The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Pro-Am is back for another year, with more famous faces taking to the golf course alongside their professional partners. First held in 2001, the competition brings together golf pros and amateur players - including a host of celebrities from the worlds of sport, entertainment and business - as they compete as teams across three Scottish golf courses.
Star-studded line-up
Welsh football legend Gareth Bale is among the big names taking part this year, with James Milner and Ruud Gullit also involved. The likes of Lord Ian Botham and Kevin Pietersen are representing the world of cricket, with Olympic icon Sir Steve Redgrave, former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick and legendary jockey AP McCoy helping to complete a stacked sporting line-up.
Broadcaster Piers Morgan and Dragons Den star Peter Jones are also involved alongside musical artists including former Boyzone singer Ronan Keating, Genesis founder Mike Rutherford and iconic singer and actor Huey Lewis.
Notable absentees
However, there are some notable exceptions, with Hollywood legend Bill Murray having to pull out at late notice due to "unforeseen scheduling commitments". His namesake, tennis star Sir Andy Murray, is also missing from the competition, having made his debut last year alongside pro partner Eddie Pepperell.
The two-time Wimbledon champion recorded an impressive joint-18th place finish out of 168 teams, having spent much of his retirement from tennis honing his skills on the golf course. After a successful maiden run, he was expected to be involved in the pro-am again this year but is absent after it was announced that he was returning to the tennis court instead later this week.
It was confirmed last week that Murray will captain the team that will take on his old foe Rafa Nadal's side in the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam in Majorca on Saturday (October 3).
Evans' lifetime ban
While it remains to be seen whether the Scottish star returns to Alfred Dunhill next year, someone who won't be returning anytime soon is TV and radio presenter Chris Evans. In 2011, Evans took part in the competition alongside professional golfer Nick Dougherty, with the pair clinching the title with a stunning -40 performance.
However, their score - one of the lowest in the history of the competition - saw doubts cast over Evans' supposed 10 handicap, with the presenter also recording several eagles over the course of the tournament. While he had scheduled time off to defend his title the following year, therefore, he discovered he had been prohibited from playing and he later revealed in his newspaper column that he had been "barred for life".
Hitting out at the tournament organisers, 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."
"If we were kids in the playground, the boy who owns the ball just took it home in a huff because his team didn't win. It crossed my mind to set up an alternative tournament on the exact same dates. I think I'll call it the Dung Hill Cup."
