Radio DJ Chris Evans discovered he was banned for life from the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after winning the pro-am tournament. The broadcaster teamed up with Nick Dougherty to take the title in 2011, beating a host of celebrity names to the prize. However, there was consternation over the validity of that victory, more specifically to do with Evans' alleged handicap.
Record victory and handicap questions
He and Dougherty triumphed with an overall score of 40 under par, which remains a tournament record to this day. Such a mark is all the more impressive given just how testing play tends to be across three legendary courses in Scotland.
That was with Evans playing off a 10 handicap, though questions were asked as to whether that score was accurate. Evans made the very most of his advantage, to say the least, pipping a raft of other household names to the crown.
Ban revealed before title defence
It was only when Evans was preparing to defend the pro-am title the following year that he was made aware he was no longer welcome. Organisers in Scotland informed Evans he would never be allowed to play in the celeb competition again.
"Sadly, I will not be defending my title this year," he wrote in a newspaper column back in 2012. "Why? It appears I've been banned for life."
"I could delve into why but frankly it's all a bit tedious. Suffice to say, if we were children in the playground, the boy who owns the ball just took it home in a sulk because his team didn't win."
Handicap doubts and rival tournament idea
Referring to the misgivings about whether his handicap was authentic, he added: "Along with congratulations, there were rumblings of dissent. The gloaming was dark with talk of my handicap being too high for my ability."
Evans even went so far as to suggest he contemplated setting up a rival tournament in an act of revenge. However, he restrained himself from allowing his level of resentment to reach those depths.
"It crossed my mind to set up an alternative tournament on the exact same dates," he continued. "I think I'll call it the Dung Hill Cup."
This year's field
This year's edition of the Dunhill Links Pro-Am is set to get underway. Participants will play at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course in St Andrews before a champion is decided.
Welsh football icon Gareth Bale will be back in the field, while former Premier League rival James Milner is braced for his debut. Hollywood actor Bill Murray is set for his 11th appearance in the competition, while Boyzone icon Ronan Keating is also featuring.
Piers Morgan, Ruud Gullit, Kevin Pietersen and surf legend Kelly Slater are also among the confirmed attendees. Meanwhile, Bob MacIntyre will aim to defend his title in the pro championship alongside a raft of other star golfers, including Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick.
