Later this week the victorious members of the European Ryder Cup team will arrive in Scotland to play the Alfred Dunhill Links and the celebrations will undoubtedly continue as Lee Westwood, Peter Hanson, Ross Fisher, Martin Kaymer Edoardo and Francesco Molinari all get back to their day jobs in the latest European Tour event.
Three of the Vice Captains – Thomas Bjørn, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley - also make the trip as does 2010 Captain, Colin Montgomerie.
The Irish interest includes another ten entries - with the Celtic Manor trio of Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington leading the way – followed by Michael Hoey, Shane Lowry, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Gareth Maybin, Simon Thornton and Gary Murphy.
South African Oosthuizen returns to St Andrews, the scene of his greatest triumph in July when he won the Open Championship, to attempt to win his first Alfred Dunhill title.
Oosthuizen said: “It will be wonderful to return to St Andrews so soon after The Open. This is a very special place and walking up the last hole in July was an unforgettable experience. I have loved playing in the Dunhill over the years and it would be great if I could make it a St Andrews double by winning again in October.”
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which celebrates links golf at its finest, is 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. Defending champion is England’s Simon Dyson.
With a prize fund of US$5 million, the championship incorporates two separate competitions - an individual professional tournament for the world's leading golfers and a team event in which the professionals are paired with some of the most celebrated amateur golfers which creates a unique atmosphere.
Among the celebrities who took part last year were film and TV stars Hugh Grant, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez, Kyle MacLachlan, John O’Hurley and Aidan Quinn, and music legends Don Felder, co-writer of Hotel California from the Eagles, Huey Lewis and American country singer Clay Walker.
Four of Britain’s sporting knights – Sir Ian Botham, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Matthew Pinsent and Sir Steve Redgrave - led a locker room full of sporting heroes last year, including Dutch football legends Johann Cruyff and Ruud Gullit, former England player Jamie Redknapp and Scottish star Alan Hansen. Cricketers Mark Nicholas and Michael Vaughan of England and Steve Waugh and Shane Warne of Australia also played.
The first Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was staged in 2001, but Alfred Dunhill’s support for golf at St Andrews, through the Alfred Dunhill Cup, an international team championship that took place from 1985 to 2000, goes back 26 years.
