ST ANDREWS LINKS AMATEUR STARS ASSEMBLE TO 72-hole HIGHLIGHT

NEWS RELEASE 

Final preparations were underway at the Home of Golf today as the best amateur golfers from around the world prepare to bid for the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy.

The strong international field were fine tuning their games ahead of tomorrow’s first round of the 72-hole tournament at the Jubilee course before three rounds over the Old Course.

This year’s competitors will be following in the footsteps of notable past participants, including Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy, Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy.

In order to clinch the prestigious prize they will have to overcome a stellar international field of 144 players from 23 different countries.

This year’s field has no shortage of quality with World Number 2 in the RandA World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), Brady Watt, from Royal Perth, Australia, one of six competitors from Down Under heading a strong international field alongside golfers from Italy, South Africa, France, Slovenia, Poland, Portugal, USA, UAE, Sweden and Iceland.

There is also a strong home contingent taking part at the Home of Golf with every Great Britain and Ireland player trying to impress the Walker Cup selectors and seal a place in the team for this year’s match against the USA at the National Golf Links of America, Southampton, New York.

England’s Garrick Porteous, fresh from his victory at last week’s Scottish Amateur Stroke-Play Championship will be looking to continue his good form and is joined in the field by Welsh strokeplay champion and 2011 Walker Cup winner Rhys Pugh.

There are also plenty of home favourites to support, with the Home of Golf well represented by St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association’s very own Ewan Scott and Ben Kinsley.

Ewan, who enjoyed a spectacular start to the season in South Africa and was runner-up in the Scottish Boys Matchplay Championship, has been joined by 17-year-old Ben who takes his place in the field as the tournament committee’s nomination.

St Andrews Links Trust Director of Golf John Grant said: “We are delighted to welcome such a great field for this year’s St Andrews Links Trophy.

“The tournament committee always strives to attract the best players to compete and this year is no exception with so many talented golfers making the journey from around the world.

“The courses are in fantastic condition and with some great weather forecast in the next few days we can look forward to a great weekend of golf at the Links.”

Since its inception in 1989 the RandA World Amateur Golf Rankings rates the St Andrews Links Trophy as one of the strongest amateur tournaments in the world, based on strength of field, and it is arguably one of the strongest outside the Amateur Championship in the British Isles.

The 2013 St Andrews Links Trophy takes place from tomorrow (Friday, June 7) to Sunday, June 9 on the Jubilee Course and the Old Course.

To follow live tournament scoring and the latest news from St Andrews visit www.standrews.org.uk or follow the action on twitter at TheHomeofGolf. To get involved use #LinksTrophy to support your favourite golfers and follow the action.