would undoubtedly be a great way to cap a stunning decade of golf from Northern Ireland’s greatest ever.

The Dunhill Links has a genuinely unique atmosphere, with the tourists making their last trips to St Andrews before the winter, and the students arriving for the start of the new year. You will certainly see some of the biggest names in golf mingling with the locals during the week. Rory is a fan of the town and has been known to enjoy its charms.

Away from the course, what else is it that attracts you to St Andrews and where are your favourite places to hangout?

“St Andrews has a very special atmosphere. It might the history, architecture, student population or maybe just a mix of it all that works so well. And when I get the chance to hang out, there are just so many great cafes, bars and restaurants. I can’t name them all – just come and experience the town for yourself…”

Speaking to the assembled members of the media on Wednesday McIlroy said: “I am

looking forward to it. I haven't been back here since 2014, so missed the last couple of years. It's nice to be back. Nice to be able to play a few rounds with my dad.

The Dunhill has always been a great week. It's always been a very enjoyable week.

I've always seemed to play well here probably because of sort of the relaxed atmosphere that there is. It's nice to go and play the different courses and get back at night.

It's a very social week. It's great to catch up with everyone. I've been looking forward to this week for a long time and hopefully I can end the year on a positive note and turn in a couple of good scores and give myself another chance to win this week I guess.

It's been good for both of us (playing with his dad in the pro-am), actually. It's sharpened us up a bit. Dad's only played twice in the last two months but he's been on the range a lot and hit a lot of golf balls. It's been good to get out and play a couple matches and sharpen his game up.

It's great to just spend time with him. My Mum's over and obviously my wife, Erica, so we've been able to spend a good bit of time together, go out for dinners and have a few drinks at night. It's been nice since we got here.

Yeah, I love it (The Dunhill) for that; to be able to spend that quality time with him and with all of us as a family, it's really nice. Erica has never been here before. She was looking forward to coming here for The Open in 2015 and then I played a football match and that sort of was the end of that.

It's been nice to be able to show Erica around. I've always loved St. Andrews. It's been one of my favourite parts of the world, and we have a restaurant we go to and our pubs we go into and it's been nice.

It is clear St Andrews is an inspiration for Rory, barring the second round of the 2010 Open he has been pretty much flawless around here. If he can replicate his form from last week then surely, we will see him finally claim a long-awaited victory at the home of golf on Sunday.

RORY MCILROY’S ST ANDREWS RECORD THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2010 63 – 80 – 69 – 68

TIED 3RD

ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP 73 – 67 – 64 – 68

TIED 2ND

2014

70 – 67 – 66 – 65

TIED 2ND

2011

71 – 74 – 70 – 75

TIED 53RD

2010

68 – 65 – 69 – 69

TIED 2ND

2009

68 – 69 – 78 – 67

TIED 8TH

2008

71 – 67 – 67 – 68

3RD

2007

IN 16 ROUNDS AS A PROFESSIONAL OVER THE OLD COURSE MCILROY HAS SHOT OVER 70 ONLY TWICE, AND HAS RECORDED 14 ROUNDS UNDER PAR. HIS AVERAGE SCORE IS 68.5

HE HAS FINISHED IN THE TOP 3 IN 5 OF THE 7 TOURNAMENTS HE HAS PLAYED AT THE HOME OF GOLF, AND ONLY ONCE OUTSIDE THE TOP 10

Jamie Dornan returns for third appearance Harrington on the hunt for third Dunhill title

The new female students of St Andrews will no doubt be swooning over the Fifty Shades of Grey Actor Jamie Dornan, when the Northern Irishman returns to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for a third time this autumn.

Dornan is delighted to be back, “I love it. The chance to play a few of the best courses in the world alongside some of the best players in the world can’t be sniffed at” he said speaking to Alfred Dunhill Links.

Jamie spoke to Matt Hooper for St Andrews Magazine at the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship:

Padraig Harrington was all smiles as he began his preparations for this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, teeing off with Dermot Desmond and Sir Anthony McCoy in his first practice round at the Old Course on Monday.

Who inspired you to take up the game of golf, and how did you play today?

No wonder, the Irishman loves links golf having won two Open Championships, five Irish PGA Championships and two Alfred Dunhill Links Championships, on seaside courses. No player in the modern era can come anywhere near close to matching the Dubliner’s prowess on the Links.

"I love the game but I’m shite!"

Harrington is also buoyed by the fact countryman Paul Dunne spectacularly won the British Masters last weekend, and he believes it could be the start of a resurgence of young golfers emerging in Ireland.

"I'm about to start a little movie called Untogether at the end of October and then start a new Italian Robin Hood in January

"I don't think anyone really inspired me to take up golf, in Ireland golf is a very accessible sport and I grew up next to a golf course, so in the summer when I was meant to be doing training for other sports I just spent my time golfing."

"I nearly hit it out of bounds at the first and I hit two spectators, it's so alien to us playing in front of people and grandstands and stuff."

