Dunhill’s new lease of life

THE DUNHILL Links Championship, which came to a triumphant end on Sunday for the born again Lee Westwood, is set to continue in its present format for at least another 12 months.

The event has come in for some fierce criticism since it replaced the old Dunhill Cup on the schedule in 2000. Indeed, the sponsors were so upset by many of the comments after the inaugural “celebration of links golf” that they seriously considered ending it there and then.

However, they hung in and the thrilling finish involving Westwood and Ernie Els coupled with the victory of Sam and Daniel Torrance in the team section seems to have invigorated new life into the format.

Certainly, you won’t hear too many professionals complaining. Quite simply, they love playing for sums of money in the region of €4.3million while enjoying a week of lavish luxury in the “home of golf”. Nor have they anything against returning to the type of courses they all too rarely play these days.

Links golf should be the essence of the European game but far too often they are asked to perform on what are little more imaginative than poorly converted hayfields. This is especially the case in Germany.

Contrast that to the satisfaction to be derived from tackling Open Championship lay-outs of the tradition and stature of Carnoustie and St Andrews.

There IS no comparison. And then there’s Kingsbarns. Only six or seven years old, this is a real beauty, set on a majestic site some eight miles from St Andrews and boasting views that put you readily in mind of renowned venues such as Pebble Beach and Cypress Point.

I have little doubt that the par 5 12th will, in a very short time, be regarded as one of the great holes in golf.

Irish professionals Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke absolutely revelled in playing all four days with their distinguished amateur partners JP McManus and Dermot Desmond.

The quartet had an absolute ball and will certainly be back to enjoy a similar happy relationship in 12 months’ time.

“Going out in the last match at St Andrews as an amateur playing off 9 can’t be bad,” said Desmond. “I was more nervous playing with my sons in the father and son. When you’re playing with your sons, it’s the biggest thing in your life.

"Going out with Darren and Lee Westwood on Sunday, I was a kind of Chandler sandwich, and it was a nice kind of pressure. You don’t want to do anything that might upset them or irritate them. Most professional golfers are pretty volatile but these were lovely people.

“Darren for me had the right temperament throughout the week. He gave it full concentration and played superb golf. After that, he can’t have any anger or disappointment.

“Disappointment, surely, because he didn’t get better results but not disappointed at how he played and how he performed. He was a wonderful partner and gave me tremendous help on the greens and on the course all the way around.

“He was a gentleman to play with and I’d like to play with him any day of the week.

“I’ll be back here. The Dunhill people do a wonderful job and their tournament is certainly on a par with the AT & T event on the US Tour at Pebble Beach.”

Harrington was just as effusive when describing how much he enjoyed his partnership with JP McManus: “He played great and got no rewards. He had a few lessons from my coach, Bob Torrance, and is now hitting the ball better than he has ever done.

"He created a lot of chances. Last year, he holed the shorter putts but because he is playing so well now that he is hitting more greens and so doesn’t have so many short ones any longer. Last year he was chipping and putting; now he’s hitting it closer.”

Desmond and McManus are, of course, the best of friends. Dermot would love to have emulated JP as the Dunhill champion but it was not to be as Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance and his 15-year-old son Daniel took the plaudits.

And, like Harrington, Desmond was much taken by JP’s golf, especially the way he played the famous 17th at St Andrews on Friday.

“He hit a seven wood in there and it was a staggering shot,” he said. “But he also made four there last year when Padraig took six. So I think I’ll have to go and make a bid for the 17th and bring it to Martinstown, JP loves it so much.”

On Dermot Desmond, with whom he played for three days, Padraig commented: “He is much sharper when he’s depended upon. Like on 18 on Friday, Darren made five but Dermot just took over and sank a six footer for par. That sums him up.”

And then there was JP’s way of talking about his week ... “They’re lovely lads to play with. Even when things are not going well, their problem is not anybody else’s.”