Michael Douglas to star at Dunhill Links

Hollywood stars Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia join a world-class field of professionals, led by three of this year’s major championship winners – Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Charl Schwartzel – for this week’s prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Michael Douglas has starred in a succession of blockbuster films including Romancing the Stone, Wall Street, Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Disclosure and Traffic. 

He has won three Golden Globes and two Oscars, first as producer of 1975’s Best Picture, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and then as Best Actor in 1987 for his role as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. 

He said: “I am delighted to be coming back to St Andrews to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. It’s been a few years since I played! I love the place and the atmosphere and I have missed it a lot.

“It has been an eventful time for me recently, but I am feeling good and I am looking forward to an excellent week on some of the greatest links courses in the world.”

Andy Garcia has appeared in many successful films, including The Untouchables, The Godfather III, Internal Affairs, Hero and When a Man Loves a Woman. One of his most popular performances came as a Las Vegas casino owner in Ocean’s Eleven.

Other celebs on show will include Hugh Grant, rock music legends Don Felder, Huey Lewis and Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres, popular radio presenter Chris Evans and sporting knights Sir Ian Botham, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Matthew Pinsent and Sir Steve Redgrave who lead a locker room full of sporting heroes, including Dutch football legends Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit, former England player Jamie Redknapp and Scottish defender Alan Hansen.

The amateurs will be playing in one of the strongest fields ever assembled for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which starts on Thursday.

In addition to Darren Clarke, who won an emotional Open Championship at the age of 42 in July, fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, runaway winner of the US Open, and US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel from South Africa, the line-up includes current world No 1 and No 2, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood and world No 6 Dustin Johnson.

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. 

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.

Entrance will be FREE at all three courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A ticket price of £15 (concessionary £10) will be charged for the final day’s play over the Old Course on Sunday. Entry for under 16s and students is free. Tickets are available through the ticket hotline on 0870 010 9021 or at the entrance gates.