They have starred on stage and screen and won gold medals at the Olympics but the celebrities in action at the Alfred Dunhill links championship yesterday found that a 5ft putt for par can certainly get the heart beating a little bit faster.
Actor Hugh Grant plays off a very creditable handicap of nine but even he says the pressure of playing in front of the crowds at Carnoustie’s illustrious links was difficult to deal with. He said: “The nerves are much worse out there – it turns me into a gibbering wreck.
“I very occasionally enjoy it if I hit a good shot but I played medium to poor today.
“Fortunately, my partner, David Howell, played a stormer, although I did pick up a few shots for us, too.”
Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley, a 14-handicapper, was playing along with American Rich Beem in the same group as Aberdeen’s Paul Lawrie and the Irishman said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience – even if he felt slightly outside of his comfort zone.
He said: “When I am performing I know what I am doing as I have been practising all my life, so the pressure with golf is different.
“I only took up the sport five years ago and I wish I had more time to play as it is a magnificent game. Scotland is the home of golf and it is an honour to be here and playing with the lads but at my level I can’t afford to take it too seriously.”
Retired rower Sir Steve Redgrave, who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games, was playing in the championship for the 13th time and is sitting tied seventh in the team pro-am event with partner Jamie Donaldson with a combined score of 10-under-par 62 at Carnoustie.
The 14-handicapper said: “We only dropped one shot as a team – at the 16th, which was a very tough hole today. It helps when you have a partner who is on fire with the short stick as Jamie was today.
“It’s a great tournament and fantastic to be part of it. Every time I leave here I find the dates for the next year’s event and put them in my diary, then hope that the invitation comes through to be part of it.”