Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Format: How The Star-Studded DP World Tour Pro-Am Works

It's a become a big highlight on the DP World Tour schedule as star names from the world of sports and entertainment rub shoulders with top global golf pros to take part in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

There are Pro-Ams and then there are Pro-Ams, but this one is right up there with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour.

Wentworth is a pre-event knockabout though, while both the other two are bona fide tournaments at two iconic golfing venues.

That's why, along with one of the strongest pro fields of the year, the Dunhill Links attracts sporting icons and Hollywood megastars to the Home of Golf each year.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship format

It's two tournaments in one really, with a pro field of of 168 players all battling it out for a DP World Tour title in the event with a total prize fund of $4.8 million.

First prize for the winning pro is $816,000, while in the Team Championship the winning pair pocket $50,000.

The pairs play across the three courses in the opening three rounds, with a random draw determining what order they will play the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

A cut is made after three rounds for the top 60 and ties on the individual professional leaderboard, along with the top 20 teams.

The final round is then played over the Old Course at St Andrews with the individual pro with the lowest score, and the lowest scoring team being crowned the winners.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship rules

It's just a regular 72-hole strokeplay event for the professionals so there's no difference in terms of rules, even though the look and feel of the event will be totally different to normal.

In terms of handicaps for the amateurs, they receive a stroke allowance of two thirds of their official handicap mark - up to a maximum of 18 for the men and 24 for women.

For the team event the lowest net score on each hole counts towards the team total, so if the amateur can use their stroke allowance wisely they can really help their pro out in that competition.

And while it's usually a bit more light hearted than other tour events, the amateurs need to do their part to keep it moving along and not get in their pro's way if they're well out of the hole.