40 years of dunhill golf in St Andrews

"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. Richard was indeed correct, it was the first of many occasions, 40 to be exact. 40 years of an event which has become a St Andrews institution, firstly with the Alfred Dunhill Cup, and then for the last 24 years the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. On the golf course this event has attracted some of golf's greatest ever professionals across the last four decades, including Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Curtis Strange, Mark O'Meara, Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie, Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Kite, David Graham, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith, John Daly, Jose Maria Olazabal, Paul Lawrie, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer, Ryan Fox, Danny Willett, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood.

Celebrities which have graced the fairways in the last quarter of a century include Michael Jordan, Bobby Charlton, Ian Wright, Peter Schmeichel, Huey Lewis, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Sir Steve Redgrave, Gareth Bale, Kelly Slater, Dave Farrell, Mike Rutherford, Ronan Keating, Jamie Dornan, Justin Timberlake, Samuel L Jackson, Wladimir Klitschko, Michael Phelps, Shane Warne, Sir Ian Botham, Boris Becker, Gary Lineker, Michael Vaughan, Matthew Pinsent, Bill Murray, Piers Morgan, Hugh Grant, Kathryn Newton, Kurt Russell, Kyle MacLachlan, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen, Nigel Mansell, Marco Van Basten, and, making his debut this year, Sir Andy Murray.

Off the course the event has become part of the fabric of the St Andrews golfing and social calendar, and through the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation it has contributed the development of golf in St Andrews and across Scotland, and helped the wider community with examples being the restoration of the Foster & Andrews Organ in the Parish Church in Kingsbarns.

I recently chatted with Executive Tournament Director of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, IMG's Peter German about the history of the event, how it came to be played in St Andrews, its place within the world of golf and much more.

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."

Peter explains that meeting the sponsor's expectations is also an element of what IMG believe makes an event successful, "From IMG's perspective we measure success on ensuring the tournament meets the owner’s and sponsors’ expectations and budgets; that the participating players are happy with the way they and their accompanying families are looked after; that the TV generates coverage in key markets; that the media are provided with excellent working conditions and that the spectators are allowed to get as close to the action as is practical and safe, and provided with good and varied catering facilities, with adequate clean toilets."

St Andrews' status as the Home of Golf was attractive to IMG as a tournament venue for the Alfred Dunhill Cup, "it is recognised world-wide as ‘the home of golf’. Golf is an intrinsic part, the life blood, of the town contributing to interest in the event which facilitates, for instance, the recruitment of volunteers. importantly, this overall interest and familiarity with the sport and tournaments means there are many qualified and experienced local suppliers and of course more hotels, guest houses and restaurants."

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. In 2025, if that was the case, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship would be awarding a prize fund of $38.5million.

Mark McCormack said: "It's the most exciting golf event created for several decades. The sport needed a genuine world team championship - I regard this as the Davis Cup of golf."

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."

40 years after the first Dunhill-sponsored Davdgolf event in St Andrews the landscape of men's professional golf has changed dramatically, not just with the emergence of LIV Golf, but with the ever-increasing power and importance of the professional tours - primarily the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR. "In European, DP World Tour terms it is a big tournament with US$5 million prize money but of course as far as the PGA TOUR is concerned that level of prize money doesn’t rate. Nevertheless, it does attract players’ attention because of the format and where it’s played.

St Andrews has a pull unlike any venue in the world aside from Augusta, and the links at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns offer the challenge and the fun, and players have commented on the relaxed nature of the event being an attraction. That is especially pertinent when considering Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre have travelled from the Ryder Cup last week to the home of golf this week.

The tournament has evolved over the last forty years, and had to adapt to the changing landscape of professional golf, and something the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is able to do now in its current format, which it could not as the Alfred Dunhill Cup, is to offer sponsors invitations. Several golfers from LIV Golf have benefitted from that this week including David Puig, Bubba Watson, Peter Uihlein, Brendan Steele, Dustin Johnson, Matt Jones, Caleb Surratt and Louis Oosthuizen. This year, St Andrews' John Paterson earned an invitation to the championship too. "All player invites are determined by the Dunhill Links championship committee who already extend invitations to many young Scottish players from the tartan and hotel planner tours together with young players turning pro."

The success of the change from the Alfred Dunhill Cup to the Links Championship has largely been determined by the level of professional golfer recruited to play in the tournament, and the profile of the amateurs playing in the pro-am. We have tended to see a continuity of celebrities playing in recent years, and some who were celebrities many years ago are not quite as relevant as they were to today’s audience. I asked Peter how difficult is it to encourage different celebrities to play, and is it a priority for the event moving forward? And suggested that the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Novak Djokovic, Jessica Alba, Kate Upton, Will Smith, and David Beckham all play the game, and their presence could inject new energy into the event.

"Yes, we are open to attracting new celebrities. There is huge interest from many new players but the difficulty for them is finding five or six days when they can be free - especially true of team sport players. This year for instance Andy Murray is playing for the first time now that he’s retired from tournament tennis."

