By Will Pearson, europeantour.com
in St Andrews
Oliver Wilson will launch his defence of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in the company of Ryder Cup star Stephen Gallacher plus amateur partners and former footballers Alan Hansen and Andriy Schevchenko when play begins in the unique pro-am event on Thursday.
Twelve months ago, England’s Wilson claimed a fairy-tale first European Tour title after finishing runner-up a record nine times previously and he will start his bid to become the first player to retain the Dunhill Links title in the coveted company of home favourite Gallacher plus former Scotland and Liverpool centre-back Hansen and 2004 Ballon D’Or winner Schevchenko.
That fourball will take on the Old Course at St Andrews first up from 1017 local time before progressing over the next two days to the revered layouts of Carnoustie and the modern style Kingsbarns in this unique celebration of Scottish links golf.
Elsewhere, 2013 runner-up Peter Uihlein, who lost out in a play-off to David Howell two years ago, will have the envious eyes of millions of women around the world upon him when he takes to the Old Course at 0922 on Thursday alongside 50 Shades of Grey heart-throb Jamie Dornan in a group completed by five-time European Tour winner Ross Fisher and his amateur partner, five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave.
In a mouth-watering fourball for football fans, Alejandro Canizares and Matteo Manassero have heady company on the Old Course from 1006 on Thursday as they entertain, respectively, three-time European Footballer of the Year Johan Cruyff and FIFA World Cup winner and Dunhill Links debutant Alessandro Del Piero.
Meanwhile, England’s Eddie Pepperell has former England cricket star Kevin Pietersen for company on these cherished fairways from 1101 while fellow former Ashes adversaries Shane Warne and Michael Vaughan are again pitted against each other from 1028 alongside professionals Wade Ormsby and New Zealander Ryan Fox.
In an all Hollywood encounter, American film star Andy Garcia goes head-to-head with England’s Hugh Grant with professional partners and compatriots David Horsey and the aforementioned Howell, winner here two years ago, from 1123.
Two-time Major winner Martin Kaymer has his father Horst for partner this week and the German pair kick off at Carnoustie from 1017 while Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood are joined by Dunhill boss Johann Rupert and music star Ronan Keating at the Angus venue from 1028.
Elsewhere, Graeme McDowell starts at Carnoustie from 1123 in the company of tournament debutant and horse racing legend AP McCoy while 2012 winner Branden Grace is off at 1039 with the News music star Huey Lewis.
Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen has 11-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater for partner from 0933 at Carnoustie while his compatriot Thomas Bjorn entertains Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode in the following group.
Meanwhile, over at the third of this trio of brilliant links venues that have staged the Dunhill Links each and every year since 2001, Niclas Fasth has another Olympic gold medallist in 1976 downhill ski champion Franz Klammer for the company from 0933.
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