Renowned Crail caddy, Davy Sharp helped steer Traveller’s Championship winner Ken Duke to make the most of a disruptive pre-event preparation to shoot a three under par 69 on day oneof the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
Duke, 44 arrived in Glasgow from Miami on Monday but without his golf clubs or luggage to compete in the $5m event for a first time and on the three host courses of the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns also for a first occasion.
Davy Sharp (left) alongside your author at the Masters;
Ken Duke ends a run of 187 Tour events to win this year’s Travellers Championship on the PGA Tour.
However with the Davy Sharp this year’s oldest winner on the PGA Tour managed five birdies and two bogeys in the bright but windy conditions at Kingsbarns.
It left the Hope, Arkansas-born player, whose victory in June was his first in 187 starts on the PGA Tour, trailing five shots behind five players who lead the field on eight under par.
“It wasn’t the best of preparations arriving here without my golf clubs or luggage and while they arrived late Monday night it meant I am really playing the three courses blind,” said Duke.
“Three under par was a good score but it could have easily been a lot lower but thanks to David help we managed a 69 so it’s something we can build on.”
It is Duke’s second visit to Scotland this year after finishing well down the field behind fellow American Phil Mickelson in the (British) Open Championship at Muirfield.
Duke has contested three other (British) Open Championship’s since his debut in 1986 but never at St. Andrews or Carnoustie where he will compete respectively over the next two days.
The Palm City, Florida-based golfer ended the PGA Tour season 32nd on the FedEx Cup and in a season where he competed in 28 events and earning $US 1.7m in prize money.
“I’ve played a lot of events this year but after winning the Travellers I just kept playing but found myself getting very tired,” he said.
“So after this event I am going to play a couple of events in the Falls Series in Las Vegas and Sea Island and then I’m looking forward to taking some time off before playing in Hawaii at the start of the New Year.”
The five players heading the Scotland field are Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka, Chilean Mark Tullo and the England trio of Richard McEvoy, Tom Lewis and Oliver Wilson.
