Monday, September 21st, 2009
The ninth annual Dunhill Links Championship, the UK’s premier pro-am golf tournament will take place from October 1 – 4. As usual, the tournament will be played on three of Scotland’s top links courses, The Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, with the final round being played on the Old Course. In 2001 the inaugural Dunhill Links Championship was played as a celebration of links golf and this is still the essence of the tournament to this day. The combination of The Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns surely incorporates all the splendid qualities of links golf. With the rich history of The Old Course and Carnoustie along with the splendid views at the newer links at Kingsbarns, it is hard to imagine a stronger mix of links golf in the entire world. The magnificent trio will once again stand to be a true and fair test of golf.
Past Open Champions Padraig Harrington (2007 Carnoustie, 2008 Royal Birkdale) and Ernie Els (2002 Muirfield) head a talented list of professionals who will be competing for the five million dollar purse. Other professionals in the strong international field will include past Dunhill Links Champions Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie along with rising star Rory Mcllroy and tour veterans Darren Clarke and Jose Maria Olazabal.
Along with the individual professional tournament, there is also a team competition in which the tour pros are paired with some of the world’s most celebrated amateurs. In 2001 and 2006 Padraig Harrington won both competitions! Celebrity amateurs entered into this year’s tournament include actors Samuel L Jackson and Hugh Grant, professional athletes Wladimir Klitschko and Marcus Allen, and musicians Huey Lewis and Tico Torres. With free entrance for the first three rounds, this rare combination of pro golfers and celebrities provides local fans with a unique opportunity to walk alongside and interact with their idols.
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Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Turnberry Ailsa - 11th Hole
The 138th Open has started today at the Turnberry Resort on Scotland’s west coast. The build-up and ‘Phoney War’ of the past few days (during which more media attention seems to have concentrated on the tiff between former champion Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie than the forthcoming championship) is now past and the ‘serious’ business has begun.
The fabulous Ailsa Course (Par 70, 7200 yards) is ready to test the world’s best players, and find out their weaknesses. Arguably the most scenically-stunning layout of the Open rota, the course now has many more teeth – in the form of additional fairway and greenside bunkering as well as more length. The 16th has undergone the most radical changes of all – a previously straight hole is now a left-to-right dogleg, making Wilson’s Burn in front of the green a greater lateral hazard than before. Expect this hole to dish out a lot of punishment!
A warm, wet Spring and early Summer has also ensured that the rough is high and fierce. Doug Sander’s comment during the 1966 Open at Muirfield: “give me the hay concession and you can keep the prize-money” comes to mind. If the wind blows at all there will be lost balls and tears before bedtime for a few players!
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