Ryan Fox will be joined in the field by a host of fellow international stars when he returns to defend his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title in October.
The Kiwi won his third and most recent DP World Tour title at St Andrews as he went on to win the 2022 Seve Ballesteros Award after being voted Player of the Year for last season by his peers.
Fox dedicated his victory at the Home of Golf to the late cricketing great Shane Warne, whom he paired up with in the popular Pro-Am format on numerous occasions, including finishing runners-up together in the 2021 contest.
Looking ahead to October, Fox said: “Last year was definitely my biggest win. The Dunhill Links has always been one of my favourite events.
“I was lucky enough to pair off with Shane Warne quite a few times. He was one of my idols and obviously losing Warnie last year it felt like it took on more meaning.
“I had a great final day on Sunday, and it doesn’t really get any better than coming down the Old Course with a chance to win the tournament and getting it done at the end.
“I’d always loved the event, the three fantastic golf courses, I love the format with the professionals playing with amateurs.
“To be honest I didn’t feel that comfortable with my golf game early in the week, then went out on Thursday and something clicked and I shot 66 and it just went on from there.”
Fox is taking a break from golf at the moment after playing tournaments in the United States before returning to the DP World Tour for next week’s Horizon Irish Open.
“My game has been pretty solid if unspectacular this year,” he added.
“It’s quite new playing in the US and I’ve played in a lot of designated events. I’ve had consistent top 25, top 30 results. The game is very close.
“I’ll play the Irish Open, then the BMW PGA at Wentworth, the French Open, then take a week off for the Ryder Cup, then be ready for the Alfred Dunhill Links.”
He will be joined in the field by several of the biggest international stars in the game who all have special connections with the event.
World Number 15 Tommy Fleetwood is enjoying an excellent season and hoping to go even further this year at St Andrews than in 2019, when he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Team Championship.
Billy Horschel, winner of the 2021 BMW PGA Championship, makes his return to Scotland after featuring in the Alfred Dunhill Team Championship with former West Ham footballer Mark Noble.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, now enjoying a successful Seniors career, will look to become the first winner of three Individual titles.
Danny Willett has won both the individual professional title in 2021 and the Team Championship in 2016, the same year he won the Masters, while France’s Victor Perez, currently third on the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex, was champion in 2019.
Also teeing up at St Andrews will be one of Scotland’s local heroes, Bob MacIntyre, unlucky not to win this year’s Genesis Scottish Open because of an amazing Rory McIlroy back-to-back birdie finish.
MacIntyre heads a group of Scottish golfers including Grant Forrest, Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill, Richie Ramsay, Connor Syme and 2004 Individual Championship winner, Stephen Gallacher.
Another exciting competitor is South Africa’s Ockie Strydom, the winner of last year’s Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, which he followed up with a win in Singapore.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is a celebration of Links golf, played over the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, from October 5 – 8.
With a prize fund of US$5 million, the Alfred Dunhill Links 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.
For the first three days entry is FREE, tickets are not needed. Only tickets for the final day, Sunday, October 8, 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: 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.
