European Tour: Half of Ryder Cup Team to Compete at Dunhill Links
This week on the European Tour, a strong field will descend upon Scotland for an event held at three of the world’s most historic tracks.
For six of the 12 European Ryder Cup team members, the focus will shift from playing in one of golf’s most historic events to playing some of golf’s most historic tracks. A relatively new tournament to the European Tour dating back only to 2001, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has quickly gained notoriety for its strong fields, its entertaining pro-am competition and its three spectacular venues in Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and St Andrews.
Speaking of the strong field, the Ryder Cup contingent includes Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood, Danny Willett, Martin Kaymer and Thomas Pieters, whose 4-1 record at Hazeltine National and torrid play this summer tags him as a favorite going into the week. These players will look to shake off the 17-11 loss to Team USA by winning a tournament of their own.
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At No. 9 in the world, Willett is the highest-ranked player in the field. He’ll be glad to return to home soil after a week of heckling from American fans, made worse by his brother’s critical comments about the rowdy galleries. After posting an 0-3 record, a return to stroke play could do the Englishman some good.
Ten other former European Ryder Cup team members are also in the field, and they will seek to waste no time proving their mettle to get back on the 2018 team for Paris. Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson head the list of those most likely to climb back onto the roster.
European captain Darren Clarke also planned on competing, but he was not included on the most recent entry list.
No American Ryder Cuppers entered this event, though Brandt Snedeker will take something of a playing vacation at the Fiji International, an event co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.
All but one of the 14 past champions of the ADLC are in the field, with the lone exception of Colin Montgomerie, who comfortably resides on the Champions Tour these days. Ryder Cup vice-captain Padraig Harrington is teeing it up this week and is the lone multiple winner of this event (2002 and 2006).
Last year saw Thorbjorn Olesen (-18) come out on top, edging out Americans Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud (-16). The victory netted a €708,171 payday for the Dane, a top prize that has been upped to €711,073 for this year.
This year’s pro-am lacks the star power of names like Michael Phelps or Samuel L. Jackson, who have competed in the past, but there will still be plenty of familiar faces on hand to provide some additional entertainment. Andy Garcia, Greg Kinnear, Huey Lewis, Hugh Grant and Kyle MacLachlan, among others, will all tee it up in Scotland this week.
Competitors will rotate between each of the three courses, with a 54-hole cut preceding the final round at St Andrews.
Only four more weeks of play remain on the European Tour schedule before the Final Series of the Race to Dubai begins in November.
Who will come out on top this week? Are you excited about watching golf at historic venues like St Andrews and Carnoustie even when it’s not for a major? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook, and keep it here at PGN for more European Tour updates.
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