Golf: Dunhill links championship to get go-ahead

Scottish golf fans will, after all, have a second chance to show what they think of the Dunhill Links Championship, Britain’s richest-ever golf event.

Precious few of them turned out for the inaugural staging of the £3.5m celebrity pro-am in October, but was it simply because of bad weather (an extra day was needed to finish) or were they not excited by a format which saw the stars spread across St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns?

The sponsors kept the European tour on tenterhooks by asking for the tournament to be taken off the 2002 schedule five weeks ago.

But yesterday they decided they would make their massive investment again on the same three courses, but three weeks earlier on October 3-6.

It will be a test of the Scottish public’s golfing appetite. There is the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on July 11-14, the Open at Muirfield the following week and the Scottish PGA championship at Gleneagles on August 22-25.

Championship committee spokesman Iain Banner said: ‘‘The overwhelming support for the event from both professional and amateur participants alike was the deciding factor.

‘‘We firmly believe that links golf should be promoted and will continue to evaluate all aspects of the tournament with a view to building it into the premier links championship on the international golfing calendar.’’

Ken Schofield, executive director of the European Tour, said: ‘‘We welcome the confirmation that the Dunhill links championship, won so superbly by Paul Lawrie in October, will retain its place on the tour’s international schedule.

‘‘Every tour member and every amateur will also welcome the news, as will all whose intention it is to compete in the championship next year and beyond.

‘‘Alfred Dunhill Ltd’s support to golf over the past 17 years has been outstanding and the European tour feels extremely fortunate and proud to be part of their continuing involvement, investment and expansion, which is significant to us and to the world of golf in general.’’

The event immediately follows the Ryder Cup at The Belfry and the sponsors will doubtless be hoping that some of the American side stay on an extra week.

Paul Lawrie will be the defending champion, having won the £551,000 first prize by holing a 40-foot putt from the Valley of Sin to pip Ernie Els. It was later named the tour’s Shot of the Year.