Are you working on any projects right now?

Where's your favourite place to hang out in St Andrews?

"Just the Jigger, I get too much bother if I go into the town so I stay away."

Gabrielle Levey/St Andrews Magazine

HATTON AND DORNAN TEAM UP AGAIN Big Guns drawn to play St Andrews on Thursday in break from tradition

Jamie Dornan and Tyrrell Hatton have been drawn to play together again in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, 12 months on from their fruitful partnership which helped Hatton to his first European Tour title.

The pair will tee off at 11:12 on Thursday alongside Brandon Stone and Irish Rugby legend Paul O’Connell. Hatton and Dornan will be one of St Andrews Magazine’s featured groups on Thursday, which you can follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and we will bring you a full report from these games on Friday morning.

2012 Champion Branden Grace will partner the owner of Richemont, Johann Rupert and they will tee it up alongside Rory McIlroy and Gerry McIlroy. Rory is returning to the championship for the first time since 2014 and is marking ten years since his 3rd place finished secured him his European Tour card just weeks after turning professional.

They will tee off at 09:22.

St Andrews Magazine feature groups 0922 RORY MCILROY/GERRY MCILROY

BRANDEN GRACE/JOHANN RUPERT

1017 LUKE DONALD/JAMIE REDKNAPP 1050 CHRIS HANSON/NIKESH ARORA

JB HOLMES/TODD WAGNER

1101

MARTIN KAYMER/PHILIP KAYMER

MAX KIEFFER/WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO

1112

TYRRELL HATTON/JAMIE DORNAN

How to follow our coverage

Former World Number One Luke Donald will rekindle his successful partnership with former Liverpool and England footballer Jamie Redknapp. (10:17) Chris Hanson will play with Nikesh Arora in the same group as JB Holmes and Todd Wagner (10:50) and they will be followed by Martin Kaymer and his brother Philip alongside Max Kieffer and former world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko (11:01) The full draw is available at alfreddunhilllinks.com and live scoring can be found at europeantour.com Live television coverage is on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm

We’ll have images from the European Tour Professionals on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM, along with regular updates from the tournament on TWITTER

We’ll have images from the Celebrities and Amateurs on TWITTER

FLASHBACK TO 2016: SEALED WITH A KISS – Terrific Tyrrell Triumphs

Tyrrell Hatton took the drama out of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by dominating the championship in a fashion we have never seen before, and may never see again. A Sunday round of 66 to add to his Saturday stunner of 62 was enough to give him a comfortable four stroke victory over a resurgent Richard Sterne and Ross Fisher, it may have not been the usual thrills and spills of a Sunday at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but it was the birth of a new star in British golf.

Hatton said: “It feels amazing. I've wanted this moment since I was a six-year-old. It’s a dream come true and to do it here at the Home of Golf is fantastic. I’m just happy I got over the line. It’s been a fantastic week, I had my girlfriend Emily with me and my management team. And to come away with a trophy, just makes it even more special. I was pretty nervous going out there, but I'm really happy with how I dealt with that, and my caddie, Chris Rice, was a big influence. He just told me to try and stay patient. He’s done a fantastic job this week and this year.”

It was Hatton’s first win on the European Tour and his score of 23-under-par tied the lowest total in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, achieved by David Howell and Peter Uihlein in 2013. His win secured him US$800,000 and moved the golfer from High Wycombe up to fourth in the Race to Dubai.

Sunday at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is always unlike most days in the golfing calendar, the atmosphere changes from fun tournament to a serious championship and with Old Course playing host to the entire field it usually provides unrivalled drama. From the final Monday putt from the Valley of Sin by Paul Lawrie in the fog, to the stunning Lee Westwood win in 2003 and playoff between Stephen Gallacher and Graeme McDowell in 2004.

The championship has provided many memories since its inception in 2001, as its predecessor, the Alfred Dunhill Cup did from 1985 to 2000. Whilst Hatton has a comfortable lead, should any of the chasing pack get off to a hot start we could be in for a sensational Sunday shootout in St Andrews yet again.

Hatton began with a lead of three shots, but any lead can be caught on a front nine which offers numerous birdie opportunities and a back nine which has many opportunities for disaster.

Richard Sterne’s return to form continued with a faultless final round of 66 to finish at 19-under-par and tie for second place with Ross Fisher. The South African made birdies at the fourth, sixth, ninth, eleventh, fourteenth and seventeenth to record his fifth top ten of the season. In a career which has been hampered by injury the 35-year-old from Stellenbosch

earned the largest cheque of his career at the home of golf.

England’s Ross Fisher was denied victory in the recent Porsche European Open when he was defeated by Alexandre Levy in Germany, and for large periods of the week he looked like adding to his five European Tour wins.

Beginning the day some five shots adrift of Hatton the big-hitting former Ryder Cup star carded a faultless final round of 67 to move into a tie for second place with Richard Sterne. Birdies at the sixth, seventh, tenth, fifteenth and eighteenth saw him move into the top twenty of the Race to Dubai.

