THE 17TH HOLE OF THE OLD COURSE BATHES IN GOLDEN AUTUMNAL SUNSHINE ON MONDAY EVENING PHOTO BY MATT HOOPER
28 SEPTEMBER, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER: AFTER A PERIOD WHICH HAS BEEN UNSETTLING IT IS ALWAYS COMFORTING TO COME HOME. 2022 HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST TURBULENT YEARS IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT, BUT IN THIS ERA OF MASSIVE CHANGE, THE OLD COURSE IS A CONSTANT. THE COURSE WILL FOR SURE PLAY VERY DIFFERENTLY TO HOW IT DID IN JULY'S 150TH OPEN, WITH GREENER, SOFTER CONDITIONS, AND BLUSTERY WEATHER FORECAST OVER THE NEXT FOUR DAYS.
THERE IS ALWAYS MUCH TALK ABOUT THE OLD COURSE'S SUITABILITY FOR A MODERN CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT IT NEVER FAILS TO DELIVER A COMPELLING EVENT, AND THIS IS CERTAINLY WHAT WE ARE IN FOR THIS WEEK. WE HAVE A DYNAMIC FIELD WHICH INCLUDES SEVERAL OF THE CONTENDERS TO BE DP WORLD TOUR NUMBER ONE, INCLUDING THE LEADER, RORY MCILROY, AND WE HAVE STRONG HOME CONTENDERS LED BY ROBERT MACINTYRE, EWEN FERGUSON AND CALUM HILL. WE HAVE LOCAL INTEREST IN CONNOR SYME, RUSSELL CHRYSTIE AND LAIRD SHEPHERD, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL NOTABLE LIV GOLF MEMBERS WHICH IS SURE TO ADD A BIT OF SPICE AND INTRIGUE. LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN, BRANDEN GRACE AND CHARL SCHWARTZEL HAVE REGULARLY COMPETED IN THE EVENT BACKED BY SOUTH AFRICAN JOHANN RUPERT, AND ONCE THE INJUNCTION WAS LIFTED ON LIV GOLF MEMBERS IN JULY IT ALWAYS SEEMED LIKELY THEY WOULD ENTER THIS EVENT.
RUSSELL CHRYSTIE DURING PRACTICE ON THE OLD COURSE ON MONDAY PHOTO BY MATT HOOPER
AS EVER THE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP HAS THROWN TOGETHER SOME EXCITING PAIRINGS, WITH OUR LOCAL FAVOURITES EACH HAVING A STAR TEAM MATE. RUSSELL CHRYSTIE WILL PLAY ALONGSIDE DAVE FARRELL, LAIRD SHEPHERD WILL PLAY ALONGSIDE JOE ROOT AND CONNOR SYME WAS DRAW TO PLAY IN A TEAM WITH RONAN KEATING. AS USUAL RORY MCILROY WILL PLAY ALONGSIDE HIS FATHER GERRY, WHILE THE US OPEN CHAMPION MATT FITZPATRICK WILL PLAY ALONGSIDE HIS MOTHER SUSAN. THE TEAM ELEMENT OF THIS EVENT IS SADLY OVERSHADOWED BY THE INDIVIDUAL EVENT, LARGELY DUE TO THE ORGANISERS STRUGGLING TO ATTRACT NEW, FRESH FACES TO ENTER THE CHAMPIONSHIP. THE LIKES OF MICHAEL JORDAN HAVE PLAYED IN THE EVENT BEFORE, AS HAS JAMIE DORNAN, BUT EVEN THEIR FAME IS WANING AMONG THE GENERATION OF YOUNGSTERS TODAY. IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP COULD FORM ALLIANCES WITH SPORTS LEAGUES ACROSS THE WORLD, AND ATTRACT CURRENT STARS OR RECENTLY RETIRED SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN.
WITH MUCH ON THE LINE AT BOTH ENDS OF THE DP WORLD TOUR RANKINGS THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP WILL, AS USUAL, BE A PIVOTAL EVENT FOR THE HOPES OF MANY IN THE FIELD AS THE DP WORLD TOUR SEASON NEARS ITS CONCLUSION. I WILL BE AT CARNOUSTIE ALL DAY ON THURSDAY TO COVER THE STAR NAMES INCLUDING MCILROY AND LOWRY, AND THEN ON FRIDAY I WILL BE AT KINGSBARNS. ON SATURDAY I'LL BE AT KINGSBARNS IN THE MORNING TO COVER THE LOCAL INTEREST STORIES OF CHRYSTIE, SYME AND SHEPHERD, AND THEN RETURN TO ST ANDREWS FOR THE AFTERNOON AND THE STARS ON WHAT IS A SUPER SATURDAY IN ST ANDREWS.
THE TRADITIONAL FIREWORKS DISPLAY IS SCHEDULED FOR 8.25PM ON SATURDAY EVENING AND THEN I'LL BE ON THE OLD COURSE FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET FOR THE FINAL DAY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP. DAILY REPORTS AND IMAGES ON SHANKMEDIA.CO.UK, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER, AND BEHIND THE SCENES REELS ON INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK AND FACEBOOK.
PLAY BEGINS AT 9AM ON THURSDAY OFF TWO TEES ON ALL THREE COURSES, AND SKY SPORTS GOLF'S LIVE COVERAGE BEGINS AT 12PM.
