For too long Russell Knox has parked himself on the couch watching TV coverage of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Not this year and with Scotland’s leading golfer making his debut appearance in the pro-amateur event starting Thursday on three courses in the east of Scotland.
And while Knox has not previously contested the $5m event, he’s no stranger to the Old Course, Kingsbarns Links and Carnoustie.
He said: “It has always been one of those tournaments that when it comes around each year, I would turn on the TV but then wonder to myself ‘why am I not playing in that?
“I played Kingsbarns many years ago with dad, and a few of his good friends, and it was golfing trip I will never forget.
“I played The Open at St. Andrews a few years back and then it was cool to play The Open last year at Carnoustie.”
Knox struggled on the Old Course at that 2015 Open Championship missing the cut with scores of 72 and 74 while a year ago, the Scot sat out the Carnoustie weekend rounds after a pair of 73s.
He said: “Every time I have stood on the first tee at the Old Course, I have turned into a 20-handicapper (smiling).
“I played a practice round with Bernhard Langer back in ’15 and when the weather was horrific and that was cool to see how he dealt with the conditions in plotting his way around the course.
“I do like the Old Course but I just haven’t quite figured out how to play it properly.
“The toughest of the three Dunhill venues for me will be St. Andrews as I can’t recall ever playing a decent round around there or playing the course in decent weather as it always either pouring rain or blowing like hell (smiling),
“Though the is no course that’s hard when you’re playing well as they’re only hard when you’re playing poorly.”
While Knox is contesting a first Alfred Dunhill Links he’s no stranger to the sister event on the PGA Tour, the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and where earlier this year he finished T14th.
He said: “For the first couple of years in playing at Pebble Beach I didn’t like the event as if you go in with the wrong attitude, you know it’s going to be a very long day out on the golf course.
“You are also going to eat like a pig all the way around (laughing) given the amount of food on offer.
“Though the last couple of years in playing the AT & T, I have enjoyed it a whole lot better while the three host golf courses out there at Pebble are absolutely amazing, and just like St. Andrews, Kingsbarns Links and Carnoustie”.
And in offering any advice to his amateur partners Knox advises: “You have to make sure your amateur partners enjoy the experience.
“There is so many guys out here, and it happens also in the weekly pro-am’s, and that is the players will not interact with their amateur players.
“My advice to them is to try and enjoy it. So many amateurs just get so tight and they don’t try and relax. They have to remember is can be a once-in-a-lifetime’ experience to get onto a golf course playing alongside a tour player.
“So, just enjoy it but remember to get out of the way (laughing).”
