2026 Alfred Dunhill Links: For Team Golf to succeed outside the Ryder Cup we have to go Back to the Future

Matt Hooper

4 days ago

8 min read

Last week's Presidents Cup had all the anticipation of a visit from the in-laws as the International team lined up to get yet another beating in this irrelevant mis-match of golf's global stars, and after an eleventh consecutive American victory it is time to reassess the future of team golf outside the Ryder Cup. Despite the competitiveness of the first few editions of the Presidents Cup, there can be no doubt that this biennial attempt to recreate what the Ryder Cup is for the rest of the world, is nothing but an exhibition.

There is no meaning behind the Presidents Cup, there is no relevance to it and it does nothing for global golf, but it is just another tool used by the PGA TOUR to get the best golfers from all over the world to play on their tour in the United States of America. To represent the so-called International Team you must be a member of the PGA TOUR, so the likes of Lucas Herbert and Joaquin Niemann (who finished in the top 5 on the LIV Golf rankings in 2026) were not eligible for selection.

The Presidents Cup is essentially the 'All-Star Game' of the PGA TOUR, and make no mistake, that is what the aim for the PGA TOUR is with the Ryder Cup in the future. PGA TOUR involvement with the Ryder Cup would undoubtedly lead to the entire European Team having to be PGA TOUR members, which would be the death Nell of many DP World Tour events. It is also quite remarkable that in the 32-year existence of the Presidents Cup, the matches have never been staged in Japan, one of golf's truly major nations, and home to one of its major tours, and there in lies the problem with the Presidents Cup.

It is entirely under the control of the PGA TOUR, and the Sunshine Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour have no stake in the International Team, unlike the European Tour Group with Ryder Cup Europe. The 'International' Tours do not have any say in the host venue, selecting the captain, setting the qualification criteria or choosing the uniform for the so-called International Team. Those tours also do not have the ability to generate revenue from the Presidents Cup once every four years, or use their events to attract the best golfers to compete for points, which is the whole point of why the PGA TOUR does not work with those tours as equal partners in the Presidents Cup. It is all about control.

Whilst all that benefits the PGA TOUR, it does not lead to a competitive, compelling or meaningful golf event, and the Presidents Cup will be forever in the shadow of the Ryder Cup. The World Cup of Golf came under the control of the PGA TOUR in 2000 when it became part of the World Golf Championships, and gradually its importance and attraction diminished, and the event was last played in 2018. The Seve Trophy, Royal Trophy and EurAsia Cup have all had short lives, and made very little impact on the golfing world. LIV Golf's attempts to make team golf relevant and interesting have by common opinion failed, despite some successful events in Australia, South Africa, Korea and Spain.

So, for team golf to succeed we have to go Back to the Future.

"It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the inauguration of our new Dunhill Cup. I am sure this will just be the first of many occasions when we are able to enjoy the excitement of great nations competing against each other on the fairways of the world. I trust you will have a memorable week and that we shall be blessed with fine weather and an excellent contest"

The words of Richard Dunhill in the programme from the 1985 Alfred Dunhill Cup.

At last year's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship I spoke to tournament director Peter German about the genesis of the Alfred Dunhill Cup and the forty years of Dunhill sponsored golf in St Andrews. Most associate St Andrews with The Open, but it has hosted many other professional tournaments including the British Masters and the 1979 Colgate PGA Championship, now the BMW PGA Championship. Prior to moving permanently to Wentworth in 1984 the PGA Championship moved around the UK, being played at Royal St George's, Hillside, Ganton, Royal Birkdale, Saunton, Prince's, Western Gailes, and Royal Mid-Surrey among others, in 1979 it was brought to the home of golf for the only time. The event, promoted by IMG, featured future stars such as Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Raymond Floyd and Gary Player, and was won by Argentina's Vicente Fernandez. It would prove to be the event which illustrated the Old Course's capabilities of staging an event other than The Open, and the genesis of the Alfred Dunhill Cup.

"We thought the Old Course would be the best venue (for the Alfred Dunhill Cup) if we were able to persuade the St Andrews Links Trust to agree to the tournament concept – it was potentially such a significant event with true international appeal that warranted a venue with world wide recognition."

Peter continues "It wasn’t an easy sell but having taken the Colgate PGA Championship to St Andrews in 1979 with players such as Norman, Faldo, Floyd, Player and Seve i knew the people at the links and having seen how we staged the event i think they knew they could trust us."

Once a venue had been secured, the sponsor had to be found, and from, the very start it has been a mutually beneficial partnership for Alfred Dunhill ltd, IMG and the European Tour. Tony Greener, managing director of Alfred Dunhill Limited, said: "We are delighted to have found such a suitable sponsorship. We have a three-year contract, but we expect the Dunhill Cup to have a much longer life than that".

Mr Greener was right.

Forty years later, Peter German reflects on what makes Alfred Dunhill/Richemont so great as a sponsor and partner, "Their love of golf, their total commitment to excellence and the legacy of their brands around the world through not only the dunhill links, but the dunhill championship in South Africa and previous tournaments the Dunhill Masters in Asia, the Dunhill Belgian Open, Dunhill British Masters and the Dunhill South Africa v Australia Trophy".

