SPRINGDALE -- For David Lingmerth, competing in this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is all about giving back.
Lingmerth, the former University of Arkansas golfer, will pair with Tyson Foods Chairman John Tyson at this week's event in Scotland. The Dunhill begins Thursday and will be played on golf's grandest stages at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarn.
Correction
A previous version of this story misstated John Tyson's title. The error has been corrected.
At A Glance
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Thursday-Sunday
WHERE The event will be played on the Old Course at St. Andrews, the Championship Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarn courses in Scotland.
FORMAT The Dunhill is 72 holes of stroke play with 168 professionals and 168 amateurs in two-person teams. Each team will play three rounds. After the third round, the field is cut to the top 60 (and ties) pros and top 20 amateurs. The final round on Sunday will be played at the Old Course St. Andrews.
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Oliver Wilson won the individual championship in 2014, and Peter Lawrie-Kieran McManus teamed for the team championship.
NOTABLE This is the only golf tournament that annually plays at the Old Course at St. Andrews, the game’s most prestigious course.
"John has been such a big part of the golf program at Arkansas, and a big part of my development," Lingmerth said last week. "The Blessings is such a great facility and he's made it possible for me and a lot of other young golfers at Arkansas to have the things we need to reach our dreams."
Lingmerth, who ranks No. 47 in the world and No. 37 in the FedEx Cup rankings, said the opportunity to play with Tyson was the main reason he opted to participate in the Dunhill, which many call the European version of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
"No question playing with John was a big influence," Lingmerth said. "This is a chance for me to show my respect for everything he has done for me. But it's also a good test for me to play on these three courses. I plan to play more European events this year as well as play the European Tour, so this will be good practice for that.
"I played St. Andrews for the British Open this year and Carnoustie will hold the Open next year, so I'm looking forward to seeing that course."
Tyson is a veteran of the Dunhill, with this being his 12th consecutive year to play in the event. To pair with a Razorback golfer was just an added bonus, he said.
"This is more than a highlight for me," Tyson said. "I saw David grow up here."
Tyson played in his first Dunhill in 2003 with Henrik Stenson, who ranks No. 4 on the PGA Tour money list after finishing fourth on Sunday in the Tour Championship in Atlanta. His best finish in the Dunhill was a 10th place effort with Paul Broadhurst.
Stenson had only been a PGA Tour member for a couple of years when he and Tyson teamed for the Dunhill, and the two have maintained contact since then, Tyson said.
The goal for both Tyson and Lingmerth this week is to reach Sunday's final round at the legendary Old Course at St. Andrews, if they can make the cut. For Lingmerth, he will need to finish in the top 60 professional golfers over the first three rounds. It's a little tougher for Tyson, who will need a top 20 finish among the amateurs, but he's made the cut several times. This is the only professional tournament that plays annually on the Old Course at St. Andrews, golf's most prestigious golf course.
Preparing for the Dunhill is a little different, Tyson said. With strong winds, golfers want to use lower irons to keep the ball lower and reduce the impact of the winds. To get ready for a links-style event, Tyson said he spent a lot of time working on using his putter off the green and using his 6 and 8 irons to "bump and run" his ball into the greens, the same way he learned to play the game when he was young.
"It's all about finding a rhythm and tempo," said Tyson, who eagled No. 18 on the Old Course once during a Dunhill round. "I've been working on chipping and long running putts.
"It's the way I learned to play golf at Springdale Country Club."
Lingmerth won't be the only golfer with Arkansas ties competing in the Dunhill this week. John Daly is also in the field along with notable PGA Tour standouts Paul Lawrie, Stewart Cink, Louis Oosthuizen, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington.
For Lingmerth, this event hopefully leads to other doors opening for him, Tyson said. Lingmerth is seeking a spot on the Swedish Olympic golf team, and he's also hopeful of a spot on the European Ryder Cup team.
"He'll get a chance to spend some time around David Clark, the Euro captain," Tyson said. "Hopefully that works out well for him for the Ryder Cup team."
Chip Souza can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAChip.
Sports on 09/29/2015