Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion, returns to his scene of triumph at Carnoustie when he joins a host of Scottish golfing stars who have signed up for this year's new Dunhill Links Championship, to be played from October 18-21, over The Old Course, St Andrews; the Kingsbarns Golf Links; as well as the Championship Course at Carnoustie.
Leading the list of Scottish entries are Irish Open and Volvo Masters Champion Colin Montgomerie, European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, Volvo PGA Champion Andrew Oldcorn and Great North Open Champion Andrew Coltart. Also in the field are local heroes Gary Orr, Dean Robertson, Alastair Forsyth, Gordon Brand Jnr, Stephen Gallacher and Raymond Russell.
They will be teeing off on three of the world's greatest courses, recently announced in the US Golf Magazine as being ranked within the top 50 courses in the world. The Old Course at St Andrews was placed 5th, Carnoustie 22nd and Kingsbarns Golf Links 46th.
Iain Banner, Dunhill Links Championship Committee Member is delighted that there is such strong Scottish support. He said:
"We are delighted that so many Scottish players are supporting this new format event. With sporting heroes including Gavin Hastings and Kenny Dalglish confirming to fly the flag for Scotland, this golf tournament looks set to be one of the most prestigious collections of local sporting talent."
The Dunhill Links Championship, conceived as a celebration of links golf, involves 156 teams of one professional and one amateur. They will contest the first three rounds on the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns Golf Links. Two competitions will be played concurrently - Professional Individual and Team. The leading 60 professionals and ties plus the 20 leading teams will play the final round over the Old Course at St. Andrews.
The Dunhill Links Championship will be televised from all three golf courses on all four days on SKY SPORTS TV. For further information on the event and the schedule of play please log into the official tournament website www.dunhilllinks.com.
Tickets will be available through the Ticket Hotline on 0870 010 9021 or through the Pro Shops at the Old Course Hotel, the Carnoustie Hotel and the Kingsbarns Clubhouse. Under 18's and students will be admitted free. Car Parking will be free.