Padraig Harrington will defend the 2003 dunhill links championship against a strong field including reigning Open Champion Ernie Els and other Major Championship winners Retief Goosen, Nick Price and Vijay Singh.
The field is further strengthened by players such as Paul Casey, twice a winner on The 2003 European Tour International Schedule, Stephen Leaney, runner-up to Jim Furyk in the US Open last month and seven time Volvo Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie.
The tournament, which was conceived as a celebration of links golf, will be played over three of the world’’s best known and respected links courses: The Old Course at St Andrews; the Championship Course at Carnoustie; and the highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links, from September 25-28.
A field of 168 teams of one professional and one amateur are to contest the first three rounds, with one round being played at each of the three links courses in rotation. Two competitions are played concurrently – Professional Individual and Team.
The team score will be the best net score of the two players at each hole. After 54 holes the field reduces to the leading 60 professionals and ties plus the 20 leading teams, all of whom play the final round over the Old Course at St. Andrews. A list of entries in this year’’s championship will be released in September.
There was double celebration for Harrington last year. He proved himself the master of links golf by beating Argentina’’s Eduardo Romero to win the championship at the second extra hole of a sudden-death play-off over the Old Course at St Andrews.
In the team competition Harrington also took the first prize, winning the pro-am element by six shots. Harrington’’s partner, Irish businessman JP McManus, said: “This is a day that I’’ll never forget. It’’s a memory for the rocking chair time to come, and now that Padraig and I have got the double we really have something to celebrate – and we will!”
Prize money will be US$5million (approx. €4,336,192 / £3,022,000) with US$4,800,000 (approx. €4,162,745 / £2,901,100) rewarding the leading 70 pros based on their individual scores, and a further US$200,000 (approx. €173,440 / £120,890) for the professionals on the leading 20 teams. First place in the individual competition will be an end of season bonanza of US$800,000 (approx. €693,765 / £483,550).
Play will be in four-ball groups and, in order to accommodate as many players as practical, all four rounds will start from both the first and tenth tees at all courses.
Eligibility for the 168 professional field will be as follows:
- The top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings at August 25, 2003
- The leading 12 players from within the top 20 of each of the final 2002 Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit, the final 2002 Australasian Tour Order of Merit, and the 2002/2003 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, who are not otherwise qualified from the Official World Golf Ranking
- 20 sponsor invitations
- Balance of the field will be completed in accordance with the 2002 European Tour Exemption Category List
The dunhill links championship will be televised live on SKY SPORTS TV, the Golf Channel in the USA and Japan, on M-Net in South Africa and in another 120 countries.
Entrance to the dunhill links championship is complimentary on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the tournament. A ticket price of £15 (concessionary £8) will be charged for Sunday. Under 16’’s and students are free. Parking is free. A free bus service will operate between courses.
Tickets are available through the ticket hotline on 0870 010 9021.