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and before it, the Alfred Dunhill Cup are part of IMG's stable of golf events, which over the last 65 years have set the standard for professional golf events worldwide, from the World Series of Golf, to the World Match Play Championship, from the Trophee Lancôme to the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship, these events were established by IMG with the support of loyal, dedicated and innovative commercial partners including Alfred Dunhill Limited, Lancôme, Johnnie Walker and others. Over the last two decades the tours, particularly the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR have become more like the governing bodies of professional men's golf, and whilst this has had several benefits for professional golf, it has meant it is more difficult for a promoter and a sponsor to launch a new event outside of the parameters set by the tours.

72-hole stroke play is now very much the dominant format within the major tours, with all match play events disappearing from the schedule. Peter says IMG's role has changed over that time. "IMG is now a very different company than when I first joined with Mark McCormack to help develop golf tournaments and player management in Europe. we helped build the European Tour schedule by enhancing the main European national opens and created, as you’ve said new events such as the Dunhill cup, Trophee Lancôme, Johnnie Walker World Championship et al.

IMG in those early days was vertically involved with players, tournaments, tv and marketing. now there are more separate specialised companies and schedules are controlled by the major tours so there is less flexibility and independence. as a consequence, IMG has today a much broader inventory in sports beyond golf."

This ability to pivot and be flexible is one of IMG's points of difference as well as experience, and it is what sets them apart from the competition, says Peter: "Our unique experience in successfully managing significant golf events on the major international tours with highly trained specialised and motivated personnel – we’ve also been doing it longer than anyone else."

And, of course, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship being played over three courses situated more than 30 miles apart presents challenges, which IMG have seamlessly overcome over the last two decades since it changed from the Dunhill Cup. "There are many infrastructure issues, we are in effect running three golf tournaments simultaneously, but the main challenge is to ensure that all the participating players and their caddies are at the correct course at the correct time every day" said Peter.

St Andrews, as we all know, also hosts The Open Championship every 5 years, and in years when that occurs it means that there is less than 6 weeks between the end of The Open and the start of the build for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. I asked Peter if they had ever considered replacing the Old Course in year's when that does occur, and also suggested Dumbarnie Golf Links would be a suitable addition to the rotation. "Well yes we did think about it but decided that retaining the continuity of the old course Kingsbarns and Carnoustie was important and trumped any possible wear and tear issues that could result from The Open and frankly the risks are more likely be to areas outside the ropes rather than to the playing surfaces.

Also, the St Andrews Links trust have been totally supportive of the decision and have been incredible in ensuring the conditioning of the old course. Dumbarnie is an excellent course but as I've said Richemont believe continuity is an important element in the tournaments success, so I believe it unlikely."

From my perspective in the media the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the best event I attend each year, and no event I have ever worked at across the last 12 years has even come close to usurping it. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship set standards for the manner in which it treats and welcomes all members of the media, which still, 12 years on, I haven't seen any other tournament come close to. The communication between the Richemont and IMG staff and the media is respectful and concise, and all of us are treated as if we belong there, not like at some other events I could name.

The staff and the organisation set the standard of going above and beyond, which began with the Media Lunch from Wednesday to Sunday, with the option to have a sit-down three course meal each day, all compliments of Alfred Dunhill. This has evolved over the last dozen years to be more flexible for the working media.

The Media Lunch is just the starter though, as on Wednesday evening the assembled media were invited to the Alfred Dunhill Pavilion, behind the 17th green, for the Media Dinner and Quiz. Wednesday Night at the Dunhill is the social occasion of the year for myself, and it is elite hospitality and the creation of a close-knit community of golf content creators under one roof, and not just any roof. It is the Alfred Dunhill Pavilion which hosts the Draw Party on Tuesday night, and the cut party on Saturday night. All of the players and celebrities from the championship are cared for here, and we in the media, for one night, get that experience.

Traditions are built over years and decades, and one such element to that is the Saturday Night Fireworks. This 9-minute spectacular brings thousands of locals from the area out into the town on a cold autumnal night, allowing the championship and the brand to engage with people who may never play or watch golf. The tradition is now so embedded within the culture in St Andrews, that the tournament is simply known as 'The Dunhill'.

This event is testament to the power of relationships, and how forging successful relationships can build long-lasting traditions. It all however starts with a vision, and four decades ago Mark McCormack had the vision to create a world team championship, and Alfred Dunhill limited believed in the vision.

Excellence, attention to detail, tradition, luxury, golf, St Andrews, Dunhill. The Brand. The Championship. One and the same. Very few other championships outside the Majors last 40 years if they are not a National Open, and very few sponsorships last this long. In fact no other in golf currently matches the longevity of Dunhill and St Andrews. This tournament has changed formats, and has had fluctuating levels in quality of field, but neither has mattered, Dunhill has remained committed to providing the best golf tournament they possibly can.

IMG gave me my first accreditation at the 2013 RICOH Women's British Open, here in St Andrews, as well as the 2017 edition at Kingsbarns, and the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles. IMG is part of the fabric of professional golf, they are leaders in their field, and without them the Dunhill Cup would not have come to fruition, and there not be a Links Championship.

Congratulations to IMG and Alfred Dunhill reaching this historic milestone, here's to another four decades of dunhill golf in St Andrews.

SHANK, written by Matt Hooper

With thanks to Peter German, Executive Tournament Director, and Roger Kelly, Head of Media, Alfred Dunhill Links