Mark McCormack said this in 1986 ahead of the second edition of the Dunhill Cup: "I offer sincere gratitude to Alfred Dunhill Limited for helping turn a dream into a reality."

At the time, the Alfred Dunhill Cup was a revolutionary event, a visionary event, arguably the world's biggest event outside the Major Championships. At its launch in 1985, the Dunhill Cup was the richest tournament in world golf, with the first £million prize fund ($1.2million), which at the time was more than the combined prize funds of The Open and US Open.

European Tour Executive Director Ken Schofield said "The splendid presentation in London last January, announcing the 1985 Dunhill Cup, represented the PGA European Tour's single most significant and spectacular participation in any golf event. It received a huge welcome from all over the world."

The Dunhill Cup proved to be a spectacular success and attracted many of the iconic figures of the men's golfing world between 1985 and 2000, and was immensely popular with spectators, and many locals give me feedback that they would like to see a return to the days of the Alfred Dunhill Cup. 25 years ago, when the Alfred Dunhill Cup ceased and was replaced by the Links Championship it was said to be because of the elevation of the World Cup to WGC status. The World Cup was last played in 2018 and has only been played four times since 2008, so there is a space for an annual international team competition. It is a question often asked, could the Alfred Dunhill Cup ever be revived?

"I don't think so", said Peter. "Golf fans would love it but it’s success would depend on the organiser’s ability to attract the top three players from the countries involved and therein lies the problem – look at the demise of Tennis’ Davis Cup. Given the year-round tournament schedule it would be difficult for players to support it."

That is Peter's opinion, but it is not one I share, and with the upcoming changes to the PGA TOUR, and their seeming willingness to explore global opportunities with the DP World Tour, maybe we could see a return of the Alfred Dunhill Cup, as an event to replace the Presidents Cup and fulfil Mark McCormack's vision.

The Alfred Dunhill Cup and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship could be staged in alternate years, with the Alfred Dunhill Cup replacing the Presidents Cup and being played in non-Ryder Cup years, beginning in 2032. The PGA TOUR has confirmed Presidents Cup venues through 2030, and despite having an agreement to stage the Presidents Cup in Australia twice before 2040 there is the potential that a co-sanctioning of the Australian Open could be sufficient as part of that agreement.

The DP World Tour currently begins its calendar year with either the Dubai Invitational or the TEAM Cup, played in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai Invitational is a celebrity pro-am played at the Dubai Creek, and the TEAM Cup is Great Britain and Ireland v Continental Europe, played at Abu Dhabi National Golf Club, in Ryder Cup years.

Staging the two championships in alternate years would enhance both competitions, and may encourage more high profile contemporary celebrities to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

How could the modern, biennial Alfred Dunhill Cup work?

When the first version of the Alfred Dunhill Cup launched in 1985 there were qualifying tournaments played across the world including Italy and Hong Kong.

In a crowded competitive landscape there is no room for separate qualifying tournaments, but there is an opportunity to do something even better. LIV Golf tried to incorporate team golf into its schedule week-in-week-out, and for those who bothered to watch, it did create an additional narrative around each tournament, but in reality it did not mean anything. International team golf between golfers from nations across the world would mean something, and we saw how that could work when Australian Ripper GC and South African Southern Guards played off for the title in Adelaide in 2024.

Peter German expressed concerns that the top players in the world would not commit to a relaunched Alfred Dunhill Cup, but I put to you that even if the field was as it is this week, for the 25th anniversary Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, we would have a remarkably compelling, competitive and global competition.

Taking the players from this week's field would see England and Scotland field almost first choice teams, with the exception of Aaron Rai from the England lineup, but I have little doubt that many, if not all the top golfers in the world would commit to this relaunched Alfred Dunhill Cup. Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, and Patrick Reed would all be playing this week if circumstances were different, as well as Ryan Fox, and Adam Scott.

Proposed format:

Played every two years, replacing the Presidents Cup
Event played Wednesday to Sunday
Played over the Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie
8 teams of 8 players rotating across the three courses for three days
Each team selects 1 fourball, 1 foursomes, 1 greensomes and 2 singles to play matches on each day
An overall league table determines the 8 teams hich qualify for the quarter-finals, matches drawn in a similar manner to the modern UEFA Champions League format
Quarter-finals, Semi-Finals and Final staged on the Old Course Saturday and Sunday

The previous version of the Alfred Dunhill Cup showed us teams representing different countries can also stack up against the giants

Paraguay beating Scotland in 1993, France beating Zimbabwe in 1998, New Zealand beating Australia in 1998, Wales beating Spain in 1985, Australia beating the USA in 1985 and many other upsets in the 16 editions of the Alfred Dunhill Cup show that this event would be more than competitive. it would be compelling and be a must-watch, must-attend and must-play event in the sport.

SHANK's coverage of the 2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is sponsored by Birdies St Andrews - the best Pizza Takeaway in St Andrews, open 12pm-3am everyday

www.birdiesstandrews.com

13 Bell Street, St Andrews KY16 9UR

01334 611709