The 24-year-old showed no signs of letting anyone back in front of him, hitting accurate drives and laserlike irons, and demonstrating a killer touch on the greens. In a near faultless round in calm conditions, Hatton had seven birdies, the only bogey coming at the tricky 17th Road Hole. But by then he was home and dry and none of the chasing pack was able to eat into his lead. Sterne also managed a 66 and Fisher a 67, but there was an inevitability to Hatton’s victory.

Two solid pars at the first and second proved to be a platform for a spectacular final round with a sole blemish at the Road Hole, 17. Birdies at the third, fourth and fifth took all the energy out of the chasing pack and led to a flat atmosphere around the Old Course.

He was simply running away with it.

Further birdies at the twelfth, fourteenth and fifteenth, the latter set up by a stunning approach to a foot, sealed the deal, making the final three holes a coronation of the new champion.

After sinking the final putt on the eighteenth he was warmly hugged by his amateur playing partner, Jamie Dornan, and showered with champagne by his girlfriend Emily and his entourage. The win continued an excellent year for him in which he has tied for fifth place in the Open Championship and recorded a top ten finish at Oakmont in the U.S. Open.

Hatton now seems likely to go on and become a significant force in British golf, but he refuses to get carried away. He said: “Time will tell. I'll keep trying to do my thing and play as good as I can. One of my goals was to get inside the top 50 in the world. I think I was 53rd coming into this week, and I am looking forward to Monday morning, when the world rankings come out and see what position I am.”

Hatton has been tipped for the top since turning professional in 2011 but despite much promise and a number of high finishes the man from Buckinghamshire, who will celebrate his 25th birthday next week, he had not won on the European Tour. Now having done so it would seem the perfect launching pad for a bid to reach the upper echelons of the game.

BEING A DUNHILL CHAMPION: The emotion, the glory and the place in history for winning at the home of golf

Alfred Dunhill Links Champions 2016

Tyrrell Hatton

Danny Willett & Jonathan Smart

2015

Thorbjorn Olesen

Florian Fritsch & Michael Ballack

2014

Oliver Wilson

Peter Lawrie & Kieran McManus

2013

David Howell

Thomas Levet & David Sayer

2012

Branden Grace

Alexander Noren & Ernesto Bertarelli

2011

Michael Hoey

Nick Dougherty & Chris Evans

2010

Martin Kaymer

Robert Karlsson & Dermot Desmond

2009

Simon Dyson

Soren Hansen & Kieran McManus

2008

Robert Karlsson

John Bickerton & Bruce Watson

2007

Nick Dougherty

Scott Strange & Robert Coe

2006

Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington & JP McManus

2005

Colin Montgomerie

Henrik Stenson & Rurik Gobel

2004

Stephen Gallacher

Fred Couples & Craig Heatley

2003

Lee Westwood

Sam Torrance & Daniel Torrance

2002

Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington & JP McManus

2001

Paul Lawrie

Brett Rumford & Chris Peacock

Kevin Kirk/Recounter

DAVID HOWELL 2013 After 7 long years without a win on the European Tour David Howell claimed a thrilling victory in a playoff against rising American star, Peter Uihlein. The Englishman from Swindon in Wiltshire birdied the second extra hole to add the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to BMW PGA Championship, BMW International Open, HSBC Champions, OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic and Australian PGA Championship successes.

Kevin Kirk/Recounter

"I've never played an Open Championship here and that's still a dream, but to win a tournament here at the home of golf is amazing�

"It's been a long, long road back from the depths of despair. I have had a lot of support from people around me and this is as much for them as it is for me."

Getty Images

OLIVER WILSON 2014 Oliver Wilson was once a European Ryder Cup player and after 9 runner-up finishes on the European Tour he finally collected the first win of his career with a one stroke victory over Tommy Fleetwood, Richie Ramsay and Rory McIlroy. A final round of 70 was enough to hold off the chasing pack, with three birdies on the back nine sealing the victory.

"So many people had written me off and that hurt, but I kept believing," "A lot of people had a part in this and I can't thank them enough. This is pretty special.

"I could be drunk for a while - it's been a long time coming and I have a lot of champagne on hold. It's going to be a good party."

Getty Images

THORBJORN OLESEN 2015 Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen shot a final round 71 to win for the third time on the European Tour. Olesen had a rollercoaster front nine on Sunday with three birdies, a double bogey and a bogey in the first five holes. A birdie at the 15 th gave him a two shot advantage over Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud.

"To win it on St Andrews, it is something you dream of when you are a little kid," "All the hours I have put in this year has paid off."

TYRRELL HATTON 2016 Tyrrell Hatton broke through for his first European Tour win at last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links, with a dominant display. The Englishman won by four strokes from Ross Fisher and Richard Sterne, the second largest winning margin in the history of the championship.

