Formula 1 legend Damon Hill can’t wait to return to Aberdeenshire for this year’s Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International Links.
The 1996 world champion is used to life in the fast lane but admits it is an exhilarating experience to be teeing up alongside some golfing legends.
This year’s event at Balmedie – the flagship tournament on the Legends Tour – will include several major winners including John Daly, Ian Woosnam, Michael Campbell, Angel Cabrera and Aberdeen’s very own Open champion Paul Lawrie.
Hill will be among the celebrities playing in the Luxe Scot Celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday, July 31, the day before the PGA Seniors Championship gets under way.
He is relishing getting the chance to play alongside some of golf’s biggest names at the north-east venue.
Hill said: “It’s just amazing. So many golf legends and golf history embodied in these players. For a golf geek like me, it’s a humbling and memorable experience. And I get to boast about it to my friends. Sad but true!
“We are so lucky to get these opportunities to play with top professionals. The amateurs learn so much and we get to meet people from all walks of life. Golf is a great game for that.
“I am so excited to return to Aberdeen and to get the opportunity to play this extraordinary golf course.
“I played there for the first time last year and I absolutely loved it. It’s not an easy course though – tough rough!”
Hill, 63, will be trying to win money for his chosen charity The HALOW Project, which supports young people with learning disabilities in Surrey.
He is hoping his game hits top gear when he arrives at Balmedie later this month.
He added: “I’m hitting it absolutely all over the place at the moment. I have been training for a charity bike ride at the expense of my golf.
“So, I am prepared for disaster!”
High hopes for Hastings
Scottish rugby legend Gavin Hastings, another golfing aficionado, will also be back at Trump International Links for this year’s event.
The 62-year-old, whose chosen charity is Sport Parkinson’s, said: “Having played last year for the first time I am very excited to be returning to play Trump.
“It is a big golf course with terrific views from the tees and provides a stern challenge with wide fairways and large greens which means you have to be accurate with your approach shots.
“Playing with Tour professionals is always a great experience and the fact that this year there is such a strong professional line-up is a testament to the attraction of playing this course in such a prestigious tournament.
“I’m not sure who the best celeb playing is, but one thing for sure is that none of us ever lose the competitive element and I just hope there aren’t too many bandits playing this year!
“My handicap is probably a bit too low to compete with some of the others but I will be trying as always.”
Scott Quinnell, the former Wales rugby international who, like Hastings, also represented the British and Irish Lions, will be teeing up at Trump International Links.
The 51-year-old, who is playing for the motor neurone disease charity My Name’5 Doddie, said: “I’m so excited to be going back. I was lucky enough to play at Trump International Golf Links last year and I have to say it’s one of the best courses I’ve ever played on.
“Having been lucky enough to play sport at the highest level playing in the Luxe Scot Celebrity Pro-Am is just a glimpse into the life of a golf professional.
“It’s obviously a bit more nerve racking on the first tee but the camaraderie around the professionals, the celebrities, and our playing partners makes it that more special.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet your heroes, spending time with the people that you grew up watching and wanted to be.”
Di Matteo back for more
Roberto Di Matteo, who played for and managed Chelsea, will also be back at Trump International Links this month.
Di Matteo’s chosen charity is Prostate Cancer UK. He said: “I’m very excited as I believe it is one of the best courses in the world.
“I have played Trump International Golf Links a few times and I have loved it each time a little bit more. It is an amazing golf course.
“It is a real pleasure to join some of the best players in the history of golf playing in the Luxe Scot Celebrity Pro-Am. They are all so very humble and make you feel at ease despite our limitations in playing their game!”
Other celebrities confirmed to be playing at Trump International Links include Anton du Beke, Brian McFadden, Darren Gough, Gianfranco Zola, Gordon Strachan, Jimmy Nesbitt, Judy Murray, Keith Duffy, Leone Rolle (DJ Rudimental), Kriss Akabusi and Robbie Fowler.
Tickets for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International Links are on sale at www.legendstour.com/tickets
