“This year was a dream – best weather ever,” said Gaye Wolfson. “Fingers crossed for 2016!” Picture Getty Images
to make our event stand out against the other events on the golf calendar. “Te smiling faces of all the players
tell us all has gone well and that’s what makes it worthwhile for all of us working behind the scenes. When we see tweets from both our amateurs and our pros saying this is the best week of the year for them it’s great, very rewarding.”
THE COMPANY HAS a deep connec- tion with Scotland: “We were fortu- nate to have worked with the Alfred Dunhill Cup before the first Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, so had 16 years of experience in St Andrews to help us. “But, you may recall the first
year had many challenges with the weather and we ended up playing an extra day like this year’s Open – a
very challenging start for us. Tis year by comparison was a dream – best weather ever. Fingers crossed for 2016!” Te connection goes far deeper
than just the annual spectacle of celebrities, golf pros and amateurs competing: “Te big focus for us over the 15 years of the tournament and the 30-plus years of being in Scotland has been to work with the surrounding communities, towns and companies. And we now have many excellent relationships in place which we are committed to building on.” Wolfson said that one of the most
rewarding aspects is the charity ele- ment of the championship. Since it started in 2001, millions of pounds have been raised for a variety of ben- eficiaries. Te Alfred Dunhill Links
Foundation was founded in 2011 as the official charity of the event and funds are allocated to local and inter- national charities and a variety of benevolent organisations. A particular focus of the founda-
tion is young golfers and it currently supports youngsters to play golf in South Africa and Scotland. Tere is also a very close connection with St Andrews, including support of a charity that helps with renovation of historic areas of the town and the funding of scholarships at the University of St Andrews. “It’s great to see how all the players
connect with our charity work and want to do what they can to help. And this is going to get bigger over the years to come,” said Wolfson. “Tis has to be one of the most excit- ing things about the championship.”
This year’s celebrity guests included Andy Garcia, Hugh Grant and Ronan Keating, pictured with his wife Storm Picture Getty Images
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