"It's a dream come true," "To do it here is fantastic.�

THE LAUNCHPAD: The Dunhill should be a platform for young St Andrews golfers to launch a run at a professional career; tournament has the power to grow the game

Over the last two editions of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship three young St Andrews golfers have been given the opportunity to experience playing in the annual European Tour event on their doorsteps. Chloe Goadby and Keith Bowman were given invitations to play as an amateur in 2015 and John Paterson, winner of the Alfred Dunhill Schools Challenge, stepped in for Hugh Grant in the third round of last year’s championship.

This was a wonderful chance for three of our most talented youngsters to experience golf at the highest level and it is something every young golfer in St Andrews should be able to aspire to doing – every year. The carrot of being able to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship would surely inspire more young people to take up golf and stick at it through the cold winter months in a bid to qualify for the championship. 2 spaces could be made available to both boys and girls over the age of 16 with a series of qualifying tournaments played across the seven courses of St Andrews Links. The Junior Club Championships of each St Andrews club could also count towards an order of merit which determines the male and female qualifiers for The Dunhill.

John Paterson, Chloe Goadby and Keith Bowman each shared their experiences of playing in the championship exclusively to St Andrews Magazine:

Keith Bowman (New Golf Club) said: “I was thrilled (to receive the invite), and really excited and nervous but I am over that now. I am really proud to represent the clubs, and to have all my friends and family in the crowd supporting me” Chloe Goadby (St Regulus Ladies Golf Club) said: “The Dunhill was honestly the most enjoyable week of my life. I grew up in St Andrews watching the Dunhill, desperate to get autographs from professionals and celebrities, and suddenly I had the opportunity to play in the event myself.

From the practice days, to tournament days, to the range; just being around so many great players was so beneficial for my game. When you are practicing putting to the same hole as Martin Kaymer or on the range next to Luke Donald, as an amateur, it did make me feel a little out of place, but I was up for the challenge and embraced the fact that I was amongst such talent.

Luke Donald has always been one of my favourite golfers, so when he was warming up next to me on the range at Kingsbarns, it felt a bit surreal! I was paired with Frenchman Thomas Levet, the former Ryder Cup player and six-time European Tour winner. I had a lot of fun paired with him and what amazed me was his willingness to help me. I learnt

a lot from him and it was interesting to hear him talk about his game and share his knowledge.

I can’t thank Scottish Golf, the Alfred Dunhill Links and Johann Rupert enough for the opportunity and amazing experience I had that week. Every part of the experience was incredible.”

John Paterson (New Golf Club) said: "I got the call at 9 O'clock this morning and I missed it! So, I called the guy back at 9.30, I was still in bed at 9 O'clock!"

"It was pretty good, apart from 17 where I got stuck on the road, and obviously 18 was amazing. I made 7 birdies and they were all pretty good. I can't explain how nervous I was on the first tee."

In his moment in front of the Sky cameras and the hundreds of fans around the 18th hole of the Old Course, Paterson did not shy away. A drive over Granny Clark's Wynd left him with a wedge to the back left flag and he duly dispatched it to around 15 feet.

Then, with 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman watching on he confidently rapped the ball into the back of the hole, drawing a large applause from the watching gallery. It was a thrilling conclusion to a wonderful day for the latest emerging amateur talent in St Andrews.

"I won't forget that putt on the last."

HAVING THE FINAL SEY: Fabulous Finlay keeps the Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge Trophy in St Andrews’ hands; Win continues incredible run for New Golf Club Juniors

Finlay Sey, an S4 pupil at Madras College in St Andrews, was the overall scratch winner of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge. The tournament was played at the Duke’s Course in St Andrews, Fife on Sunday, September 24 where a strong field of young golfers from across Fife, Dundee and Angus competed for the honours.

15 year old Finlay recorded an excellent gross score of 72. A member of the New Golf Club, St Andrews, he played in his first Boys Scottish Amateur event at Drumoig and Scotscraig earlier this year in June. Speaking after today’s Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge, he said: “I’m delighted to have been this year’s scratch winner. My game has really come on since the start of the year with my handicap coming down from eight to five since January.

“I’m hoping to further improve my game over the next couple of years. If progress continues I will be looking to secure a golf scholarship in the US once I’ve finished school.”

Meanwhile the Senior Boys category of the competition was won by Ole Specht of St Leonards School who carded a net score of 66, shooting a gross 76 off a handicap of 10. Fellow St Leonards’ pupil Manuel Campos took the Junior Boys title with a net score of 72, playing off a handicap of 12.

The Senior Girls category was won by Porscha Wilson, a 15 year old student at Balwearie High School, who shot a net 69. An S4 pupil at the Kirkcaldy-based high school, Porchsa currently plays off a handicap of five.

The Junior Girls title was won by 13 year old Waid Academy pupil Anna McKay with a net score of 72. Playing off a handicap of three, Anna recorded a gross 75.

