STARS
POISED TO SHINE AT THE HOME OF GOLF
IN THE
ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
- Leading
amateurs join top professionals in celebration of links golf - Played over
the Old Course at St
Andrews, Carnoustie
and Kingsbarns - Championship
dates: Thursday, October 2 - Sunday, October 5, 2008 - Entrance to
courses FREE for spectators on first three days
Many of the greatest professional golfers and some of
the best known amateurs from the worlds of entertainment and sport are set to
return to St
Andrews, the Home
of Golf, this autumn to do battle in the 2008 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
from October 2-5.
The Old Course at St Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and the
highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links will once again play host to the competition
during the first three days, with the final day's action focused solely on the
Old Course.
The championship, conceived as a celebration of links
golf, is one of the highlights of the European Tour. It was won last year by England's Nick Dougherty, after a close finish in
which he had to hold off challenges from some of the world's best golfing
talents, including Ernie Els, Justin Rose and exciting newcomer Rory McIlroy,
from Northern Ireland.
Dougherty will be back this autumn in St Andrews to defend his title against another world
class field.
Dougherty
said: "To win the
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship you have to beat one of the best fields of
the year. It's one of the biggest events
on the European Tour which attracts the stronger players. I am really looking forward to returning to St Andrews this autumn and hopefully I will be able
to carry my good form of last year into the championship."
Alongside the leading golfers who competed in last
year's championship were a number of big name amateurs including Hollywood
stars Dennis Hopper, Samuel L Jackson, Kyle MacLachlan and popular British
actor Hugh Grant.
Also playing were American actor Bill Murray,
Fife-born film star Dougray Scott, and US TV celebrity Ray Romano from
‘Everybody Loves Raymond'. They were
joined by music stars Don Felder of the Eagles, Ronan Keating, Huey Lewis and
Tico Torres of Bon Jovi.
Legendary British sport stars Sir Ian Botham, Sir
Bobby Charlton and Sir Steve Redgrave also played last year, alongside football
legends Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit and Matthew Le Tissier, Wimbledon tennis hero
Boris Becker, cricket captains Michael Vaughan from England and Steve Waugh
from Australia, South African rugby giant Morné du Plessis, American Football's
renowned running back Marcus Allen and Austria's Olympic gold medal downhill
skier Franz Klammer.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has a unique
format. With a prize fund of US$5 million, it incorporates two separate
competitions - an individual professional tournament for the world's leading
golfers and a team event in which they are paired with some of the most
celebrated amateur golfers.
Entrance to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
will be FREE at all three courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A ticket
price of £15 (concessionary £10) will be charged for the final day's play over
the Old Course on Sunday, October 7. Entry for under 16s and students is
free. Tickets are available through the ticket hotline on 0870 010
9021 or at the entrance gates. There is free parking for spectators and a
free shuttle bus service will be in operation between the courses on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday.
LLauren
Fourie, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Media Office
Email: [email protected]
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