American actress Kathryn Newton is to make her debut this week in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.
Newton was a golfing prodigy at school but decided to give up thoughts of a career in golf to pursue her acting dreams. This week she will be teeing off at the Home of Golf in one of the most prestigious events in Europe.
The 25-year-old is best known for her starring roles as Abigail Carlson in the HBO mystery drama series Big Little Lies and Allie Pressman in the Netflix drama series The Society. She recently starred in Freaky, Pokémon Detective Pikachu and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and she will play Cassie Lang in the upcoming Marvel superhero film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
She said: “To be able to play St Andrews, the most historic course in the world, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, in a fully fledged professional event will be a wonderful moment for me and I am really going to enjoy it.”
To be able to play St Andrews, the most historic course in the world, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, in a fully fledged professional event will be a wonderful moment for me
Newton has been golfing since she was a child. She began playing tournaments at the age of eight and was a member of the Notre Dame High School girls golf team, helping them to win three championships. She played to a plus-two handicap.
She initially wanted to play in the 2012 US Women's Open but withdrew after getting the lead role in Paranormal Activity 4, for which she received the Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film. She abandoned plans to go to the University of Southern California, where she would have played golf, to pursue her acting career.
With a prize fund of US$5 million, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship incorporates two separate competitions - an Individual professional tournament for the world's leading golfers and the Team Championship in which the professionals are paired with amateur golfers, which creates a unique atmosphere. The championship is played over the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, from September 29 to October 2.
Defending champion Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters Tournament winner, will be up against some stiff opposition. Also playing are Major champions Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Francesco Molinari, World Number 15 Billy Horschel and two-time winners Pádraig Harrington and Tyrrell Hatton.
For the first three days entry is FREE, tickets are not needed. Only tickets for the final day, Sunday, October 2, on the Old Course, need to be purchased. There will be no ticket sales on the gate, tickets can be purchased in advance via the following link: www.alfreddunhilllinks.com/tickets/.
In June 2011, the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation was established as the official Foundation of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The Foundation is committed to developing young amateur golfers in Scotland and South Africa and also supports the University of St Andrews and the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation, which refurbishes and preserves historical monuments in the town.