The winners will be invited to receive their Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge prizes at the Old Course, St Andrews on the final day of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday, October 8. All the participants will also be invited, together with their parents and a school representative, to attend an exclusive golf clinic on the Championship practice ground given by the internationally renowned golf coach Robert Baker.

Baker said: “The Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge continues to encourage young people from Fife and the surrounding area to participate in competitive golf. This event was once again over-subscribed, underlining the health of the game amongst school-aged players in the community. I congratulate all of today’s competitors and look forward to meeting these talented youngsters at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship where they will participate in our annual coaching clinic. Getting the right direction and coaching early enough in their golf career can really help young golfers develop their game and potentially enable them to compete at the highest level.”

Finlay’s victory is the second in succession for a New Golf Club Junior, following John Paterson’s win in 2016.

Success in the Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge has added to an incredible list of honours claimed by New Golf Club Juniors over the last 12 months. In April Paterson collected the Scottish Boy’s Amateur title, and last Autumn the Junior Team qualified for the European Junior Amateur Team competition after winning the Scottish championship. The Junior Team will contest the Scottish Junior Inter-club Championship Final at Deer Park one week after the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Sunday 15 October.

VOLUNTARY SERVICE: Myerscough College help the Dunhill run smoothly

I began my journey to a career in golf at Myerscough College in 2003, and I can safely say that I would not be the owner, editor and chief writer of St Andrews Magazine, or the Clubhouse Supervisor at the New Golf Club without the three years I spent in Lancashire.

The support and opportunities which the college give every student is second-to-none, and now some 14 years later they have become the biggest and best college for golf in the United Kingdom. From SportsTurf to Golf Management and Golf Coaching, the land-based college, some 6 miles from Preston, is the master of golf education provision.

In 2004, I was part of the first group of students from the college to volunteer at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, 13 years on, the college continues to bring students to the event, performing a vital role in the operation of the event across all three courses.

Around 40 students make the trip from Preston to St Andrews each October, and take up a variety of roles at the tournament. These include Scoreboard operating, carrying portable scoreboards, marking GPS positions for television, assisting camera operators and assisting television scorers.

Volunteering at events such as the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is part of the valuable experiences students gain whilst studying for a degree which sets them up for a role in the industry.

One of the key aims of me setting up St Andrews Magazine was to give back to the college which set me on the road to a life in golf. In 2014 I gave a student the opportunity to work alongside me at the tournament in the media centre. Alex Fleming could assist in creating content, uploading posts to social media and undertaking interviews near the range and at the 18th hole.

This gave him a taste of what it was like to be a golf journalist in the modern world, and see the tournament from a different perspective. It is an opportunity I hope to give further students in the future.

Course leader, Rick Daniels, tells more about the college: Myerscough is a partner college of UClan, because it has the facilities to be able to run the Golf Programme. “The golf programme at Myerscough began in 1994, the first year the golf management programme was combined with Leisure Management. There were only 4 or 5 students that did it and me being one of them.

Golf Coaching is another course is running now.

Every year we sit down with what is called a technical advisory board which includes people from the golf industry whether it is manufacturers, Chubby Chandler, employers

(DeVere, Marriott, European Tour) and we say this is what we offer, what do you think? Is there anything that we are missing? And with the way that the industry has gone over the last 8 to 10 years in particular, with an emphasis on coaching and performance we started the golf coaching programme in 2008.

It runs alongside a PGA qualification without a PGA stamp, it isn’t a prerequisite that you are a fantastic golfer to become a golf coach.

Performance, looking at the Biomechanics, nutrition, fitness and psychology side of golf, started 3 years ago as a niche market, which no one else does.

And those courses run alongside the management programme which for 20 years had provided a generic view of the golf industry. You get a sample of different areas, but some do now a Masters in Event Management, some go into Player Management and we have students across the world. Mainland Europe now provides many of our students, we have students from Estonia, Slovakia, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Germany and many more.

If you type in Google now we come up first in regard to Golf Education, we have been going the

longest alongside Merrist Wood and there is a reason for that.

At the moment, we have over 220 students, every year 200 students go through the system. We would love to take more. But due to staff and space we can’t. We like to think we provide quality rather than quantity. Those who do the 16-18 programme who perhaps aren’t academically fantastic can go through the programme.

We are here at the Dunhill this week, we will be working at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, we always do the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, we have opportunity to work at the Portugal Masters. We are luckily supported by Eventful Temps for the events in the UK. Students do leave the golf industry but they have been given transferrable skills, they do marketing, event management, finance, human resources, and these are all examples of modules that you study so that if you left the golf industry you would always use those skills.”

