Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Under Threat From Storm Amy

It's the highlight of the season for celebrity amateur golfers but the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship will become a challenge due to some stormy weather hitting St Andrews.

The DP World Tour event played at three stunning links layouts at the Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie is due to be hit by heavy rain and strong winds arriving with Storm Amy.

The UK Met Office has issued weather warnings for Friday evening and Saturday with winds of up to 80mph expected in Scotland.

If winds anywhere near that strength do hit the St Andrews region then the Dunhill Links Championship will suffer some sort of disruption.

Playing in front of the TV cameras, big crowds of spectators and alongside top pro golfers is tough enough, with howling winds and rain it will be a new level of challenge.

Carnousite in particular is renowned for being as tough a course as they come in bad weather, and while Kingsbarns and St Andrews are traditionally pretty easy in benign conditions, when the wind blows it's a different story.

Tommy Fleetwood summed up the size of the challenge players, both pros and amateurs, will face when the wind gets up.

"The hardest thing is how much the wind is affecting it, start lines, clubbing it a little bit," Fleetwood said pre-tournament.

"Takes you a little bit to get your eye. Yesterday I played 18 holes with some friends, and I was sort of picking it up as I went along, if you like. I picked it up quite quick. I grew up - a lot of us grew up on this kind of stuff.

"But still always amazes you how much the wind hits you and how short the ball can go at times and then making that adjustment."

And even Scotsman Robert MacIntyre, a man well used to battling adverse conditions, wasn't too hopeful for the weekend.

"I don't know if I'll enjoy myself over the next two days with the weather," he said. "But we'll see what we can do."

So expect some delays while Storm Army makes a mark, but when play is ongoing even though there's no rain expected on Saturday the wind will be howling, so expect plenty of bogeys as players experience what a true links test is all about.