Golfers and celebrity amateurs head to Scotland for the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship kicked off in Scotland on Thursday as the 168 of the world’s top golfers and their famous amateur partners hit the road on three of the country’s leading golf courses.

The championship is played over four days at the Championship Course Carnoustie, Kingsbarns Golf Link and the Old Course St Andrews, with a professional tournament alongside the slightly more light-hearted team championship where a professional teams up with one of the 168 amateurs.

With both competitions kicking off on Thursday, fans got a glimpse of some of their favorite golfers, including Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, and got a chance to see which of their favorite celebrities can hit a long ball and has a deft touch around. the greens.

The team’s score is measured by the professional’s or amateur’s lowest net result on each hole.

On the first day, several celebrities took part, including Bill Murray and Kathryn Newton, two Hollywood stars believed to be adept golfers as well.

Murray played alongside South African professional Brandon Stone as the amateur battled for the team score on four impressive occasions.

After being filmed waking up bright and early to join the St Andrews greenkeepers as they made their final preparations in the course for the first day, Murray is said to have enjoyed insider knowledge of the pin positions for the first day.

However, during his participation in Carnoustie, the American actor and comedian still managed to impress along with his partner. He returned to the clubhouse and shot an impressive 66, six under par 72.

Stone and Murray have entered the event as one of the most sought-after combinations of the tournament and will have to struggle to make the top 20 on Friday and Saturday to advance to Sunday’s final round in St Andrews.

The American actress seemed to be enjoying the first round of her weekend – despite being a bit of a nuisance every now and then

Newton shares a joke with Matt Fitzpatrick’s mother, Susan, on the first lap at Carnoustie

Meanwhile, Newton, who entered the event for the first time because she was a lost talent in her youth, also gave Carnoustie fans a glimpse of her talents.

Prior to the event, the actress had said of her excitement at taking part: ‘To be able to play St Andrews, the most historic course in the world, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, in a fully fledged professional event will be a great moment for me. and I’m really going to enjoy it.’

Newton, who played alongside England professional Matt Wallace, shot an impressive combined 71 with the Big Little Lies actress adding to the team’s overall score on one occasion.

Matt Fitzpatrick had talked about the fun he got to play with his mom at the event

Bill Murray, one of America’s foremost comedians, shares a joke with a volunteer at Carnoustie

Like her compatriot’s team, there seems to be some work to do in the next two rounds to try and make it to Sunday.

Other celebrities in the field include current and former athletes, actors, and musicians.

Linkin Park’s Dave Farrell contributed a whopping five times to his team’s score when he and partner Russell Chrystie scored a solid 68 on their first round at St Andrews.

Mark Noble, who retired from professional football at the end of last season and was recently announced that he would take over as West Ham’s sporting director from January, was also absent from St Andrews.

Murray played adeptly in his first round at Carnoustie, assisting his professional partner on occasion

Of course, Noble was a partner of football and Hammers fanatic world No. 15 Billy Horschel as the pair shot their way to 67, with the former midfielder contributing four times to his team’s score.

Joe Root, along with Laird Shepherd, saw his pro play a dazzling round as she climbed to 22nd in the standings after a very successful opening 18 at Kingsbarns. The former England captain, known as a talented golfer, helped his partner three times.

While some golfers teamed up with celebrities, others took the opportunity to make it more of a family affair with two of Europe’s leading players choosing to play alongside their mom and dad.

Joe Root, the former England Test skipper, opened his game at the Old Course in St Andrews

Root shared a photo on the Old Course’s Swilcan Bridge along with former English skippers Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen and Piers Morgan

Gianfranco Zola teamed up with compatriot Francesco Molinari who won the 2018 Open in Carnoustie

Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the US Open in the summer, played in Carnoustie with his mother, Susan, with the pair finishing 136th in the standings at the end of the first day.

Not for the first time, McIlroy played with his father, Gerry, in Carnoustie, avoiding the site of his painful last round Open defeat to Cameron Smith in July this year on the opening day of the event.

Fleetwood went out with American businessman Ogden Phipps II, also at Carnoustie, where you had to be Thursday.

Other notable amateur golfers who competed included Piers Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Ronan Keating, Gianfranco Zola, Tom Chaplin and Huey Lewis.

Ogden Phipps II and Tommy Fleetwood share a handshake after success on the 14th