BRING THE BUZZ BACK: The Alfred Dunhill Links is tired and in need of a revolution

There was once a time that each October the world’s greatest golfers would make an annual pilgrimage to the home of golf. From 1985 to 2000 the Alfred Dunhill Cup attracted a star-studded field of the best players from 16 countries across the planet, and in 1993 featured Fred Couples, John Daly, Nick Faldo, Payne Stewart, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, David Frost, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ernie Els and Nick Price. The field included 8 of the top 16 in the world including the World Number One. Fast forward to 2017 and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has attracted just 6 of the world’s top 50. Of course, much of this has to do with the changing landscape of the world tours over the last decade; the creation of the FedEx Cup has been detrimental to the European Tour in September, and has increasingly meant many of the world’s best are taking time off in early October to focus on preparing and resting ahead of the final WGC of the year and the lucrative conclusion to the Race to Dubai.

However, the attraction of ‘celebrity’ golfers is wearing thin on the St Andrews public, and the lack of spectators, for an event played at the home of golf, is worrying indeed. It isn’t just the relatively low quality of the players competing in the tournament which is to blame, it is what is offered to the spectator when they do arrive here. I was asked last year by an American visitor “where can I buy merchandise?”, to which I, sadly, had to respond by saying “there isn’t anywhere”.

Other events which are smaller in stature provide a far greater offering to the spectator, such as the BMW International Open, whose tented village is superb. The Irish

Open, before it was a Rolex Series event, offered European Tour merchandise, as well as tournament branded clothing, hats and flags. None of which is available at the only tournament played annually at the home of golf.

The Dunhill is a brand in itself, people don’t refer to it as the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, it is an iconic event in the St Andrews calendar, but year-on-year it becomes decreasingly attractive to attend. Free entry has been in operation for the last 16 years, but if people want to come they will, and they will pay. Free entry was clearly seen as a way of attracting the spectator to the event over the first three days, but it has failed, with the largest crowds coming on the Sunday, when there is a £20 charge for entry.

within the world of golf. The celebrities were also exciting, mainly because it was the first time for many years the UK had hosted a celebrity pro-am on this scale. But now that excitement has gone. Young people don’t even know who Sir Ian Botham, Sir Steve Redgrave and Tico Torres are today.

The recent pro-am at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports was well attended and created a buzz in the area, with relevant and modern celebrities competing in the competition. It also created a buzz because it was over in one day. The days of four day pro-ams are surely something golf should be consigning to history, it is bad enough watching some of these amateurs for one day, let alone four.

Its not about getting something for free, its about the quality of the product, and sadly, the tournament is no longer the product it was and should be.

So, given that The Dunhill is such a special week in the St Andrews and golfing calendar, how do we bring the buzz back?

Part of the problem is the fragmented nature of the event, not so much that it is played over three courses, but that the courses are so far apart. There are some 31 miles between Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, so inevitably the crowds go to where is local to them, and if there are few big names or famous celebrities playing at the course closest to you, you will unquestionably wait until the day they are, which means the crowds are getting smaller each year. Especially with the static, unchanging selection of amateurs playing in the event.

To bring the buzz back to this week we need a revolution, something which will firstly make people excited about attending, and secondly attract corporate sponsors from across Scotland and the world.

The first few years of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship were exciting, it was a different event to the Alfred Dunhill Cup, but still attracted major winners and relevant names

As I have touched on the pro-am element needs to be over in one day, this could be a product which the tour and Richemont could market to a new audience of golfers through social media and its broadcast partners. A one-day pro-am is likely to attract modern, relevant celebrities, as it requires a far smaller time commitment from actors, sportsmen and reality stars. Remember when Michael Jordan played the pro-am in Charlotte? Crowds in excess of

30,000 showed up, and the Wells Fargo Championship became one of the PGA Tour’s premier events.

The next part of this revolution needs to be the host courses. For an event with over 270 golfers, played at this time of year, it needs to be played across three courses, but they do not need to be 30 miles apart. St Andrews Links has four courses capable of staging a championship, three of them which border each other.

The New and Jubilee courses offer that ideal replacement for Kingsbarns and Carnoustie, with the New Course offering a fun and challenging test, while the Jubilee is a demanding, championship layout which would sit well alongside the Old Course. This would also offer greater opportunity for the event to sell hospitality around the course and would be less time consuming for players, eliminating the journeys between courses.

This centralized event would also potentially attract greater interest from the media, who do not have to spread resources over such a great area. With the New and Jubilee bordering the Old Course it would also mean spectators could easily switch between all three courses and the world’s best players and the celebrities would be in one location for the whole week.

The final part of the revolution is the biggest part, remove the amateurs from the main competition and replace them with Ladies from the Ladies European Tour/LPGA. This would make the tournament the only event of its kind in the world, and would help grow the game and attract vast media attention from across the world.

The field of 168 men and 168 women would compete in three competitions – the European Tour for the men, the Ladies European Tour for the women and the Team Championship featuring one man and one lady.

The men and women would play side-by-side in each group throughout the week, with the team championship concluding on the Saturday night. A cut would be made for the top 40 men and top 40 women after Saturday’s third round, with a two-tee start on Sunday with play in fourballs.

This would be an attractive event to almost everyone in women’s golf and would make The Dunhill a unique event, a standard-bearer in golf. Yes, Alfred Dunhill is a brand for men, but the tournament could show how inclusive golf can be, and perhaps an alignment with an equally prestigious feminine brand could happen.

