Blade Runner Pistorius to Play in Dunhill Links


Oscar Pistorius, one of the heroes of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, joins a world-class field, including no fewer than 10 major championship winners including the 2012 Open Champion, Ernie Els, for next week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Oscar Pistorius

The championship is being held October 4-7 and will be played over the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

Pistorius, dubbed the Blade Runner because he runs on carbon fiber blades, became the first double-amputee to compete in the Olympic Games and also won two gold medals and a silver medal in the Paralympic Games.

Pistorius is from South Africa and plays to an 18 handicap. He said, "It's a real treat to play in this event. I am a big golf fan and love the game. I have never played St. Andrews, Carnoustie or Kingsbarns before, so playing them in a world-class event is a unique opportunity. There is so much history at St. Andrews, every golfer longs to play there.

"As a South African it will be lots of fun to be playing in a tournament with other great names of the sport from my country in Els, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. I can't wait to get on the first tee."

Also in the field is Hollywood star Greg Kinnear, plus rock music legends Huey Lewis and Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres. In a strong turn-out of sports star Pistorius will be joined by former Olympic rowing legends Sir Matthew Pinsent and Sir Steve Redgrave, Dutch football legends Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit, former England player Jamie Redknapp, Scottish defender Alan Hansen, a strong team of cricketers in Sir Ian Botham, Andrew Strauss, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne and rugby's Morné du Plessis and Gavin Hastings.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which celebrates links golf at its finest, is played over three of the world's best known and respected links courses - the Old Course at St. Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and the highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links.

The championship incorporates two separate competitions - an individual professional tournament for the world's leading golfers and a team event in which the professionals are paired with some of the most celebrated amateur golfers which creates a unique atmosphere.

Among the pros in the field are current Open champion and four-time major winner Ernie Els, while Scotland's top golfer Paul Lawrie, winner of the Open in 1999 at Carnoustie, will lead the home challenge for this year's Championship, along with Colin Montgomerie and Martin Laird.

Northern Ireland's 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, a superlative player of links golf courses, will be at St. Andrews trying to win his first Alfred Dunhill Links title, while his fellow Northern Irishman, defending champion Michael Hoey, will be hoping to become the first golfer to win back-to-back titles.

Ireland's three-time major winner Padraig Harrington will be back to see if he can win a unique third Championship, having taken the title in 2002 and 2006, and Germany's Martin Kaymer who won in 2010, the same year he won the PGA Championship, will be looking for a repeat victory.

Els leads a strong South African contingent, including 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, while other major winners in the field include Americans Rich Beem and Shaun Micheel, plus New Zealand's Michael Campbell.

The English challenge will be led by World No. 4 Lee Westwood, winner in 2003, plus David Lynn, Paul Casey, Simon Dyson, winner in 2009, and Ross Fisher.