Ryder Cup heroes set for Dunhill action

Golf: Kingsbarns is the place to be tomorrow if you want to salute Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes

Pádraig Harrington celebrates after holing a putt on the first green during the practice round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns Golf Links in Scotland. (Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images)
Pádraig Harrington celebrates after holing a putt on the first green during the practice round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns Golf Links in Scotland. (Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images)

Golf:Kingsbarns is the place to be tomorrow if you want to salute Europe's Ryder Cup heroes. Nine of the team, plus captain Colin Montgomerie and assistants Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke, all play their first round of the Dunhill Links Championship at the course just down the coast from St Andrews.

In the pro-am format, Montgomerie is playing with his brother Douglas and match-winning hero Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy with their fathers Kenny and Gerry.

Brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari play in the same fourball - Edoardo’s amateur partner is Gianfranco Zola - and Celtic Manor partners Pádraig Harrington and Ross Fisher are put back together.

Lee Westwood, who needs a top-two finish to replace Tiger Woods as world number one, plays alongside stablemate McIlroy and has tournament chairman Johann Rupert as his partner.

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The only members of the side not in the event are Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

St Andrews and Carnoustie are the other two courses being used again, with Sunday’s final round taking place at the Home of Golf.

The Dunhill holds a rather unique format on the European Tour, given that it is played over three courses – Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie - before the final round takes place on the Old Course at St Andrews.

It is also different to a regular tour event due to the pro-am format where 168 professionals will play alongside 168 amateur partners with matches played in fourballs (two teams).

Two competitions run concurrently; an individual 72-hole strokeplay event for professionals and a team event with best net score of the team (amateur and professional) at each hole.

After three days, when all pro-am teams have played the three courses, a cut will be made to the leading 60 professionals and those tying for 60th place, plus a cut to the top 20 teams.

It means there will be some professionals making the cut by virtue of their team position only, not on their individual score. These professionals will only be competing for the team prize fund on the final day.

Aside from the Irish involved at Celtic Manor, a large number of other home players will be in action at the €3.6million event on the east coast of Scotland. They include; Shane Lowry, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin, Gary Murphy and Simon Thornton.