As an alternative to the Hero Challenge, which takes place before the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and British Masters, perhaps there could be an under-the-lights match between the Ladies European Tour and the European Tour on the 1st and 18th holes. This could take place on Tuesday night and officially kick-off the week, with the Fireworks still taking place on Saturday night and the traditional closing event featuring the Madras College Pipe Band remaining one of the traditions of the event.

With the advent of the Rolex Series and the competition from the PGA Tour, The Dunhill’s relevance in world golf is decreasing, something needs to be done to address this, or we may be looking at decline turning into death of a once must-see and must-play event in the calendar.

CARNOUSTIE: The Test that beats the rest

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was conceived as a celebration of links golf, and there are few more celebrated links than Carnoustie. The 2018 Open Championship venue will be part of the championship rota for the 17th straight year and provide the stiffest test of the three courses when play gets underway on Thursday morning.

won has been dramatic. Gary Player won in 1968 and Tom Watson followed in 1975, before Paul Lawrie defeated Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard in a playoff after the Frenchman’s crazy finish. 8 years later Padraig Harrington claimed his first Claret Jug when he edged out Sergio Garcia, again in a playoff.

Many links courses rely on the wind to test all facets of the game, Carnoustie however, demands razor sharp accuracy in any conditions. The Dunhill is the perfect opportunity for players to check out the course ahead of next year’s Open, and several of the likely field for next year’s Major will be playing this week.

The links have also served as host to the Women’s British Open and Senior Open Championship, which prior to 2018 makes it the only venue in Scotland to achieve the accolade of hosting The Open, Women’s Open and Senior Open.

Rory McIlroy made his Open Championship debut at the course ten years ago, and Padraig Harrington and Paul Lawrie have both won Opens on the links, in addition to claiming the Alfred Dunhill Links title. Established in the mid1800’s Carnoustie has been welcoming golfing visitors for over 150 years.

The links, a public facility managed by the Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee, includes three courses- the Championship, the Burnside and the Buddon. In 2014 a new, free 6-hole course opened for play, helping to grow the game and inspire the next generation of golfers in the area.

Carnoustie has been an Open Championship venue since 1931 and in 1953 was the first and only destination Ben Hogan visited in The Open. The Hawk famously won the championship, part of his then unprecedented triple of major championships in a single year. Since then the list of winners has been varied and the way in which they have

The championship course is demanding from the start, with a fearsome opening hole measuring a modest 406 yards, but with a burn down the left side and accuracy is vital to set up an approach to a green set in a valley among the dunes.

The second hole continues the tone of narrow and intimidating, playing 463 yards and having a 60-yard long green, which can make it even more demanding.

The course tests accuracy and length off the tee, and judgement of distance into the green, and as many have found over the years, you cannot play it successfully from the gnarly rough which lines almost every hole. There a variety of short and long holes, with arguably the most iconic and revered ones coming at the end of the round, with exception of the 6th – Hogan’s Alley, This 578-yard par five has out of bounds running the entire length of the hole down the left side, and cavernous pot bunkers up the right side. This intimidating tee shot was fearlessly taken on in every round of his 1953 Open win by

Ben Hogan, who found the gap between the bunkers and out of bounds in each of his rounds. The hole was officially named Hogan’s Alley in 2003.

The aforementioned iconic holes which conclude the championship course come in the shape of a 248-yard par three, a 461-yard par four and a 499-yard par four.

The 16th, 17th and 18th have played more than their fair part in determining the winners of each of The Open Championships played in Angus. And they will strike fear into most of the amateur competing this week.

As if the tee shot wasn’t long enough, once you reach the 16th green staying on it is quite another proposition. With sharp drops either side and deep bunkers front left and right, this could be the world’s most intimidating par three which doesn’t involve water.

The 17th, called Island, demands a razor sharp accurate drive to an island fairway created by the meandering Barry Burn. And of course, the final hole of this magnificent links is one of the most demanding and iconic finishes in all of golf. With the striking hotel as the backdrop this par four could be one of the world’s great holes.

Perhaps one crumb of comfort is the pin positions for the week will be friendlier than an Open Championship, but whilst it is a thrill to play it, it will certainly be a daunting task for any competitor in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

KINGSBARNS: Brains and Beauty

Kingsbarns has enjoyed a golden year, hosting its first Major Championship this summer with the RICOH Women’s British Open. The youngest of the three courses to stage the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship proved it could stand alone and host a huge event.

The course withstood a deluge of rain over the week, and on first sight this week has fully recovered in time for The Dunhill.

Designed by Kyle Phillips and opened in 2000, this masterpiece of a links course is unquestionably the most aesthetically pleasing of the three courses, but also provides a fun challenge for the professionals and amateurs.

The course was slightly re-routed for the Women’s British Open, with the first becoming the eighteenth and the second becoming the first, but it returns to the regular layout this week.

