Recreational basketball players do not venture onto the court and mix it up with the likes of Steph Curry or Lebron James. The same can be said for recreational tennis players venturing onto the court to exchange volleys with Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz.
But golf operates in a unique space. This week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland is front and center in the spotlight for the 23rd time.
Golf events have a long-standing connection in linking those regularly competing at the elite level with those who generally only venture into the recreational lane space.
Pro-ams have been a longtime promotional effort for tournaments in order to build interest in an event. Watching the talents of elite professionals in tandem with stars in other chosen fields such as entertainment, sports, the corporate world has been a mechanism to garner attention for the host event.
This week’s Dunhill event, part of the DP World (formerly European) Tour schedule. has provided a return for a range of people who have not connected since the final round of The Open Championship this past July at Royal Troon.
Interestingly, no less than 25 percent of current LIV Golf players are competing this week in Scotland. Among the most notable are Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, two-time winner Tyrell Hatton, Patrick Reed, and Louis Oosthuizen.
From the PGA Tour side, the most prominent players competing include Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Billy Horschel, and Matthew Fitzpatrick, the 2023 winner.
The most noted pro-am event globally is the AT&T Pebble Beach played around late January or early February. That event is part of the PGA Tour and dates back to 1937 and was the handiwork of noted entertainer Bing Crosby.
Originally hosted in the Southern California area, the event gained major traction when moving to the Monterey Peninsula and featured some of golf’s most notable venues with the likes of Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, and Spyglass Hill.
In years past, the former “Crosby pro-am” was a magnet in drawing the most notable stars in the sport with winners such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods among the roster of champions. But interest waned more recently until the PGA Tour opted to provide a “signature event” status and thereby secured the upper echelon players back into the field.
This week’s Dunhill follows the same formula of the AT&T event. Professionals are paired with amateurs for three rounds (54 holes) with a cut that advances the low 60 professionals and 20 low pro-am teams regardless of whether the professional makes the cut.
Those remaining head into the final 18 holes on Sunday. The venues are some of the most noted links courses in golf with the headliner being The Old Course at St. Andrews which is played twice including the final round. The other two include Carnoustie, a multiple-time venue for The Open Championship and Kingsbarns, the youngest of the trio and the most heralded modern day links course in Scotland.
One of the most watched pairings will include PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Director of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the key man leading LIV Golf.
Monahan is paired with American Bill Horschel, recent winner of the BMM Championship in England, and Al-Rumayyan is with South African Dean Burmester. The groupings begin to play together during the first round at Carnoustie.
Monahan and Al-Rumayyan surprised the golf world in June 2023 with an all-smiles framework agreement in which the two sides pledged to find a resolution to end the separation between the two lead organizations in professional golf.
Prior to that announcement the PGA Tour had taken a firm stance in opposing LIV and suspended those members opting to leave for the Saudi-led effort.
During Saturday’s 3rd round, Monahan will be paired with Rory McIlroy. The third ranked player in the world has pushed publicly for the two sides to make peace and reunite professional golf under one roof.
Nearly all elements of those talks have remained in the shadows but the pairing of the two—via the desire of tournament chairman Johann Rupert—showcases a desire to present a positive public face.
Undoubtedly, the media will be watching closely to see the interactions that take place between the two during the round of golf together.
Beyond the personalities of those participating is the host venues that will showcase Scotland, the home of golf.
The Old Course at St. Andrews is hallowed ground and generally no golf is played on Sundays. The only exception is when the acclaimed layout hosts The Open Championship and the Dunhill Links.
Carnoustie has a justified stern reputation for the consistent demands it presents. The layout is also bolstered by the fact that in his only time participating in The Open, Ben Hogan claimed the Claret Jug there.
In its short existence, Kingsbarns has climbed the ranks in being one of the finest courses in Scotland. The layout was smartly designed by American architect Kyle Phillips and incorporates much of what encapsulates links golf at its core.
The Dunhill has grown considerably in a short time. The conviviality it fosters showcases a far different vibe to what are generally predictable professional events.
Unquestionably, the sport is in need of goodwill between all the key players. The Dunhill, in all its fascinating dimensions, will more than suffice in providing the ideal location at the home of golf for that to hopefully happen.
