Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2015

USPA NEWS - Alfred Dunhill Links celebrates 15th year of sport and camaraderie. As the first tee shot is struck at St Andrews on October 1, the world of golf will celebrate a historic moment, the 15th staging of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

A celebration of links golf, which many believe is the purest form of the game, the event is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the European Tour, played over three magnificent links courses - the Old Course, St Andrews, the Championship Course, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns.

For golfers around the world, St Andrews, the Home of Golf, is simply unique. Golf has been played over these historic links for hundreds of years and the Alfred Dunhill Links has become a part of the present day story of golf in this enchanting place. Carnoustie is one of the most formidable challenges in the world, a classic test for even the best golfers, who all hope that they play the course on a tranquil day.

Kingsbarns is a new classic, it may be just 15 years old, but it plays like a long standing and traditional links course.

A new and unique format when it was introduced in 2001, with teams of two, a professional paired with an amateur, running alongside the traditional 72-hole format, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the only major professional tournament now played every year at St Andrews.

One of the things which has made the tournament unique and helps to explain its growing appeal is the playing roster, which, over 15 years, has included Rory McIlroy, Sir Nick Faldo, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, Vijah Singh, Steve Elkington, Fred Douples, Sandy Lyle, Dustin Johnson and Paul Lawrie. They have been teamed up with some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment such as Michael Douglas, Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant, Andy Garcia, Jamie Dornan, Bill Murray and Damian Lewis.

Also sharing the fairways have been sporting greats like Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Ian Botham, Michael Phelps, Boris Becker, Ruud Gullit, Johan Cruyff and Shane Warne.

The winners have included some of the biggest names in golf ““ Harrington, Westwood, Montgomerie, Kaymer, Lawrie.

One of the joys of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the international nature of the field, as players from all over the world come to the Home of Golf to enjoy great sport and the unique camaraderie.

In its 15 years, the Alfred Dunhill Links has proved to be far more than a golf championship; it has raised significant amounts of money for charity. Among the current principal beneficiaries are four incredibly worthwhile causes: the University of St Andrews; the Pilgrim Foundation, which protects and restores the wonderful old buildings in the town of St Andrews; the South African Golf Development Board, which helps to give talented young players access to the game in South Africa; and the Scottish Golf Union, which helps to nurture young Scottish golfing talent.

Scottish golf legend and former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance says: “The Alfred Dunhill Cup was one of the most enjoyable events each year and now you look at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and it is equally as good, if not better. Dunhill´s support for golf and golf in Scotland has been amazing.“

Hollywood actor Andy Garcia says: “I love golf in Scotland. Everyone there has an overwhelming love of the game, so it´s the culture. It´s an extraordinary sublime experience that I have the great privilege of being a part of and I appreciate Dunhill´s commitment to golf in Scotland.“