The front nine offers up many birdie chances and can form the base of a good score. But forget the score, everyone who plays this week will have their breath taken away by the outstanding views at every turn.

The ninth hole is a spectacular par five which was made famous by lee Westwood’s albatross two in the 2003 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Arguably the best part of Kingsbarns is its constant riskreward nature. Par three’s ranging from 135 to 190 yards, par fours ranging 320 to 455 yards and four magnificent par fives ranging from 511 to 566 yards.

Undoubtedly the most outstanding of these is the 566-yard twelfth. The hole sweeps around the bay and finishes with a wide and shallow green sitting under the dunes.

The views are splendid and the risk is worth the reward on this hole given it is two thirds through the round. The player which takes the tight line up the left will be left with the shortest second into the green.

Kingsbarns has one of the most outstanding collections of par three holes in Scotland, beginning with the 190-yard second, which plays downhill and gives you a first view of the sea.

Each par three on the course is well protected by traditional pot bunkers and there are a variety of lengths, which is one of the hallmarks of these outstanding links.

Arguably the most iconic par three holes on the links is the 185-yard fifteenth which is played across the sea to a wide, but shallow green. The fifteenth brings you close to the Cambo house and gardens, part of the Cambo estate which Kingsbarns golf links is part of.

The course finishes with the superb par four 18th, which features a blind tee shot, and a green protected by the ‘cundie’ in front (from the 1700s), this will almost certainly be found by any shot which finishes short of the green.

Kingsbarns may play as the easiest course during the week, with Branden Grace’s round of 60 standing as the lowest round ever shot on the links, and in this championship, but it certainly provides all the competitors with an experience they will never forget

ST ANDREWS: The Home of Golf

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship may feature two other outstanding links courses in Kingsbarns and Carnoustie, but the heart and soul of the event is unquestionably in St Andrews, at the Old Course.

Host to the Alfred Dunhill Cup from 1985 to 2000, it is at the Old Course that the title is decided on Sunday, and it is at the Old Course where the annual Fireworks Spectacular lights up the night sky on Saturday.

The world-renowned home of golf has played host to Dunhill golf for over thirty years, and even the most veteran of golfers still gets a tingle down their spine when they step on to the first tee.

It is at St Andrews where the memorable moments of this championship’s history are etched into everyone’s minds; the hole-out from the Valley of Sin by Paul Lawrie to win in 2001 and Ernie Els’ 40-foot putt for birdie on the road hole in 2003 are two of many.

The Old Course is where the drama unfolds as two titles are on the line, for the pro-am and the individual.

The Old Course is a bit like a fine wine in that it gets better each time you taste it, as many of the world’s best golfers have said over the years. It is those golfers who appreciate the course for what it is that generally tend to succeed here.

There is nothing like the walk up 18 of the Old Course, or the view from the 16th green into town, or Hell Bunker, or the massive double greens. Simply put, the Old Course is unique, it isn’t tricked up, it is there for you to see and to

play, to use the ground when its dry, or to fly it through the air when it is soft.

Modern golf course architects couldn’t design a course like the Old Course today, they would get slammed by many of the media and double greens are an unusual sight at many courses now.

But why? The Old Course does not use half the land of a modern championship course, and it is only its infamous loop which slows the rounds down, and of course the sightseeing, It is still the case today of having to make your score on the way out and hold on coming back in.

It is the magnificence of its design that a hole such as the 16th, a reasonably straight hole and short by modern standards, yields very few birdies except from those golfers who play truly great shots from the tee and into the green.

With the famous Principle’s Nose bunkers up the left and out of bounds down the right the tee shot is a narrow one, and even the long hitters must be guarded with Deacon Sime and Grant’s bunkers beyond the Principle’s Nose.

The approach is to a green which is defended on the left side by the Wig bunker and which sits perilously close to the out of bounds.

Once aboard there are all sorts of subtle breaks which make reading the putt extremely difficult for any golfer.

Then onto arguably the world’s greatest golf hole – the Road Hole. This par four 17th hole is famous for the tee shot and the bunker, and the road of course, but it is the angle at which the green sits which makes this hole one of the hardest in world golf.

A drive over the shed has become less intimidating with the advances in technology, but the second shot, with any club, is still incredibly difficult to judge. A birdie here is as rare as hen’s teeth and a par is more than acceptable in any situation.

Then to finish it is possibly the most iconic drive in golf, off the 18th tee – Tom Morris.

The widest fairway in world golf suddenly can become much narrower in the mind when the pressure is on, and with the town in the background, the R&A Clubhouse staring you in the face and the throngs of spectators down the Links Road, this is a time to breathe and focus.

Many of the competitors, with the right wind conditions, will drive this 357-yard hole, but the Valley of Sin and a difficult green to read stop it from being a total pushover.

Some of the most iconic moments in the game have taken place on this green, and once again on Sunday evening it will be the final moments of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship which will stick in our minds for another 12 months.