This year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is more like ‘Father and Son’ week with many of the world’s leading golfers enticing their fathers to compete in the $US 5m event.
Heading the ‘Father and Son’ combination is defending champion, Martin Kaymer who has his father, Horst as his amateur team mate.
Gary and Graeme McDowell with Rory and Gerry McDowell at Carnoustie. (Photo - Stuart Adams/www.golffile.ie)
Horst Kaymer caddied for his eldest son, Michael last year but this year the Mettman Golf Club member is the one teeing-up over four days on the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
Other ‘Father and Son’ pairings include:-
Rory McIlroy and father, Gerry. Gerry McIlroy celebrated his 50th birthday in 2009 playing alongside his only son.
Charl Schwartzel and father, George. George played the Sunshine Tour for a couple of years in the late 1970s where he met Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler and they’re remained friends ever since. He is a member of the Maccauviei Golf Club and plays off a handicap of 10.
Ernie Els and father Neels. Neels Els is no stranger to the Alfred Dunhill Links. He’s a self-proclaimed ‘golf nut’. During the 2002 event he and his youngest child, Ernie had to race south from St. Andrews by private plane at 6am to get to a Guilford hospital for the birth of Ernie’s son, Ben Neels Els.
And not to be outdone, there is a number of players including 2010 Major Champions Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen who will have their brothers as amateur partners.
Also World No. 4 Dustin Johnson will have his younger brother, Austin as his partner.
McDowell’s older brother Gary is a greenkeeper at the Rathmore Club at Royal Portrush.
On the day McDowell won the U.S. Open, Gary McDowell captured the Rathmore Club open club competition. However Gary McDowell, who plays off a four handicap, suffered sunstroke when he caddied for his famous brother during the Shell Houston Open.
Louis Oosthuizen and older brother, Rikus who is a farmer on the Garden Route in South Africa and plays golf at Albertina. He recalls how Louis accidently hit him with a golf ball when he was 19.
And Schwartzel explained the delight in having his father beside him in one of the biggest events on the European Tour.
“My dad is very excited and he’s been texting ‘Chubby’ (Andrew Chandler) for about two weeks now, they way they have been winding each other up as they go back a long way,” said Schwartzel.
“It’s the first time for my dad plying overseas.
“We played a practice round on the Old Course and he was in his element. And my advice to him is to just enjoy it.
“For an amateur to play, it’s an experience. It’s just going to come to you and you just have to enjoy the week.”
