Alfred Dunhill Links Championship celebrity twist

This Thursday will see some famous celebrities star alongside the golf pros in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

Open Champion Padraig Harrington may be the top golf professional in the field but the Irishman will have to share the limelight with the likes of TV stars Hugh Grant, Luke Wilson and John O’Hurley

Footballers Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, and Jamie Redknapp, and retired greats Sir Steve Regrave, Sir Ian Botham and Sir Bobby Charlton will also mix it up alongside Ryder Cuppers Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Oliver Wilson.

Cricket legend Shane Warne will know all about using spin to great effect and former England captain Michael Vaughan joins some of the sport’s stars such as South African Shaun Pollock and India’s Kapil Dev.

The championship was conceived as a celebration of links golf and is played over three of the world’s best known links courses – the Old Course at St Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Although there is a light-hearted element to the event, prize money still totals US$5 million and no professional will want to be upstaged in their own ‘backyard’.

But with many of the amateurs being fairly accomplished, there could be a shock or two – Samuel L Jackson has used the big screen to make one or two references to his beloved golf.

The format will see 168 teams of one professional and one amateur contest the first three rounds, with one round being played at each of the three courses in rotation.

Professionals will compete in one competition and a team event will be played concurrently, with the field being reduced to 60 professionals and ties after 54 holes, plus 20 leading teams.

The Old Course at St Andrews, normally renown for hosting Open Championships, will then stage the finale on Sunday.